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What Does Holographic Sound Like?

And how do you get there? This is an interesting question. I have finally arrived at a very satisfying level of holography in my system. But it has taken a lot of time, effort and money to get there. I wish there had been a faster, easier and less expensive way to get there. But I never found one.

Can you get to a high level of holography in your system with one pair of interconnects and one pair of speaker wires? I don't believe so. I run cables in series. I never found one pair of interconnects and speaker wires that would achieve what has taken a heck of a lot of wires and "tweaks" to achieve. Let alone all the power cords that I run in series. Although I have found one special cable that has enabled the system to reach a very high level of holography -- HiDiamond -- I still need to run cables in series for the sound to be at its holographic best.

There are many levels of holography. Each level is built incrementally with the addition of one more wire and one more "tweak". I have a lot of wires and "tweaks" in my system. Each cable and each "tweak" has added another level to the holography. Just when I thought things could not get any better -- which has happened many times -- the addition of one more cable or "tweak" enabled the system to reach a higher level yet.

Will one "loom" do the job. I never found that special "loom". To achieve the best effects I have combined cables from Synergistic Research, Bybee, ASI Liveline, Cardas, Supra and HiDiamond -- with "tweaks" too numerous to mention but featuring Bybee products and a variety of other products, many of which have the word "quantum" in their description.

The effort to arrive at this point with my system has been two-fold. Firstly, finding the right cables and "tweaks" for the system. Secondly, finding where to place them in the system for the best effects -- a process of trial and error. A lot of cables and "tweaks" had to be sold off in the process. I put "tweaks" in quotation marks because the best "tweaks" in my system have had as profound effect as the components on the sound. The same for the best of the cables, as well. For me, cables and "tweaks" are components.

Have I finally "arrived"? I have just about arrived at the best level that I can expect within my budget -- there are a couple of items on the way. In any case, I assume there are many levels beyond what my system has arrived at. But since I'll never get there I am sitting back and enjoying the music in the blissful recognition that I don't know what I am missing.

I should mention that there are many elements that are as important as holography for the sound to be satisfying, IMO. They include detail, transparency, coherence, tonality, and dynamics, among others. My system has all of these elements in good measure.

Have you had success with holographic sound in your system? If so, how did you get there?
sabai
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,396 posts
 
"The music is rendered holographically in three dimensions so that when you are seated in a different position in the hall the sound just takes on a slightly different aspect but does not cease to be holographically three dimensional."

That is the thing often attributed uniquely to omnis.

As I mentioned, my Dynaudio monitor setup that runs off this same gear as my more omni OHMs exhibit this quality as well, as do many well set up rigs I have heard at dealers and even shows over the years.

The key difference I notice between the omni OHMs in particular and the Dynaudios in this regard is that with the OHMS, if I move say to the left the holographic image shifts to the right, much like in real life. WIth the Dyns, if I shift left, the image does as well. ALso the OHMs will continue to exhibit this behavior from most any location in front of the speakers, even if well to the outside of either. With the more directional Dynaudio monitors, the soundstage will tend to diffuse sooner if listened to from more highly deviant locations.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Sabai wrote,

"I have upwards of 20 Bybee products in my system and upwards of 20 other "tweaks" in my system. My system would not exist without Bybee products. I recently added a pair of Combak Harmonix MIC Enacoms to the system and they are a wonderful product. But there is nothing I know of that could substitute for most of the Bybee products that I have in my system."

Have you tried the WA Quantum Chips from Germany? They're all the rage.

Link to WA Quantum Chips at:

http://www.kempelektroniks.com/Accessoires/WA-Quantum-Chips-(1).aspx

Back on the subject of information retrieval, ever try any of the Belt products?
chadeffect
586 posts
 
Hi Geoff,

I have tried quite a few Belt products in the past. I must admit the strangest but most profound effects. I had much fun with various foils at the time.

The one that sticks in my mind most was a foil which I put on the ICs in my DAC at the time. I left the lid open so I could audition simply and find the best places for the foils.

The moment the foil touched the chip I felt something had changed. I went back to the hot seat and the music had become so clear and vivid compared to before the foil was added.

I have no idea how to explain what took place other than a profound sense of the music content. It was magical. Luckily for me a friend was over and he experienced it too, otherwise I would have booked myself into a mental asylum!
sabai OP
2,027 posts
 
Mapman,
As I mentioned in an earlier post, when I visit Singapore I make a point of taking my reference CDs to the MBL showroom at the Adelphi 1 Audio Mall. They are very friendly and never rush me. The imaging and holography of my system consistently outranks the MBL systems I have auditioned. The imaging changes very subtly with movement to the left or right of axis -- there is no dramatic change -- as though one were moving to a different position in a concert hall. This is the only way I know how to give you a sense of what happens in my system. It is really uncanny. I have never heard anything like it before, and I have heard a lot of very expensive high end systems with many of the biggest names attached to the components and cabling.

Geoffkait, I have not tried the WA Quantum Chips or Belt products. I have only read about them. I have a two Kemp products in my system.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,396 posts
 
mbl set up really well are hard to best in the holography dept. I have heard them that way at a local dealers showroom. There was 5-6 feet to the sides and 12' or more behind them + a lot of other room acoustic tweaks in place.

The same dealers rig setup at shows I have attended were more back with the pack, largely do to less than ideal setup and room acoustics.

So results can and will vary no matter how good gear may be.
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