[Mr_Superstar]

I've had my SongTower's for over a month now and I absolutely love them. However, they've made me aware of one thing that really seems to bug the heck out of me. I've noticed on some CD's that I have, the recording engineer seemed to place a lot more information in one channel than the other. Most of the time it's on the left channel, so I hear significantly more sound from the left speaker. Sometimes it's pretty much all (or most) of the lyrics. Has anyone else noticed this with any of your CD's?

I've swapped cables to make sure it wasn't the speaker, it wasn't (or at least it didn't seem to be, my ear isn't too great when going from speaker to speaker). Unfortunately, this really seems to get on my nerves when listening.

[TJHUB]

I don't agree with your findings, but I think I know what you are experiencing.  What are you using to drive the STs?  Dome or RT version of the STs.

I don't have an answer for you, but I am curious if I can help "fix" your issue.  If not, I'll share what I've found regarding a very similar situation that I had.  Notice the word "had". 

[Mr_Superstar]

I don't agree with your findings, but I think I know what you are experiencing.  What are you using to drive the STs?  Dome or RT version of the STs.

I don't have an answer for you, but I am curious if I can help "fix" your issue.  If not, I'll share what I've found regarding a very similar situation that I had.  Notice the word "had". 

Hi TJHUB, I'm using the Dome version of the SongTower's and I'm driving them with a Marantz 7002.

[TJHUB]

I don't agree with your findings, but I think I know what you are experiencing.  What are you using to drive the STs?  Dome or RT version of the STs.

I don't have an answer for you, but I am curious if I can help "fix" your issue.  If not, I'll share what I've found regarding a very similar situation that I had.  Notice the word "had". 

Hi TJHUB, I'm using the Dome version of the SongTower's and I'm driving them with a Marantz 7002.

What CD player are you using and what kind of interconnects to you have between it and the Marantz?

And just for clarification, you said you swapped cables, what did you exactly swap?

[Mr_Superstar]

What CD player are you using and what kind of interconnects to you have between it and the Marantz?

And just for clarification, you said you swapped cables, what did you exactly swap?

I'm using the Oppo 980H as my CD player (I also have a Sony 5-disc changer that I also have connected). The Oppo is connected using a Monster cable digital coax cable. At one point I used the HDMI audio output but I've learned that Oppo has some issues with HDCP when talking to Marantz & Denon receivers. I can try flashing the ROM, but I haven't yet. The Sony is connected using an optical cable I purchased from monoprice.

All of my in-wall wires are 16 gauge. The front speaker runs are VERY short (I really didn't need to run them in wall, but it makes things a little nicer...). From wall -> speaker I have 12 gauge acoustic research cables. All of my cables have banana plugs on them.

I have a 5.1 wall plate that I use to connect the marantz to all speakers. So I swapped the left & right channel cables connected to this plate.

[TomW16]

I haven't heard that effect either.  Is your left speaker located more in a corner?  Sometimes if the speakers are not located symetrically to room bounderies, one speaker can reinforce certain frequencies.  Maybe that is what is happening with your left speaker and reinforcing the vocal frequency range.

Good luck.
Tom

[Mr_Superstar]

I haven't heard that effect either.  Is your left speaker located more in a corner?  Sometimes if the speakers are not located symetrically to room bounderies, one speaker can reinforce certain frequencies.  Maybe that is what is happening with your left speaker and reinforcing the vocal frequency range.

Good luck.
Tom

Nope, unfortunately. My left speaker is 27" from the side wall and my right speaker is 25.5" away from the other side wall.

[revrob]

You may have to balance the left and right channel on certain songs. A integrated amp I previously owned was sending less information to the left speaker than the right one during low listening levels. It was driving me crazy but it turn out to be the amp rather than the cd player.

Does this happen only at low level listening or is it present at all levels?

Good luck.

[Mr_Superstar]

You may have to balance the left and right channel on certain songs. A integrated amp I previously owned was sending less information to the left speaker than the right one during low listening levels. It was driving me crazy but it turn out to be the amp rather than the cd player.

Does this happen only at low level listening or is it present at all levels?

Good luck.

I've only noticed it at low listening levels, but I haven't been able to crank it up much lately.

[TomW16]

You mentioned that your in-wall speaker cable is 16 gauge.  Below is a table for speaker gauge and distances from Audioholics:

Speaker Impedance            8 Ohm Load           4 Ohm Load
Wire Gauge                       Distance (ft)          Distance (ft)

18 AWG                           10                        5
16 AWG                           20                        10
14 AWG                           35                        18
12 AWG                           60                        30
10 AWG                           100                      50
 
I think the Song Towers are around 6 ohm speakers so if your right speaker in-wall cable is around 12-15 feet in length and longer than your left in-wall speaker cable, you might be reducing the right speaker's output reinforcing the left speaker.  You mentioned that your front speaker cables are VERY short so it's not likely the speaker gauge but I'd thought I would throw this idea out there.

You mentioned that you swapped the speaker cables from left to right on the wall plate and if the vocal reinforcement switched to the right speaker, it is definitey not the wire gauge or the speaker.

Cheers,
Tom

[TJHUB]

I just saw your other post with a pic of your setup.  Nice BTW.

