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

"Holographic sound" is the end of a very long journey; it’s not a button on a preamp that reads "Holographic sound".

It’s for certain that you can’t get it when you don’t know what it is, and even then, not every recording delivers "Holographic sound", but if your "system" can deliver holographic sound, you can bet it delivers whatever else is on that recording.

I refer to "system" because I am speaking of an organic whole thing in which the room is a very important component that requires a considerable amount of expertise that may require outside help. Although I’m a retired electronics technician, quite capable of dealing with the equipment, "the room" was outside of my field of expertise. (it’s no wonder no one wants "Holographic sound")

The components required are no less than grade "B" as ranked by Stereophile; sorry "mid fi" will just not make the grade.

I refer to "Holographic sound" as a long journey, because you have to know "intimately" what each and every component in your rig is contributing to the whole; that requires a considerable amount of audio education and study, not to mention days of "critical" listening, which means not listening to the music, but focusing on frequency response, or transparency.

After you have acquired the necessary components, and gone over everything twice, it’s still not quite there; it’s "lopsided".

Back to the drawing board; "Why does the left channel sound louder than the right channel ?"

The answer to that question can take months to discover, and after the answer is found, the solution to the problem can take even longer to solve; no wonder there are so many who don’t want "Holographic sound".

I completely disagree that the holographic image is the most important factor in arriving at the high end in audio.   The most important  factors are the rhythm, tone/harmonics and dynamics in achieving an enjoyable representation of music.   I've been to hundreds of music show rooms and salons and for the last decade, I've encountered a plethora of bad sounding/non-engaging equipment which strives to present the air, ambiance and holographic precision of the recording venue above all else.  Very often, the three main factors I've mentioned are partially or wholly missing in reproducing the musical recording event (live or recording studio).  

The finest audio system I've heard ($1.5 million von Schweikert/VAC/Kronos/etc). presented a overwhelming realism based on my three most important factors.  Sure there was air and ambiance, but what struck us most of all was the realism of the 3 factors above. 

Younger audiophiles are often unacquainted with live acoustic music heard in good acoustic venues.  I listen to classical, vocal and jazz in live venues.  (I also listen to manufactured sounds as in rock and electronic sounds as in Yello).  Essentially, the high end audio system must get the first three factors correct and will achieve the air, ambiance and holographic sound as a bonus.   How often have I heard high end systems miss the big 3 and have tons of the latter 3 bonus elements playing Diana Krall and Patricia Barber recordings.  Young audiophiles need to hear all types of music to gain an understanding as to what makes music sound good and engaging.  The last decade has had so many equipment manufacturers trying to outdo each other in the realm of air and holographic imaging.  They should be concentrating in presenting the big 3 factors first.  

Michael, no matter how many times you take these horses to the water, you can not make them drink.

Time, time, and time again, I explained that "Holography" is the end result of all the things they have mentioned, plus taking it to another level of refinement.

I don't believe they've even heard good holography, based on their comments. They don't stand a chance of creating it because they don't really know what it is; their comments remind me of the blind man describing an elephant. Some of the comments are as ridiculous as having a boat without a bottom, but since we are discussing what you hear as opposed to what you see, they don't realize that.

They're responses are because we no longer have "high end emporiums" where they could walk in and hear high end gear set up in a proper manner, in a proper room, with "audiophile" salespeople who could answer their questions.

I first heard music so life like that the artists seemed to be visible; I wanted to go up on the stage and kiss Carmen McRae. This was in 1990; today is 12/30/2018; I have been working to duplicate what I heard since the first day I heard it; now I'm working on the finishing touches to the room, which will require professional expertise.