I Lost My Imaging & Soundstage - HELP!

[Zing]

I decided to do a little rearranging today to better accommodate the new surrounds. I moved the seating back about 3-4 feet and then did the same with the mains and subs. Once everything was in its new location, I calibrated all the speakers and then threw in a multichannel disc to test things out. All seemed well. I then threw in your standard stereo CD and immediately noticed two things: 1) vocals were no longer "coming out of the fireplace" but rather distinctly from each of the mains and 2) the left main was noticeably louder.

During calibration, a +2.0 trim level setting for each of the mains yields exactly 75dB on my meter. Further, the test tone even seemed like it was playing at the same volume from each speaker to my ears. I played another disc and got the same result. Vocals aren't anchored to the center and the left speaker seems louder.

I switched inputs but got the same result.

I switched sources and got the same result.

I unplugged every power cable for over a minute and then tried again and got the same result.

I double, triple and quadruple checked all speaker cables. Everything is properly connected and nothing is out of phase.

All drivers and all tweeters are working properly.

I experimented with different seating locations. I experimented with different speaker locations. I put everything back where it was before I started. I emptied the fucking room and started over from scratch. I've been at this is 12:30 this afternoon. No matter what I do or what I try I get the same result. No soundstage and no imaging.

Can anyone help me?

 

[PaulyT]

Wow, 3-4 feet even further back in your room? How/why - where did you need to put the surrounds? Or have you changed the arrangement since I was last there?

For the stereo/CD tests, your pre/pro is in stereo only mode? (e.g. surround/center speakers are silent)

 

[PaulyT]

Did you also move the various acoustic panels? Given your room layout, I could see getting more reflected sound from the left speaker - thus louder - if not.

 

[Zing]

For the stereo/CD tests, your pre/pro is in stereo only mode? (e.g. surround/center speakers are silent)

Yes. Confirmed.

 

[Zing]

Did you also move the various acoustic panels? I could see getting more reflected sound from the left speaker - thus louder - if not.

Yes. With the initial move, the panels were also moved to appropriate locations. During placement experimentation, they were both moved and removed. And now they're back were they were 7+ hours ago.

 

[PaulyT]

Just tossing out ideas... Swap the l/r mains, see if the loudness follows the speaker? If not, then it must be either the room or the source/processor.

 

[PaulyT]

Hell even swap cables, maybe one of them developed a partial short or something. (though I realize this may not be practical for you given your cable runs...)

 

[Flint]

Ah acoustics...

 

[Zing]

Just tossing out ideas... Swap the l/r mains, see if the loudness follows the speaker? If not, then it must be either the room or the source/processor.

Took you suggestion. No difference. It doesn't matter whether I use my Oppo disc player via optical or HDMI or my laptop via HDMI; the result is the same.

I just can't fathom why vocals are no longer anchored to center.

 

[PaulyT]

But you say it's ok with multi-channel music? What about, say, the Queen Night at the Opera BD mix, how are vocals there? (from what I remember, the main vocal line usually still being front&center)

 

[Botch]

Anything different over headphones?

 

[Zing]

Anything different over headphones?

I don't use headphones very often so I really don't have a basis. Regardless, I just tried them. I'd say they sound normal but my mind is so worked up over this I kinda think the left side was louder in the headphones too. Likely placebo but I don't know.

 

[PaulyT]

Thinking back to rammis's comment in another thread, maybe try turning off all the lights, even putting on a blindfold of some sort? (and maybe have a scotch... )

 

[PaulyT]

Sorry if my suggestions sound odd/stupid/whatever; I know you're a careful person - to the point of mild obsessiveness (like me) - so I'm just trying to think of outside-the-box things to try to shake things up a bit.

 

[Zing]

I've tried every suggestion made so far - except for the lights/blindfold thing.

I also just switched amps - no change.

And then I switched speaker cables on the back of the amp - the right side speaker now became the slightly louder one. So, you know, hooray for consistency. :-/

 

[PaulyT]

So that sounds like it's pretty much narrowed down to the pre/pro? Something wonky that it's doing in stereo mode. I'm trying to think of some other way to test it without having to swap it out for another unit. What if you put it in all-channel stereo mode, but turn off the surround/center amps?

 

[PaulyT]

And/or try the other various listening modes - if it works at all like my Onkyo - like pure/direct, etc. You've checked all the various settings for bass management and speaker setup and eq, I assume?

 

[Zing]

What if you put it in all-channel stereo mode, but turn off the surround/center amps?

It might sound a little more equal in terms of volume, meaning the left side doesn't seem quite as loud as it did but there's no change to the imaging. The vocals are coming out of the speakers themselves (no phantom center).

 

[Zing]

And/or try the other various listening modes - if it works at all like my Onkyo - like pure/direct, etc. You've checked all the various settings for bass management and speaker setup and eq, I assume?

Yes, Direct PCM stereo. Yes, settings, with and without bass management.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Did you try tearing down the house to the foundation and rebuilding it??

Well, as suggested above, it sounds like something in the pre/pro, or possibly an interconnect cable which became defective (high resistance in the contact). If you are using RCAs you might try rotating the cables in the jack or interchanging the L and R cables and see if the other speaker sounds louder. Also, you might try plugging your player directly into your power amps (assuming that your player has an onboard volume control of some sort) and see if that equalizes the imaging. You might also check your speaker cables, and that they didn't come loose in their connections to the amp or speakers.

Just the physical move you mentioned should not throw the imaging our THAT much unless you have either a very asymmetrical listening room or perhaps there might be something highly reflective now near the louder speaker. You might try moving the speakers very close together to something like a couple feet to the middle of the room, and listen with your head right dead center between them. This would eliminate any acoustic weirdness of the room.