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Stereo Imaging

I think I've written about this before, but I wonder how many of us who use the same system for HT and music get fooled into suspecting the center channel must be generating the center image. I was playing the Abkco disc of "Let It Bleed" and found myself compelled once again to put my ear to the center channel to assure it was not generating the strong centered image I was hearing. Intellectually I knew it wasn't because I've tested it before, but the image is so strong it creates a cognitive dissonance. In a world of 7.1, I'm afraid I forget just how effective stereo can be in generating a soundstage.

db
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kiwi2
19 posts
 
Getting a strong center image should be child's play for two speakers - and is on my system.

I want my soundstage to be much more than that though. Yes, a sharply defined centre vocal of a believable real size... but with its own space free of the next instrument on the soundstage. Then the other instruments on the stage extending well past the left and right speakers with their own individual space. Every instrument in 3D space detached from the speakers. I use my 5.1 HT's center and surrounds when listening to 2ch music. Love it. Love the localisation of each individual instrument and singer.
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dbphd OP
1,631 posts
 
Although most of my recent SACDs are 5.0, and I play them as such, my own experience is that the forward facing soundstage Kiwi2 writes about can be generated by a pair of speakers with a stereo source. The ability to generate a strong centered image is but an aspect of generating a well imaged soundstage.

db
unsound
7,334 posts
 
I'm not much for typical surround sound. I honestly don't believe most us truly have a room large enough to make it work. I have enjoyed demo's of dedicated 3 channel audio reproduction when all 3 channels were identical. I have found that in the better surround sound systems (in truly huge rooms) I've heard, the front mains were positioned further apart than would be typical in 2 channel stereo. In these cases the matching center channel seemed appropriate if not indeed necessary, especially for those out of the sweet spot.
mikeduke
59 posts
 
I get fooled a lot. Sometimes I don't know if I want to watch TV after I am done listening to music so I put mu 2ch and 3ch amp on at the same time. When I listen to music I always put my HT preamp in bypass mode. That means that ONLY the left and right speakers are playing. More then a few times I find myself getting up from my chair and putting my ear up to the center just to make sure. It is always off but I still do it. Pretty cool.
dadork
633 posts
 
@mikeba316  I have looked up Deep Forest and have come across 5 albums. I've listened to the 6th track on all 5 and cannot find the song you all are describing. Help!
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