I have a PreSonus HP4 headphones distribution unit driving two pairs
of my headphones (AKG K271 Studio and Grado SR80). As a headphone
amplifier, I would say the unit is very clean and good sounding.
However, the unit also has monitor level control to which I plan to
connect a pair of monitors. The problem is, when I measured the
monitor output of the unit using RightMark Audio Analyzer 5.3, I found
quite a level of stereo crosstalk. This is not the case for the
headphones outputs on this unit.

Another thing that concerns me is, the right channel is almost 1 dB
louder than the left, and the bleeding from right channel to left
channel is almost 10 dB higher than the opposite.

The measured figure is:
Left-Right @ 1kHz: -92 dB
Right-Left @ 1kHz: -84 dB
Left-Right @ 10kHz: -73 dB
Right-Left @ 10kHz: -64 dB

Is this level of crosstalk significant? Would the 1 dB difference in
level and the 10 dB difference in crosstalk, between the left and
right channels exhibit any audible effect from the monitors?

Please consider the problem both in general and in particular taken
into account that my listening room is very small and acoustically
untreated. Thank you very much in advance.

Poonna Yospanya

"Dreamist" wrote in message
om

I have a PreSonus HP4 headphones distribution unit driving two pairs
of my headphones (AKG K271 Studio and Grado SR80). As a headphone
amplifier, I would say the unit is very clean and good sounding.

However, the unit also has monitor level control to which I plan to
connect a pair of monitors. The problem is, when I measured the
monitor output of the unit using RightMark Audio Analyzer 5.3, I found
quite a level of stereo crosstalk. This is not the case for the
headphones outputs on this unit.

Another thing that concerns me is, the right channel is almost 1 dB
louder than the left, and the bleeding from right channel to left
channel is almost 10 dB higher than the opposite.

The measured figure is:

Left-Right @ 1kHz: -92 dB
Right-Left @ 1kHz: -84 dB
Left-Right @ 10kHz: -73 dB
Right-Left @ 10kHz: -64 dB

Is this level of crosstalk significant?

No. Crosstalk has to get down into the 15-30 dB range to be audibly
significant. With closely-positioned speakers, even less.

Would the 1 dB difference in level and the 10 dB difference in crosstalk,
between the left and
right channels exhibit any audible effect from the monitors?

You are correct to be more concerned about the off-balance condition than
the small amount of cross talk. OTOH, isn't there a balance control some
place along the line that you could adjust?

"Dreamist" wrote in message
om

I have a PreSonus HP4 headphones distribution unit driving two pairs
of my headphones (AKG K271 Studio and Grado SR80). As a headphone
amplifier, I would say the unit is very clean and good sounding.

However, the unit also has monitor level control to which I plan to
connect a pair of monitors. The problem is, when I measured the
monitor output of the unit using RightMark Audio Analyzer 5.3, I found
quite a level of stereo crosstalk. This is not the case for the
headphones outputs on this unit.

Another thing that concerns me is, the right channel is almost 1 dB
louder than the left, and the bleeding from right channel to left
channel is almost 10 dB higher than the opposite.

The measured figure is:

Left-Right @ 1kHz: -92 dB
Right-Left @ 1kHz: -84 dB
Left-Right @ 10kHz: -73 dB
Right-Left @ 10kHz: -64 dB

Is this level of crosstalk significant?

No. Crosstalk has to get down into the 15-30 dB range to be audibly
significant. With closely-positioned speakers, even less.

Would the 1 dB difference in level and the 10 dB difference in crosstalk,
between the left and
right channels exhibit any audible effect from the monitors?

You are correct to be more concerned about the off-balance condition than
the small amount of cross talk. OTOH, isn't there a balance control some
place along the line that you could adjust?

In article writes:

The problem is, when I measured the
monitor output of the unit using RightMark Audio Analyzer 5.3, I found
quite a level of stereo crosstalk. This is not the case for the
headphones outputs on this unit.

Another thing that concerns me is, the right channel is almost 1 dB
louder than the left, and the bleeding from right channel to left
channel is almost 10 dB higher than the opposite.

Is this level of crosstalk significant? Would the 1 dB difference in
level and the 10 dB difference in crosstalk, between the left and
right channels exhibit any audible effect from the monitors?

I don't think the crosstalk between the stereo channels will be a
problem, but the real question is how well the two outputs are
matched, and how well do they stay matched through the working range
of the volume control.

Parallel the inputs and put in a signal that's in the ballpark level
of what you feed to your monitors. Then look at the outputs and
measure the difference between left and right channels. Since you're
putting the same signal into both, you should get the same level out
of both, but expect there to be a little difference. Also expect the
difference not to be perfectly constant as you change the level
control, because multi-element pots don't track perfectly.

Check it out and see how far off left/right balance you are. A fixed
offest can be adjusted for by adjusting the input attenuation of your
montior amplifier, but if the level of the two channels don't track
pretty closely, within 1 dB or so, the center of the stereo image
might wander as you change the level.

In good practice, you should always monitor at the same level, at
least when mixing, so you can get around it, but you should at least
be aware of what to expect to hear if you get off your normal monitor
level.

