Looking for the next level in imaging...


I enjoy my system every time I sit down and listen. But as we all do, we get the itch to seek improvement!  I am intrigued by Omnidirectional speakers such as MBL’s, German Physiks etc. and breaking free from the head in a vice sweet spot to get better imaging throughout the room and better the imaging in the sweet spot!  I believe changing the speaker will deliver on this quest!  What speakers would you look at? Or would changing a component yield the result? Has anyone gone from the traditional dispersion speaker to an omnidirectional?

current speakers are Martin Logan Ethos

budget $20-30K...could stretch if something is exceptional

polkalover

I prefer the "without" wavetouch. Sounds like you’ve removed the body and dynamics.

 

Similarly, in the thread when the option of the cuts includes the original, the MBLs, and the wavetouch, I preferred the original. The MBLs sounded too thin (maybe almost "tinny") and the wavetouch sounded contrived.

Perhaps musicians listen about as well as we would performing.

?!

I wonder if you are thinking about some 19 yr old punk rocker screaming at a bar into a 300 dollar plastic PA kit.

I am not a professional musician (not my livelihood), but, I’ve been known to be strapped to a violin (piano to a lesser extent) since I was single digits old. Are you implying that the average "audiophile" I run into at shows could hear a violin better than me? In fact, I have a few different violins. I could play/record a few different pieces on 2 of them and I can safely say you wouldn’t be able to say which is which. To me, the difference is night and day (must be some kinda voodoo indeed).

I know my place... A friend of mine is a sax guy, who’s been tied to it longer than I have to my instrument. Do I hear it better than he? Absolutely not! Another friend of mine is a Ghanaian musician who only lives a couple of miles from me. I certainly ain’t no expert of him. His way off describing music would sound quite bizarre to some, but, he is also the most golden eared bat I’ve ever known.

When I’ve done blind tests with gear swaps, the "audiophiles" I’ve known have always failed by a mile. I could trick em all day long. 😁 The guys who reliably pass such tests are the musicians I know.

Strange thing is...You seem to be dismissing decades of dedication and pain one may through with an instrument...just like that. Well, frankly, I don’t give a crap..., but, sure, Okie dokie.

 

I am sure you are right because if i am not a musician i learned experimenting with acoustics for 2 years non stop that we learned how to hear and how to listen...It is true for sound as it is for music from all cultures...

This training has nothing to do with taste ...

Many audiophiles if we read threads think that acoustics concepts are related to acoustic panels and are mere  secondary tweaks compared to gear price tags.. ...

When I’ve done blind tests with gear swaps, the "audiophiles" I’ve known have always failed by a mile. I could trick em all day long. 😁 The guys who reliably pass such tests are the musicians I know.

Strange thing is...You seem to be dismissing decades of dedication and pain one may through with an instrument...just like that. Well, frankly, I don’t give a crap..., but, sure, Okie dokie.

 

toddalin

I prefer the "without" wavetouch. Sounds like you’ve removed the body and dynamics.

I thank you for your time to listen my video and for your honest feedback!

I expect that since your ears are used to your system which sounds good forwarded focus sound and bit aggressive (in good way) if I remember correctly.

The sound "dynamic" can be strong and big sound. My system can be louder but I recorded my video at reasonable volume.

Another meaning of "sound dynamic" is ability to show subtle nuances in reproduction audio. And I think my system does that well. Again, I explained (my last post) why many of you can’t hear my system correctly (takes some time to be able to hear it) since my system is only natural sound system in the world.

 

Similarly, in the thread when the option of the cuts includes the original, the MBLs, and the wavetouch, I preferred the original. The MBLs sounded too thin (maybe almost "tinny") and the wavetouch sounded contrived.

Again. Thank you for your honest feedback!

The original music is always best. No reproduction audio beats the original music. I put the original music and my video together to show they are natural sounds.

In my other post (link below), the best sounding MBL system ($million) and my humble system (sounds contrived tho) are at least comparable. MBL is using a master tape. My system is playing downloaded YT video (worse than MP3) and still show good musicality.

The original music is recorded from singer’s mouth to mic direct (1~2 feet) in studio. And my video is the reproduction audio plus the sound of room. Alex/WTA

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/looking-for-the-next-level-in-imaging?page=2

What I‘m saying is, if you take a cross section of musicians the percentage that have high end stereo systems and take time to listen intently is likely no different than the general population. I‘m not saying they can‘t hear their instruments. Years of playing and practice brings a unique sensitivity to the sound of musical instruments and voice. No question musicians can hear the subtle variations between instruments to such an extent as to identify time period and maker of an instrument. And the same is true for an experienced audiophile. They can hear things and identify sounds many of us would miss.

To brag about tricking people makes no sense. Lots of ways technology is used to fool our senses. And to estimate the sensitivity of someone else‘s hearing without a formal hearing test seems foolhardy. How can we even estimate our own hearing ability without a formal hearing test?  But a formal hearing test is just one factor.  Learning to listen is just as important.