What Does Holographic Sound Like?

The problem with the plug-and-play approach -- one power cord at each stage, one set of interconnects, one pair of speaker wires -- is that this approach will only get you to an initial stage of of holography, at best -- even if you add special "effects" with Synergistic Research Galileo interconnect and speaker cells -- all the advertising hype notwithstanding (turning ordinary cables into state-of-the-art, blacker yet backgrounds, etc.).

It is only when you experiment in novel ways, and come up with a significant incremental improvement in the sound, that you realize there is more that can be done to improve the sound and that greater improvements come with each successful incremental improvement. This approach impelled me to keep going to reach the highest possible level within my budget. I could not be happier with the results. The sound of my system far exceeds what I could have imagined when I began the journey.

Ivan_nosnibor,
You stated, "Should they ever wish for more, they have only to return to meaningfully removing yet more of the distortions, wherever in the system that may turn out to be."

I think this is the key to the problem. You have hit the nail on the head, IMO. One has to reduce distortions in the system, little by little. I have been doing this incrementally with my system. One cannot expect a quantum leap with any single improvement -- even if the improvement has the word "quantum" in its description. I have made upwards of 40 incremental improvements to my system. Some of these improvements made a surprising difference. I can count perhaps 20 improvements that were quite remarkable on an individual basis. Others were more modest. When you add them all up this amounts to a staggering result -- a stunning improvement in the sound. This does not include the addition of the isolation transformer and power regenerator which were a quantum leap for my system.

Holography is a story of increments. There are many stages in the process. Please read below. Each increment has improved the holographic imaging. Some increments have had a bigger impact on the sound than others. Holography goes hand-in-hand with continuity.

Onhwy61, here's my system -- via cables in series at each stage. Listing everything would be too complex -- and confusing. I give a general idea below.

FRONT END BEFORE COMPONENTS

1. TESLA Plex SE receptacle in series with one more TESLA Plex receptacle.
2. Medical grade isolation transformer (rated at 1380VA).
3. Monarchy AC regenerator for DAC and transport.
4. Bybee Stealth power conditioner.
5. Synergistic Research Power Cell 10SE MKII power conditioner.

COMPONENTS

1. Marantz PM 15 integrated amplifier -- the original 1993 version from Japan.
2. AMR DP-777 tube DAC.
3. PS Audio PerfectWave Transport.
4. Joseph Audio Pulsar monitor speakers.

Wiring and tweaks are too numerous to mention in detail. In series, before the component stage, there are 5 levels of Bybee Quantum AC Chargers and 3 levels of Bybee Ultra power cords. The series is completed using Supra LoRad with Oyaide plugs and IECs (with burn-in adapters). This is before the system reaches the Bybee Stealth power conditioner. All components are plugged into the Bybee Stealth.

In series, there are many levels after the Bybee Stealth power conditioner including power cords, digital cables, interconnects and speaker cables. For example, there are 5 levels on the interconnects (balanced) and 6 levels on the speaker cables. This includes cables and tweaks. I use cables from six different companies -- HiDiamond, Synergistic Research, Bybee, Cardas, ASI Liveline and Supra (LoRad only).

There are many tweaks in my system. Each one has been carefully chosen -- and carefully placed in the system -- to maximize its sonic attributes. I use tweaks from eight different companies, the most significant and numerous being Bybee.

Mapman, in my system, speaker distance from walls has little effect on the holography. Our house is being remodeled. Until the work is complete I am in quarters that are less than ideal with the left speaker one foot from the left wall and 2 feet from the back wall. The right speaker is two feet from the back wall and four feet from the right wall. There is little effect on the sound coming from the left speaker. The left wall disappears, as does the back wall. The sound may open up even more when there is no left wall.

Mapman, recordings made to sound 3-D make a big difference in my system. But there is a great measure of holography in my system even with old recordings that are not made for 3-D. The more refined my system has become the more astonished I have been when listening to some of these old recordings. I use many old recordings as reference for this very purpose. Oscar Peterson, The Sound of the Trio, is one of my favorites. It was recorded Live in 1961 at The London House in Chicago.

Rcprince,
Creating a series -- it's really quite easy. The power cords are run in series using a burn-in AC adapter from VH audio. Balanced cables are simply daisy-chained. Speakers cables use special connectors from Supra as well as Synergistic Research Galileo speaker cells.

Marakanetz,
Before I improved my system I had the same reaction. Many recordings that use to sound "like crap" now sound terrific after all the system improvements. Holography emerges. There is a lot of hidden information on stereo recordings -- even old recordings. But most systems cannot extract this information. The more refined my system has become the more of this information it has been able to extract.

Eldartford,
In my system you can sit or stand almost anywhere in the room. The off-axis rendering is astonishing.

Mapman, I have the phase inverted on the AMR. This gives a better rendering of recordings across the board.

OMG, i did not know that to achieve audio nirvana, can turn so painful....

QUOTE: "... Hmm, my experience is it is not all that complicated. Recipe: 1) good quality gear.."

Mapman nailed it : Short & sweet.

That "gear" includes the hardware, speakers and cables that actually "work" with each other to create that expansive soundstage that extends well past the walls L-R and deep front-to-back as the speakers, as point sources, simply disappear. Once you get it, the music is now engaging and "floats" even well off-axis.

The problem is that most of the available kit compendium is an alchemy that lacks that synergy to create it.

Regrettabbly we all know that frequently one man's steak is fare that tastes like **** to the next guy. (particularly in this forum) . Happily, when that 3-D holographic soundstage is there, we all see it immediately; we instantly know it; and all those personal and subjective differences vanish and the listener is simply "engaged" in the music.