Sound stage, front, middle, or behind your speaker

After reading everyone's response, I think the vaulted ceiling in my listening room has an effect. The speakers appear to be useless pieces of furniture, unless it's an old recording and then more sound emanates from the speakers. I like invisible speakers.

7 feet? Not 6½?

With my Quatros, the soundstage is very dependent on the electronics. I definitely prefer it to be behind the speakers and for the soundstage to "float" free of the speakers themselves. But the illusion can easily collapse with the wrong electronics.

The room is 22 X 14, the speakers are 7 feet from the back wall and 16 inches from the side wall. Since it's impossible to measure an invisible illusion precisely, maybe it's 5 feet.

In regard to your statement on electronics, I get quite agitated at the overemphasis people put on "speakers", without realizing how important the source and electronics are.

I am confused by the statement the sound stage is 7 feet behind the speakers. Do you mean at its maximum depth, the drummer (for example) sounds like he is 7 feet behind the speakers and the other musicians in front of the drummer being closer to the speakers or even infront of them?

To me, a proper set-up results in the sound stage have a degree of depth. Also, very dependent on the recording. But assuming polarity is correct, with many recordings, I expect to and frequently do hear a sound stage that starts in front of the speakers and extends well behind the speakers.

I have a test CD (Stereophile?) with a track called the wondering audiophile (I think) in which a group of marching musicians coming in from the back of the room corner and progresses forward past the speakers to my sitting position, even going behind me and circling around before returning to the opposite corner behind my speakers.

If I close my eyes, I swear I can almost get the sense of musicians actually walking past and around me. When I have others sit in the sweet spot, they always turn around and look for speakers behind them (of course there are none there).