I've been trying to solve this issue unsuccessfully for several days now and its driving me insane... The above image represents how my "center image" (i.e. vocalists, main percussion, etc.) appear when listening to the same recording from different formats. The green circle (good!) is where Eddie Vedder appears in the soundstage when listening to "No Code" through Apple Music lossless. The green circle (bad!) is where Eddie Vedder appears in the soundstage when listening to "No Code" on vinyl. This "left-of-center" issue is more prevalent on certain records, but it happens enough that I'm really not enjoying my vinyl playback as of late. I've tried moving the right speaker closer/further and changing the toe-in, but nothing seems to help. Could this be an issue with cartridge alignment? I admit I'm not well-versed in aligning and did it myself using a printed online protractor. Any thoughts/guidance would be much appreciated!
Could be a number of things. Maybe cartridge balance off, azimuth could be off, too much anti-skate. Could be the record.
This is an excellent point mkane, SATLOS are you having center image issues with any other records or just that one?
Seems like a non issue. There has to be something else bigger to deal with? Sorry to sound like a dick.
Does seem like it has to be something with the record, or player. One reason I love my McIntosh C2300, it has remote control of everything including balance. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
That is very strange, when I had my mini monitors set up in nearfield and no balance control, I just moved one speaker (usually the right one for some reason) back-and-forth just a little bit to balance the soundstage. It didn’t take much, sometimes only a half inch or something. in fact, usually a half-inch or something. With your speakers further away, it probably will take more movement. Move the right speaker forward and at some point the center vocal must move to center. If it doesn’t, I don’t know what to tell you. PS: does your amplifier or preamp have a mono button? I presume not but that is a good way to set up the speaker balance. Physically move one of the speakers until it’s dead center. Then put it back in stereo, thinking that is the way it should sound on a particular recording. but having a difference between digital and vinyl is another issue, I’m thinking it has to be the cartridge/setup or something.
Most people have bass issues, room modes. Maybe ask the engineer who mastered both formats. How am I doing?
Yes, absolutely. Pay a pro to do it properly. Unless you know what you're doing, it might be a mystery forever. Also possible you didn't print the protractor at 100% scale, either... which would make the adjustments pointless as they'd inherently be wrong. You have 2 carts but didn't mention which one you're using at this time.
You didn't understand his issue and you're continuing to dig yourself deep. Delete both posts since you're contributing nothing of value. They're embarrassing, period.
Just to check, switch the turntable outputs... Eddie's voice should move to the right. Cart or stylus problem, I would guess...
If you have a MONO record in your collection play it and see where the dead center is while playing it. If it is off then your phono setup is stronger on one side than the other. Also play a mono recording on CD to make sure the CD setup is not off center either. One or the other is lying to you and is not dead center is my guess. Probably the phono as cartridges and phono sections add another level of complexity into the balance question. Do you in fact have your mono CD setup so centered it is sharp and dead center ONLY without any bleed at all toward either side of the room even when you move from the "sweet spot?" Not to brag but my own setup you can still hear that mono is ONLY playing in the dead center even when you are standing over to the side wall and listening. It still sounds like there is only ONE speaker and it is ONLY dead center. No wander. Even way off to the side it still won't blur. It still sounds like a separate mono center speaker is doing all the work! Testing for perfect Mono is important and it should be consistent across platforms. CD, Phono and Streaming should all play the same mono recordings dead center without any wander at all. After you get that far all you need do is listen and move the boxes (without disturbing the center) until the stereo "field" is a mile wide and evenly populated by orchestra instruments from side to side with no gaps. Does your setup do that? Setup is all important folks. Get it right and you will discover a whole lot more information is lurking in those recordings. I'm telling you it's crazy. CRAY-ZEE! The Doc
Use Audacity to make a mono recording using one channel copied identically to the other. Also, are you sure that the Apple mix is the same as the vinyl?
The guy that cut the vinyl had an off day. Try a mono album. Or a test record with pink noise. Or try being less OCD. Not that I should talk.
Yep..can't tell you the number of times I've thought i had a problem,only to discover the engineer had smoked a "fatty" on the job.This is a situation where digital can be your friend...remastered at a later date(hopefully)by someone that could hold it together.
