[OscarPaz]

My unit just arrived. There's strong channel imbalance - the left driver is noticeably louder than the right ( is there any way I could fix that? )

There have been some (few) complaints about this previously. For instance by Solderdude who reviewed the headphones on a different forum (https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/takstar-pro-82):

The channel matching is not that great. This probably had something to do with the mounting of the baffle. After inspecting both drivers to see what caused this difference and finding nothing strange, the measured level difference was gone.
It was checked multiple times with a few reseatings on the test jig to see if it wasn’t a measurement error. Also the difference was quite audible with the center sound (voices etc.) leaning very much to the left. A difference of 3dB is quite audible. Something must not have been assembled properly ? In any case I did not see anything weird.

Or maybe they will somehow magically fix themselves.

If you're not willing to send the package back (as recommended), then you may try opening them and fiddling a bit with the drivers. That's the “magic” that Solderdude seemed to apply:

[...] after re-assembly [...] Channel matching is good. Bass extension is excellent. Well below 10Hz. Mids are also very neutral and quite ‘linear’ up to 2kHz. [...]

 

[Markolav]

I have noticed exactly the same issue with my Pro 82 but it seems to be very track dependent which is strange. Now im 100% sure that its not just my pair.

Do you think that Takstar is aware of this?

 

[BenF]

I have noticed exactly the same issue with my Pro 82 but it seems to be very track dependent which is strange. Now im 100% sure that its not just my pair.

Do you think that Takstar is aware of this?

Channel imbalance shouldn't be track dependent.
Perhaps your hearing is sensitive to different frequencies in each ear - you should check with audiologist.

 

[J Mirra]

Channel imbalance shouldn't be track dependent.
Perhaps your hearing is sensitive to different frequencies in each ear - you should check with audiologist.

There are also recordings where the vocalist is panned slightly I am very sensitive to slight panning.

With the pro 82's having such a good image it is very easy to hear such recordings.

 

[Markolav]

Channel imbalance shouldn't be track dependent.
Perhaps your hearing is sensitive to different frequencies in each ear - you should check with audiologist.

Im pretty sure that its not my ears if this has been experienced by multiple users. It doesnt happen to me with any other headphone.

For example this is from M40X-comparison:

Sound stage and imaging, I will give it to Pro 82 though the Pro 82 can project sound images outside the cups asymmetrically(like the sound on the right is more present than the left and vice versa) on some tracks to the point that your inner channel imbalance OCD will probably get triggered, making you adjust the placement of cups in your ears.

 

[BenF]

There have been some (few) complaints about this previously. For instance by Solderdude who reviewed the headphones on a different forum (https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/takstar-pro-82):

The channel matching is not that great. This probably had something to do with the mounting of the baffle. After inspecting both drivers to see what caused this difference and finding nothing strange, the measured level difference was gone.

His imbalance was gone when he looked inside and then put everything back with no changes.
This was probably a result of previously badly re-assembled pads - that's why I always advocate against disassembling Pro 82.
Also, if you look at his graph, the blue line moved several DBs lower through the entire range, except under 50Hz and 3-4kHz.
This wouldn't affect just some tracks.

Im pretty sure that its not my ears if this has been experienced by multiple users. It doesnt happen to me with any other headphone.
For example this is from M40X-comparison:

Sound stage and imaging, I will give it to Pro 82 though the Pro 82 can project sound images outside the cups asymmetrically(like the sound on the right is more present than the left and vice versa) on some tracks to the point that your inner channel imbalance OCD will probably get triggered, making you adjust the placement of cups in your ears.

I think you are the first one to have a track-dependant imbalance, it's very unlikely to come from Pro 82.
Maybe J Mirra is right:

There are also recordings where the vocalist is panned slightly I am very sensitive to slight panning.
With the pro 82's having such a good image it is very easy to hear such recordings.

 

[OscarPaz]

His imbalance was gone when he looked inside and then put everything back with no changes.
This was probably a result of previously badly re-assembled pads - that's why I always advocate against disassembling Pro 82.
Also, if you look at his graph, the blue line moved several DBs lower through the entire range, except under 50Hz and 3-4kHz.
This wouldn't affect just some tracks.

My reply to @april435 was before knowing about the issue of a frequency-dependent channel imbalance as experienced by @Markolav, which seems weird. If it was all about taking off and putting back on the pads, my point was that maybe it was worth a try.

Otherwise @J Mirra could be right about the case of specific recordings, but I assume that @Markolav has tried with many different songs and even swapping left and right to check the effect, did you?

 

[J Mirra]

David Bowie - Soul Love, panned slightly right.


Betty Swan - Today I Started Loving You, Panned slightly left.

 

[Markolav]

David Bowie - Soul Love, panned slightly right.


Betty Swan - Today I Started Loving You, Panned slightly left.

Thanks for linking those, i can hear the same so its NOT my ears. Most likely their stereo imaging really works like that, its also possible that it might be some sort of manufacturing error, I dont know.

But its also good to remember that vocals are not always in dead center in all mixes.

 

[lyrean]

I have noticed exactly the same issue with my Pro 82 but it seems to be very track dependent which is strange. Now im 100% sure that its not just my pair.

It does exactly the same thing for me and it depends what you are listening to. It doesn't happen in all tracks.

 

[BenF]

Thanks for linking those, i can hear the same so its NOT my ears. Most likely their stereo imaging really works like that, its also possible that it might be some sort of manufacturing error, I dont know...

How can this be a manufacturing error, if I hear the same panning on my other headphones/earphones?
Hearing the tracks as they were recorded isn't always a great thing

 

[iancraig10]

Could it perhaps be a ‘leak’ where the plug goes in? This happens with the Beyer DT250. Gives a slight imbalance between the two sides.

When Solderdude reassembled, maybe he shifted something without realising.

 

[Markolav]

How can this be a manufacturing error, if I hear the same panning on my other headphones/earphones?
Hearing the tracks as they were recorded isn't always a great thing

I tried all my other headphones as well and i heard the same, but there are some tracks where i can hear the difference like vocalist is slightly on the left/right instead of on the center, guitars are louder on the other side etc. Or maybe its just my imagination, lol.

 

[BenF]

Wow, I just noticed - we passed 2000 posts today!
@Markolav did it - https://www.head-fi.org/threads/tak...scussion-thread.849965/page-134#post-14253212

 

[OscarPaz]

Wow, I just noticed - we passed 2000 posts today!
@Markolav did it - https://www.head-fi.org/threads/tak...scussion-thread.849965/page-134#post-14253212

Wait a minute,
was the text of that post...​

aligned to the left . . .​

. . . or right?​

​