To compensate for stereo imbalance in your speaker setup, take advantage of the Listening Spot feature. The Listening Spot is implied at the speaker measurement stage and shown as a feature in SoundID Reference.
Why is it necessary?
There could be many reasons for the stereo image to be not precise: speakers' placement, furniture layout, a window on one side of your setup, etc. The software will show the amount of imbalance exactly and compensate for it accordingly. The actual sound coming out of the speakers will then be balanced.
Will it sound different?
Having the stereo image corrected after taking the measurements could seem unusual. The new stereo image might feel out of place at first, as it is an unconscious brain reaction, as your hearing would automatically compensate for the stereo image in your room. Therefore, it is likely that the correction will feel incorrect at first, while your ears are adjusting to the corrected stereo image.
Once the Listening Spot is on, sometimes, the VU meter left and right channel levels might appear uneven. That happens because the feature references the actual listening position, adjusts the channel volume, and reveals the difference at the VU Meter.
If needed, the Listening Spot feature can be disabled, bringing back your default stereo image. However, we recommend using it as intended. Once your hearing adjusts to it, it will start making sense. We also advise spending several listening sessions with reference music first, listening to your favorite tracks using the SoundID Reference app. We believe it will help you through the transition process. Please keep in mind that the feature also compensates for Left and Right timing, not only the level differences.
If you're working on a multichannel speaker setup, check out our guide on the listening spot feature for multichannel setup calibration here: Listening Spot (Multichannel)
0 comments