I guess I'll just stop trying to figure this out and tell you what happened to me.  Maybe that will of more help to you.

My right speaker seemed to produce more vocal energy to the point where it often sounded like singers were just to the left side of my right speaker (my speakers are 11.5' apart).  This kind of thing drives me INSANE!! 

One day I decided to try and narrow down the issue.  First, I swapped the speakers.  Not it.  Then I swapped interconnects between my preamp and amp.  It changed!  Bad interconnect I figured, so all was good.  Thank goodness!

A few days later I moved my subwoofer cable from some rearranging I did and the issue was back.  What?  So I sat down and listened and the issue was there again, but a little different this time.  So I went to the back of my components and started moving things around and I could change the sound of my speakers; primarily the upper frequencies.  Strange...

I decided to change my interconnect between the preamp and amp again.  This time I decided to change to a different type of interconnect.  I went from a crap interconnect to a monster shielded cable and the problem not only completely went away, but things sounded a little different.  I think it was the non-shielded cable mixed in with all the other wires back there that was causing the issue (I have a lot of wires running behind my components). 

Since then, I have now purchased all new interconnects from BJC so they would be the right lengths.  I haven't heard the issue since the swap to a shielded interconnect.  I'm not certain if the old interconnects were actually bad or not, or if it's the shielding; I don't care.  The issue is gone and that was the goal.

Try swapping/changing cables until you find the issue.  Their is nothing wrong with most CD mixes with vocals being off center.  Do you have any Norah Jones?  They seem to mic her dead center on most recordings. 



 

[TomW16]

You may have to balance the left and right channel on certain songs. A integrated amp I previously owned was sending less information to the left speaker than the right one during low listening levels. It was driving me crazy but it turn out to be the amp rather than the cd player.

Does this happen only at low level listening or is it present at all levels?

Good luck.

I've only noticed it at low listening levels, but I haven't been able to crank it up much lately.

revrob might have hit the nail on the head.  Potentiometers are notorious for inconsistent tracking at different volume levels. 

[Mr_Superstar]

So I just did a little experiment. The first time I noticed this, pretty dramatically, was using Track #1 "Black Sabbath" from We Sold Our Souls for Rock and Roll. So I just put it back on. It turns out, it may not be the lyrics that are out of balance, but the guitar. But since the guitar and lyrics are playing at the same time, I thought it was the lyrics were messed up.

Right around 5 minutes into the song, there is a guitar solo. So I disconnected my left speaker. I could BARELY hear any guitar in the right speaker. So I connected my left speaker to the right channel and left the other channel disconnected. Same thing, I could barely hear the guitar. So I disconnected the right channel, and connected the left channel to the right speaker. I could now hear the guitar solo. So I moved the left channel back to the left speaker, again I could hear the guitar.

Thanks everyone for their help/input.

[TomW16]

Glad you got it worked out.  Vocals are typically (but not always) mixed to the center (i.e. coming from both speakers) but individual instruments can be mixed hard left or right depending on the sound engineer's vision.

Enjoy the speakers!

Tom

[Nuance]

Hopefully you've got the issue nipped in the bud, but in case you didn't, have you used an SPL meter to ensure both speakers are level matched?  If one is even 0.5 dB louder it can cause issues.  I had to push my right speaker back 5 inches further than the left speaker (I use a preamp with no level controls) because the side-wall was causing the right speaker to be a little louder (someone already mentioned room boundaries, and I agree with them). 

Be sure the channels are level matched, both to 75dB using your receiver.  Run the receiver's internal pink noise test tone with an SPL meter to do this.  Put the meter at ear level, facing upwards at the listening position.

If you already know how to do this and have done it, ignore this post. 

Just to put your mind at ease some, there are some CD's that mix the vocals off to the side a little.  A good example are the songs by Ray Charles on Jim Salk's Demo CD.  I've noticed on three different systems that Ray's voice is a little off to the left, especially on the songs he sings duet with someone else.  Just food for thought.

Anyway, start simple by checking speaker levels and distances and what not, then move along to a possible cable or interconnect failure.  Hopefully you won't have to progress further than that. 

[nyc_paramedic]

Hopefully you've got the issue nipped in the bud, but in case you didn't, have you used an SPL meter to ensure both speakers are level matched?  If one is even 0.5 dB louder it can cause issues....

BTW, has it been mentioned by Jim or Dennis if the drivers they use are matched pairs? Or, is there anything else done either before or after construction of Salks in regards to this?

[DMurphy]

The 0W2 tweeters are matched at the factory.  The Seas woofs are not, but the quality control is excellent. Besides, there are two per side, so any tiny deviations are more likely to even out.  In any event, I would bet what's left of my IRA that there's not an issue with driver matching. 

[nyc_paramedic]

The 0W2 tweeters are matched at the factory.  The Seas woofs are not, but the quality control is excellent. Besides, there are two per side, so any tiny deviations are more likely to even out.  In any event, I would bet what's left of my IRA that there's not an issue with driver matching.

Thanks Dennis. I just remembered that my audiologist told me I have a very slight dip at 4khz. She obviously attributes it to 13 years of ambulance sirens...