After installing new component speakers up front and a new amp, I've noticed that there is a volume imbalance between my left and right channels. If I send the signal all the way to the left, the signal is much quieter than if the signal is sent to the right. If I leave the balance control right in the middle, there is a noticeable bias to the right side.

What gives? Could I have hooked up something wrong? Crossed positive/negative wires perhaps?

Check to make sure you have all crossovers and speakers are wired in phase. If your crossovers have custom EQ settings, make sure the left and right are set the same.

Quite often, a good system will sound off balance to either passenger. The imaging is more centered and neither passenger is in the middle. I have my balance skewed to the left to put the stage directly in front of me.

Jay

Perhaps they are out of phase. I had that problem in one of my systems, and it turns out that the external crossover/equlizer had a messed up set of RCA outputs. Try switching your left and right RCA cables around just before the amp. If the quiet speaker switches sides, then it could be either you head unit or amp, or possibly RCA cables. If it stays on the same side, then you know it is from the amp on down the line. You can then switch the speaker outputs wires on the amp to the other side to see if it is the amp causing the problem. Just keep trying little tricks like this to troubleshoot where the problem is coming from. Good luck.