[Nick24JJ]

Hello,

Can you please suggest me the best ways(s) to check for channel imbalance and driver match for my IEMs?

Currently, I am using https://www.audiocheck.net/

I am doing the Stereo Imaging Tests (Left/Right Stereo Audio Test) and the Driver Match test from that site.

Is there any other way, are there any other sites or some other method(s) you could suggest?

Thank you

 

[dunring]

A phone app with a decibel meter and having them placed equal distance right at the microphone will work. Using a test tone generator to sweep frequencies and changing it left and right to check. A lapel mic is easier to get them placed up close.

 

[Nick24JJ]

A phone app with a decibel meter and having them placed equal distance right at the microphone will work. Using a test tone generator to sweep frequencies and changing it left and right to check. A lapel mic is easier to get them placed up close.

Thank you!

Do you have any good App to suggest for Android 14?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

 

[earmonger]

Do you have any good App to suggest for Android 14?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

I have Decibel X. If you go in the Play Store and look for "decibel meter" there are others. But I am a little dubious that a phone microphone is going to be more perceptive than your ears with audiocheck.

 

[Cheesebuggah]

I enable the mono mode somewhere in the settings. Audio should be coming from the center.

 

[castleofargh]

Almost any microphone can do, but for high frequencies, the smallest difference in placement can show a significant deviation in amplitude, while at low frequency, you might not even be able to measure anything beside room noises, unless you manage to make something that can pass as some sealed enclosure for the IEM+mic, and even then it might not be enough.

Before I got a fake official coupler, I would use a plastic tube, insert the IEM in it and do whatever to try and seal any mic on the other side with tape or blu tack. Later I got an IMM6 that would fit into the tube(I got issues with the plug not being compatible with my mic input, so I ended up soldering stuff onto it), much better for low freqs reading. Then more mics, coupler...
At any level, working toward getting consistent placement is key.

But I am a little dubious that a phone microphone is going to be more perceptive than your ears with audiocheck.

I'd say it depends on the situation and what you're trying to get. As I mentioned, ambient noise, placement, seal quality, those are real issues that can give false results.
But with some care and a nice seal, when it comes to taking 2 measurements and getting the variations between them at reasonably loud levels, the crappiest mic should outperform a human listener.
I for one, can get some fairly consistent results within 0.5dB by ear in the 1 to 3kHz area, and it becomes less reliable below and above. A mic does care, it shakes, and some app registers an amplitude from the voltage value. A given air movement will cause a given voltage, it's very consistent and rather precise in itself.

One legitimate question would be, does OP want to know if the IEM's sides are well-matched? Or does he want to know if they feel well-matched, the way he inserts them in his ears? The second option makes a listening test mandatory.

 

[earmonger]

But with some care and a nice seal, when it comes to taking 2 measurements and getting the variations between them at reasonably loud levels, the crappiest mic should outperform a human listener.

In theory, this is true with some care and a nice seal. But putting two differently shaped IEMs near a phone mic with a decibel-meter app? Not gonna give usable results unless the channels are hugely imbalanced.

@Cheesebuggah 's method sounds like a much better test with a clearer result. That's the logical way.
"I enable the mono mode somewhere in the settings. Audio should be coming from the center."

 

[Nick24JJ]

Thank you, all, I appreciate your replies!

I am not able or willing to set up equipment to measure channel imbalance and/or driver match, so the only things I can do are Audio Tests online and set my phone to Mono.
Nice idea, by the way, I've just done it and the sound feels like coming from the centre.

If you'd like to know why I am asking about this, here is what happened...

Spoiler: HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED

This message was sent to the 64 Audio Rep, here, no answer, yet

Hello,

As you probably remember, I've received my Volür on December 20 from Hifonix in the UK.

Everything was going perfectly fine and I was genuinely enjoying my new IEM until today. What happened today was that, while I was listening to the Volür with my iFi GO Pod, I had to Pause the playback to answer the door. When I resumed the playback (UAPP), the right channel did not sound properly. I stopped UAPP and restarted it and it was the same! I went on this website and did the Left / Right (Stereo) Sound Test. Still, the right channel was not sounding properly, it was not sounding like the left channel, the sound was thin, like there was no bass.

