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How important is it for you to attain a holographic image?

I’m wondering how many A’goners consider a holographic image a must for them to enjoy their systems?  Also, how many achieve this effect on a majority of recordings?
Is good soundstaging enough, or must a three dimensional image be attained in all cases.  Indeed, is it possible to always achieve it?

128x128rvpiano
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,417 posts
 
+1 @hifidream
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 
@helomech +1  Well said!
harrylavo's avatar
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harrylavo
345 posts
 
It is a parlor trick, although I agree it can be pleasant on small combos (jazz, folk, chamber).  You simply don't hear it with live music, even sitting close to a jazz combo.  To create it is a matter of absorption and reflection .... I have created the illusion in different dedicated rooms of enormously varied shape.  If your system is in a living area, almost of necessity you have to compromise.

I am in the tonal balance and reasonable ambience camp.  I can sit back, close my eyes, and enjoy the music, just as I do in a live concert (and I attend at least a few every month).
rvpiano's avatar
rvpiano OP
2,654 posts
 
“You simply don’t hear it with live music....”. Harrylavo
I completely agree.

Holography is an artificial effect. 
However, I don’t disagree with ANYTHING  hifidream said above.
I just wouldn’t call it holographic. It’s excellent soundstaging.
To me, holography exists when a solo singer is spookily suspended in air in front of you.  That doesn’t happen in real life.
I guess we’re dealing in semantics.


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michaelgreenaudio
1,019 posts
 

It’s interesting that some folks talk about the live performance as the same event as playback when the two are completely different functions. It’s also funny to me how so many high-end-ers don’t know what a soundstage even is. Did that sound impolite? It's not meant to. It's just that I'm truly surprised that after all this time there is still confusion over what thousands of studio engineers produce every day for us to playback.

We live with a soundstage every day with or without the stereo playing. It’s a natural function of our sense of hearing and feeling. A recorded soundstage is no mysterious illusion. Having a system that can’t play a soundstage, now that’s the illusion.

mg

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