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

Getting a nice deep wide soundstage is best accomplished, at least to a large degree, by a method that eliminates or reduces trial and error. Correct speaker placement is critical for obtaining the best possible soundstage, but the ubiquitous trial and error technique of moving a little, listening a little is bound to fail to come up with the absolute best locations. The best you can do is find a local maximum. The best way to determine the best speaker locations for any speaker in any room, for whatever stage of room treatment employed, is using one of the test CDs that contain a speaker set up track, also called out of phase track. Another tip is start with speakers closer together and work outward. As fate would have it most speakers should be placed closer together, not farther apart. You know, for best soundstage. Of course, there’s a lot more to it than speaker placement.

Newbee, I was listening to "Black Widow" by Lalo Schifrin, and discovered this record was quite holographic. While it's not a special record in regard to exclusivity (it's quite common) it is special in regard to music and recording quality.

Lalo Schifrin is also quite special; he has done a lot of excellent work for the movie industry.

In the evening, I settle back and listen to music the same as someone with a one box record player; it's all about the music; we might even be listening to the same music. That was meant to clarify any and all misconceptions.


Enjoy the music.

"My own experience suggests your claim is incorrect. I have heard plenty of systems do some incredible dimensionality and soundstaging while sounding to my ears bereft of convincing instrumental timbre, or dynamics, or other traits."


Since "holography" requires the best electronics, and speakers set up by professionals, that statement lacks credibility.



"Therefore someone who chooses a system that does not do everything exactly as YOU want it is not by default desiring some coloration akin to a smiley faced eq. It may simply be that they have chosen their own set of compromises where the system has better fidelity either to some aspect of the source or to the qualities of live music that another system doesn’t do as well."


There are as many ways to "holography" as there are ways to get from you're house to Chicago. I never specified any specific system.

If you don't want a good system, I have no problem with that; however you want to define a good system is fine with me.

I've heard many audio systems which had tons of air, ambiance and 3D holographic sound.  The best were monitor size speakers and one or two way implementation.  There was one in an Einstein equiped room that had the recording sound like it had 50' in back of it, pinpoint imaging while the actual room was only about 8' deep behind the speakers.  They were spectacular for that purpose.  HOWEVER, in my large audio room, there would be missing dynamics and bass.  Exactly why I don't own stats any longer.  Large. expensive speakers with the 3D holographic imaging tended to have music which I will not listen to, simple vocals of Barber and Krall, simple jazz or rock with a bass, drums and guitar (rarely a piano in site-too demanding to reproduce correctly).  We just have to agree to disagree.

Furthermore, the acoustic treatments of the listening room are of paramount importance.  Diffusion of mids and highs are useful for the interiors (and absorption of the bass in the walls).  I use a mixture of SR HFTs and two pairs of Shakti Hallographs to obtain optimal soundstage and imaging.  In my new home, I may switch to high end diffusion panels along the rear and front walls.  It is cheaper to treat the room than just buy more equipment.