I took the Volür off my ears, took out the ear-tips, checked the nozzle and the tips, nothing there, everything clean, like brand new. I put the GO Pod+Volür inside their case. After 5 minutes, I took them out and did the above test. Still the same, still the right channel was not sounding properly!

I removed the Volür from the GO Pod and attached them to the stock cable. I got my FiiO BTR7 and went on the site and made the Stereo Sound Test again.
Still the same! The right channel was way off!

I left the Volür to rest for 30 minutes and tried again, with the stock cable and the BTR7 but also with my Mojo 2, and now the right channel appears to work properly again!
Even though now I have the impression that the left channel sounds a bit louder and Stereo is not dead-centre.

Can you please tell me what is going on? Have you encountered something like this? Is there any Audio Test you can suggest me, to ensure that there is no issue with the drivers of the right or even the left channel? Today, I was listening all day long with my GO Pod and this incident happened after many hours of playback. Is this the cause of this, did my Volür got tired?

It is the first time something like this is happening to me! None of my other, mediocre, IEMs has ever presented such behaviour.

I am looking forward to your advice. I sincerely hope there is some kind of Audio Test, or some other way, to determine if my unit is defective or not, remotely.

Otherwise, please advise on the next steps.

PS:
Hello again,

I want to add something to my previous message.

I was listening to my Volür again now and the Right channel sounds like distorted, if that makes sense. Sorry, don't know how to explain it better.

Looking forward to your reply and advice for what to do next!

 

[Guzomx]

Holly shi**** we have the same issue.
Did you try tap the earpiece nuzzle on a table ? That fix mine but I’m afraid it will fail again.
If by any chance you have an answer from 64 audio please let me know

 

[Nick24JJ]

Holly shi**** we have the same issue.
Did you try tap the earpiece nuzzle on a table ? That fix mine but I’m afraid it will fail again.
If by any chance you have an answer from 64 audio please let me know

You will not believe what happened!...

One the day that this issue occurred, I was standing and holding them on my hands trying to change ear-tips. As I was trying to change the ear-tips on the left IEM, the right IEM fall off my hands, on my desk. After that, all of the sudden, it started sounding correctly again!

On the next day, though, I was still getting thin sound, this time from the left channel! By thin sound I mean, like when you have an equalizer and cutting off all the bass and the treble frequencies, and you hear just the vocals, you know? Something like that!

Today I have put on the foam tips and it sounded properly all day long. I never use foam tips.

I am very curious what 64 Audio will have to say about this matter. We will see...

 

[Guzomx]

This is so strange
So now we have to hit them like and old tv to make them sound good?
I'm curious too to see what 64 audio has to say about that.
we are not alone on this, another guy just post he has the same issue too.

 

[rennyprowess]

Percussive maintenance, maybe you need to give it a hard knock daily to make sure everything works fine

 

[castleofargh]

I'm usually one to say that when violence doesn't work, it's because you didn't use enough, but balanced armatures disagree with me. I think things have become much better nowadays with ferrofluid or whatever to limit the movements of the little wobbly plate (you can feel that I'm using all the expert technical terms because I have mastered this topic), but it's probably still good practice to avoid hitting IEMs on purpose.

 

[64Audio]

This is so strange
So now we have to hit them like and old tv to make them sound good?
I'm curious too to see what 64 audio has to say about that.
we are not alone on this, another guy just post he has the same issue too.

Your issue sounds like it could be a short within the earpiece, which can present itself or appear to be fixed when the unit is jostled around. We suggest reaching out to support@64audio.com and sending them in for repair.

 

[tomb]

I enable the mono mode somewhere in the settings. Audio should be coming from the center.

In theory, this is true with some care and a nice seal. But putting two differently shaped IEMs near a phone mic with a decibel-meter app? Not gonna give usable results unless the channels are hugely imbalanced.

@Cheesebuggah 's method sounds like a much better test with a clearer result. That's the logical way.
"I enable the mono mode somewhere in the settings. Audio should be coming from the center."

I also agree with Cheesebuggah's recommendation, because it also accounts for different levels of hearing from one ear to the other, something people rarely mention around here, but it may occur with some people (me?).

There is almost always a balance control on a speaker setup. That's because there are so many interactions between speakers and whatever physical space you locate them in. With headphones, it's a very neglected feature - but questions about driver matching and other variances from supposed perfectly-matched stereo outputs do occur.