Does broken stereo music drive you nuts?

I primarily stream. So updating files is not an option.

I wasn’t aware of the iOS setting. I currently have a qudelix 5k and a fiio btr5. I don’t think either have a crossfeed option. It would be neat.

Maybe different headphones would help as well.

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Equalizer APO has crossfeed setting, but also some other stereo mixing options that really help here. Give it a go!

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Early Beatles recordings aren’t known for well balanced stereo. My Headroom Cosmic fixes that instantaneously with a flip of it’s cross feed switch - and it is for sale. Included is Headroom’s upgraded power supply. Purchased for $900 + change. Selling for $350 obo.

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Nice upsell! If it were portable, I would probably be interested. I am, however, super mobile only.

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I feel the same. It’s weird as the voice should always be centered and not come from one channel only.

When using a headphone or IEM with particularly good channel separation, I can’t listen to this track and I also do skip.

Sometimes, it can even be annoying with instruments too when a track starts with a guitar on one channel only, you have no noise at all on the other, it feels like your gear is broken.

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That’s an artifact of headphones, and their in-the-head soundstage. The intent of panning instruments is to place them across the stage via speakers. Offset voice works far better on speakers, and can sound “right” when paired with a lead instrument to the other side.

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Yeah, this is something that stood out to me as well. The old BeachBoys albums…yeeesh “ Music that sounds like :poop: in headphones” might be an interesting thread because not only is there the stereo thing (Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean… the constant shshshshsh on the right… drives me crazy) but then there’s the weird panning effects. There’s one song that I came across (don’t remember what it was) that was almost nauseating with the panning. Made me feel almost seasick. For the most part it’s cool to hear things in a better way than I’ve heard prior … little details I’ve never heard or entire background vocal sections I never picked up on before.:rofl: But sometimes it’s not so good

I’ve loved this song since I was a kid. Heard it a bajillion times. Listened to it on my setup and… Good Lord!!! That organ @ 0:30 ??? What’s wrong with it ?? Is it broken…are my ears broken? Sounds awful :persevere: Anyway, it’s interesting to notice the bad things in a recording you’ve never noticed before too I guess.

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Ugh. Dude. Did you have to ruin this one for me? Did you? I was blissfully ignorant.

It’s bad enough that I can’t tolerate some David Bowie now.

This wasn’t that bad to me. In fact, it fell into Jimi Hendrix Red House territory. For some unknown reason, that is ok. The organ was for me too. It’s like hendrix went so far past ok he came back around. It’s like walking 500 miles.

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The intro to Loving You Sunday Morning by the Scorpions is a good (bad) example of that. What makes it even worse is that I can hear something that sounds like a faint echo on the other channel. I’m not sure if the sound bled from one channel to the other or if they did this on purpose. I’m very tempted to go into Audacity and just remove it.

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Just found this thread again. Posting so maybe it will be brought back and more classics can be ruined by pointing out stereo weirdness. But I consider some masterful weirdness to be just right — Atom Heart Mother, for example.

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This is your answer!

It’s jarring to me. I use UAPP with the Toneboosters equalizer. When I listen to the Beatles, I tick the Crossfeed box and it makes things much more enjoyable. I don’t use if for any other recordings.

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Same here, otherwise it’s unlistenable. :slightly_frowning_face: