Imaging skewed to the left

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Hi there,

First time posting, been reading this forum for years though. I have an odd problem. When I listen to music in stereo direct, the sound is perfectly centered, but if I engage any dsp feature stereo or Neo6, dolby etc, the imaging is slightly to the left. I am Using an Arcam avr300 as preamp connected to a parasound hca-2205a. I swapped speaker Cables, same results. Used my emotiva amp, same results. Speaker level is the same in Arcam settings. I also calibrated the speakers with a mic...can the preamp outputs be out of balance? How to Make sure that's the problem? Can it be something else...the room? But then why it is fine in direct mode?

Thanks in advance for your help
 
In direct mode all DSP is off.
If you put it in Dolby pro logic IIx on music mode mono mix, what happens?
Would say, a female singer float between the speakers?
Are all surround speakers in phase and you can get a perfect balance even though it might be diffuse, is it somewhat balanced otherwise on other DSP modes?
I don,t have this reciever, just thinking out load BTW
 
Also your distances, although set to the proper measurement of the tape, may need adjustment. The algorithm is setup for and ideal speaker that none of us own :)....the Arcam has all the controls needed for superior surround (most pre-pros do not)

Go to Prologic II "Music" set up starting with original settings you have now for the following instructions:

Once you have your system "Calibrated" this is how how to perfect the setup by ear.

Listen to the left and right with Phantom mode center and rears turned way down. Get a proper image under these conditions.

Then bring in center channel and move the center distance until center "locks in" you will know if you have a properly matched center channel, and then adjust center level until it sounds like you have one big speaker for the fronts\

Then bring up the rears, use music with a clear snare drum or hard hit cymbals and fine tune rears until the drum sound is one coherent sound front to back.

Since you are new to this....it may take some time to get the rears adjusted and center to taste. Keep in mind music genres may require occasional fine tuning by reducing rears to help expand the perceived size of a venue on a orchestral recording, also making center channel level adjustments to also focus or expand the soundstage to taste.

Surround Sound like a racecar once you have a good setup, you have to fine tune it to the track you're on.

If you run into trouble let me know, its been awhile since I have told someone how to do this....once you catch on to the power you have with surround you can dial up whatever you want and take 2 channel cd's to a new level :) Good Luck
 
In direct mode all DSP is off.
If you put it in Dolby pro logic IIx on music mode mono mix, what happens?
Would say, a female singer float between the speakers?
Are all surround speakers in phase and you can get a perfect balance even though it might be diffuse, is it somewhat balanced otherwise on other DSP modes?
I don,t have this reciever, just thinking out load BTW

Yeah the problem happens with any of the dsp modes engaged, I tried them all and the music is kind of louder from the left speaker. In stereo direct, it is perfectly centered.
 
Defjammer...thanks so much for the detailed explanation...removing the center and lowering the rears helped a lot in centering the sound...I am listening right now in dolby pl II music and the sound is much improved...will play with it some more..thanks again:)
 
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