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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
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Mapman wrote,

"Let's assume the harmonizer has a clear positive effect..."

That's probably a wise assumption, you know, judging from all the rave reviews and testimonials floating around.

"... and the price was not an issue."

Take your choice, inexpensive tweaks you suspect probably don't work because they don't cost enough or tweaks you suspect probably do work because they're so expensive. :-)

"...I still would probably not by it."

I betting you're right.

"Its just me but I would not want to have to depend on such a device in order to enjoy my music. To me, it would be analogous to needing a respirator to breathe or some kind of drug in order to enjoy something. I would not want that."

Oh, boy, here we go again with the drug addict analogy. I didn't see that coming! :-)

"But hey, maybe it transports one into a new dimension of sound that is just in a new league of some sort. Maybe I would change my mind....."

Dr. Miles J. Bennell: Listen to me! Please listen! If you don't, if you won't, if you fail to understand, then the same incredible terror that's menacing me WILL STRIKE AT YOU! - Invasion of the Body Snatchers

:-)
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,341 posts
 
Hey look, I am open to the possibility that the harmonizer might be the best thing since, well harmony.

I grew up in Amish country (no joke). Give me a break.......
sabai OP
2,027 posts
 
Hi Bryoncunningham,
Thanks for your response. I tried my best to explain how I see things here. Your analysis is detailed and faultless. I find no flaws in your reasoning. I simply place a different emphasis on the importance of the room in the equation -- for now, at least. At the moment I am too cramped. My Shakti Hallographs are squeezed too close and I don't have room to mount my SR ART. I am in a dedicated listening room about 14 x 15 feet with a 9-foot ceiling. Once we remodel I will have a dedicated listening room about 18 x 26 feet with a 12-foot ceiling. I can't wait -- but I'll have to.
bryoncunningham
890 posts
 
Sabai - I'll be interested to hear your impressions when you move into your new room. Are you going to treat it acoustically in any way?

bc
learsfool
1,215 posts
 
Hi Bryon and Sabai - I will now chime in on your discussion here. By and large, if I am understanding both of your positions here, I agree with Sabai. Bryon, when you are talking about your concept of "reactive" listening rooms, you seem to be implying that they are more "live" than the original recording space. For those of us that listen mostly to classical and jazz, this is quite simply false. The vast majority of these recordings are not done in a studio, but in a concert hall or church or jazz club, all of which are MUCH more "live" than any recording studio. One of the biggest reasons that a home listening room can never match the original recording space is precisely because there is almost no way to make the room as "live" as the recording space was. Your discussion, however, might be much more valid for mostly electronically produced music done in a studio. I think this is where the difference in the positions of Sabai and yourself are coming from. The rest of the discussion, I think we are all in basic agreement with.
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