What does Holographic mean to you?

holographic.....i would use this term to hear what i would truly classify only 2-3 times in my audio life.

it is waaayyyy more that just a good recording.

it is when the imaging illusion is so strong and believeable ( very high resolution) that the image takes on three dimensions:

1. height
2. width
3. body (density of the above, strong outline in 1,2, and depth)
4. Tonal colors

i would liken to looking into a room from the outside vs being inside the room itself ( most systems offer a view "into" the recording

another way to describe it would be- it sounds like you are literally at the recording venue or the recording venue is in your room.

most systems (including yours truly ) have 1 & 2 above and only hint at tonal colors ( ie that offer a view into the recording)

getting body with tonal colors is very difficult and very difficult with digital based sources and solid state equipment

this is the area where "good" tube gear and analog smoke "excellent " solid state and digital gear.

hope that helps!!!

mike

It means "an inch to the left and front...no...an inch to the right and back...crap...I had them right the first time, why the s@#t did I f@#k with the speakers again."

(wait a minute...wasn't that the hidden message you only heard if you spun the Beatles' "White Album" backwards?)

My own personnal definition is that holographic refers to the depth, front and back, hearing percussions 15 feet INTO your wall and behind the speakers. By comparison, imaging means the overall picture, and this may include the holographic effect to a certain degree. My best analogy would be looking at an hologram under the right light...

My definition would simply be different words than those used above. I think "holographic" is more of a situation where the illusion becomes believable and almost touchable. Whether it is a soundstage (sonic holograph - nice term) or visual field (hologram), the specific event takes on an atmosphere of real volume and space.

I think 3-dimensional sound has more in common with multi-channel home theater set-ups, which can provide the most easily heard holographic situations. Surround sound would then be the engineered product of sounds delivered in specified areas. These sounds are what I enjoy as the novelty of special effects.

I forgot which movie but there was a scene where John Coltrane pops out of some floor projector device playing his sax. Now, that's holographic. The next wave in home entertainment?