One Speaker louder than the other

[fox512]

I have 2 cornwalls running through my Marantz model 8 with my pre out being a Marantz 2238... I noticed that one speaker was louder than the other...after checking I noticed they were hooked up backwards so I switched them around, and now the other side is lower...i had also noticed that the speakers which are bi wired are not uniform...one side red and black are the positive and the other negative side is white and green...the other speaker is red and green are the positive and black and white are the negative...Is this my problem?

 

[bowtie427ss]

Could be as simple as non-linearity of the 2238's volume pot, especially at the extremes of it's range.

Cornwalls are sensitive, that sensitivity might show you(acoustically) minor anomalies that less sensitive speakers will not reveal.

The short term fix is probably in the balance knob.

Bi-wiring is not something that happens in my stable. The confusion and potential problems it creates are not nearly worth the extremely rare and minuscule benefits some claim, but can never seem to demonstrate in real time.

 

[Tim D]

Once you get your wiring straightened out so both channels are wired identically check it again. If they are still off then swap the speakers between channels. If the problem moves with the speaker then it is in the speaker. If it stays in the same channel then it is in the amp.

 

[bowtie427ss]

If i understood the OP correctly, he has already did the side to side swap rendering the other speaker quiet. The imbalance is upstream of speakers.

 

[whoaru99]

...i had also noticed that the speakers which are bi wired are not uniform...one side red and black are the positive and the other negative side is white and green...the other speaker is red and green are the positive and black and white are the negative...Is this my problem?

The color of the wire insulation is immaterial as long as correct polarity between the amp connections and speaker connections is maintained.

That said, keeping the colors consistent side to side and/or top to bottom helps avoid connection errors and confusion.

 

[elitopus]

I love horn speakers but sometimes they drive me crazy too. Like Bowtie said, they will show you any noise or issues you have upstream, that a less sensitive speaker would just ignore.

Ive fought with stereo balance issues in the past. You just have to go through every piece of the upstream gear and rule each piece out.

I’ve had preamps, amps, and even a CDP cause stereo balance issues.

 

[fox512]

Thanks for the replies...I'm gonna mess around with it tomorrow again

 

[Chrisxo55441]

You just have to go through every piece of the upstream gear and rule each piece out.

Yes have you tried changing the source to see if it happens with other ones. i know a couple times i had that issue it turned out to be a loose fitting head shell/cartridge wire. also try swapping tubes, one of my 9's was putting out less volume then the other and it ended being one of the el34's causing the imbalance

 

[sbcrockett]

I read a thread recently where the speaker terminals were wired backwards inside the cabinet, causing phase issues. Something to consider.

Chrisxo's suggestion is a great idea. Also, do you have another amp you could try?

Good luck tracking it down.

-Steve