--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

In article writes:

The problem is, when I measured the
monitor output of the unit using RightMark Audio Analyzer 5.3, I found
quite a level of stereo crosstalk. This is not the case for the
headphones outputs on this unit.

Another thing that concerns me is, the right channel is almost 1 dB
louder than the left, and the bleeding from right channel to left
channel is almost 10 dB higher than the opposite.

Is this level of crosstalk significant? Would the 1 dB difference in
level and the 10 dB difference in crosstalk, between the left and
right channels exhibit any audible effect from the monitors?

I don't think the crosstalk between the stereo channels will be a
problem, but the real question is how well the two outputs are
matched, and how well do they stay matched through the working range
of the volume control.

Parallel the inputs and put in a signal that's in the ballpark level
of what you feed to your monitors. Then look at the outputs and
measure the difference between left and right channels. Since you're
putting the same signal into both, you should get the same level out
of both, but expect there to be a little difference. Also expect the
difference not to be perfectly constant as you change the level
control, because multi-element pots don't track perfectly.

Check it out and see how far off left/right balance you are. A fixed
offest can be adjusted for by adjusting the input attenuation of your
montior amplifier, but if the level of the two channels don't track
pretty closely, within 1 dB or so, the center of the stereo image
might wander as you change the level.

In good practice, you should always monitor at the same level, at
least when mixing, so you can get around it, but you should at least
be aware of what to expect to hear if you get off your normal monitor
level.

--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

"Mike Rivers" wrote in message news:znr1088031877k@trad...
:
: In article writes:
:
: The problem is, when I measured the
: monitor output of the unit using RightMark Audio Analyzer 5.3, I found
: quite a level of stereo crosstalk. This is not the case for the
: headphones outputs on this unit.
:
: Another thing that concerns me is, the right channel is almost 1 dB
: louder than the left, and the bleeding from right channel to left
: channel is almost 10 dB higher than the opposite.
:
: Is this level of crosstalk significant? Would the 1 dB difference in
: level and the 10 dB difference in crosstalk, between the left and
: right channels exhibit any audible effect from the monitors?
:
: I don't think the crosstalk between the stereo channels will be a
: problem, but the real question is how well the two outputs are
: matched, and how well do they stay matched through the working range
: of the volume control.
:
: Parallel the inputs and put in a signal that's in the ballpark level
: of what you feed to your monitors. Then look at the outputs and
: measure the difference between left and right channels. Since you're
: putting the same signal into both, you should get the same level out
: of both, but expect there to be a little difference. Also expect the
: difference not to be perfectly constant as you change the level
: control, because multi-element pots don't track perfectly.

An easy way to do this is to put the meter on both the hot outputs. This way whatever the
meter reads is the difference between the two exactly. Then sweep the input signal and watch
if the meter stays put or varies around.

:
: Check it out and see how far off left/right balance you are. A fixed
: offest can be adjusted for by adjusting the input attenuation of your
: montior amplifier, but if the level of the two channels don't track
: pretty closely, within 1 dB or so, the center of the stereo image
: might wander as you change the level.
:
: In good practice, you should always monitor at the same level, at
: least when mixing, so you can get around it, but you should at least
: be aware of what to expect to hear if you get off your normal monitor
: level.
:
Phil Abbate

"Mike Rivers" wrote in message news:znr1088031877k@trad...
:
: In article writes:
:
: The problem is, when I measured the
: monitor output of the unit using RightMark Audio Analyzer 5.3, I found
: quite a level of stereo crosstalk. This is not the case for the
: headphones outputs on this unit.
:
: Another thing that concerns me is, the right channel is almost 1 dB
: louder than the left, and the bleeding from right channel to left
: channel is almost 10 dB higher than the opposite.
:
: Is this level of crosstalk significant? Would the 1 dB difference in
: level and the 10 dB difference in crosstalk, between the left and
: right channels exhibit any audible effect from the monitors?
:
: I don't think the crosstalk between the stereo channels will be a
: problem, but the real question is how well the two outputs are
: matched, and how well do they stay matched through the working range
: of the volume control.
:
: Parallel the inputs and put in a signal that's in the ballpark level
: of what you feed to your monitors. Then look at the outputs and
: measure the difference between left and right channels. Since you're
: putting the same signal into both, you should get the same level out
: of both, but expect there to be a little difference. Also expect the
: difference not to be perfectly constant as you change the level
: control, because multi-element pots don't track perfectly.

An easy way to do this is to put the meter on both the hot outputs. This way whatever the
meter reads is the difference between the two exactly. Then sweep the input signal and watch
if the meter stays put or varies around.

:
: Check it out and see how far off left/right balance you are. A fixed
: offest can be adjusted for by adjusting the input attenuation of your
: montior amplifier, but if the level of the two channels don't track
: pretty closely, within 1 dB or so, the center of the stereo image
: might wander as you change the level.
:
: In good practice, you should always monitor at the same level, at
: least when mixing, so you can get around it, but you should at least
: be aware of what to expect to hear if you get off your normal monitor
: level.
:
Phil Abbate