In article , John Phillips
wrote:
Is a 2.7 dB left-right stereo imbalance reasonable for a
loudspeaker-room interaction in a nearly symmetrical room?

My last system needed no tweaking of the left-right balance control to
get a central image. However my current system needs a 2.7 dB shift in
the balance control. I have checked the source balance and swapped all
components (including leads) and the imbalance remains in either the
room or my ears.

if you've swapped everything in turn, inc the speakers, it does sound like
the room.

Are you able to get a 'mono' sound with a narrow central image?

What are you using as a source, etc?

How much effect does it have to move the speakers or angle them a little?

My experience is that unless you have fairly directional speakers the
actual frequency reponses from the two channels can be distinctly
different, and that this has more effect than the overall difference. The
snag being that you end up having to offset the balance to adjust this if
you can't make suitable alterations to the room or speaker arrangement.

I assume this imbalance is a loudspeaker-room interaction. The room is
not perfectly symmetrical but not far out. An intruding chinmey breast
is the main asymmetry, apart from furniture.

Approaching 3dB seems a lot in my experience, particularly if the room is
near symmetric. However these things do vary a lot.

FWIW In my 'hi fi room' the imbalance with ESL63's was between 1dB and
0.5dB somewhere. In my living room I've got it close to spot-on. How
typical this is, I don't know.

Slainte,

Jim

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