A deeper more holographic soundstage.


I was wondering by what means you have created a deeper soundstage. I am satisfied with the width but I really feel it is a bit 2 dimensional. It doesn't go back far enough. I like more layers of sound that reach towards you from the blackness.
As I've already spent quite a bit on my system I am unable to buy much more expensive components.
Did you upgrade one component that made the difference? Placement of speakers? New footers or tweaks such as Stillpoints?
Two subs instead of one(I have one)? Different placement of subs? I am working with a very tight space so it is difficult to move things without them being in the center of the room.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
roxy1927
If you have decent equipment, you can accomplish your goal. You don’t need $100,000 speakers and you sure don’t need a bunch of $2 gimmicks to accomplish this.
If you don’t have a good acoustically treated room then you are going to struggle to get the best sound possible. Then speaker positioning is next. Browse the Cardas website, GIK acoustics website, or Dennis Foley’s Acoustic Fields YouTube videos on suggestions on speaker positioning and room acoustics.
Millercarbon is right about the EXACT angle necessary to position speakers.... That is mandatory...
While this certainly helps, I've never had to do that to get excellent imaging and depth. But I work with speakers that aren't beamy on the top end. If you have issues with beaminess, there will be a small sweet spot and speaker position will be critical.

The other issue I find that seems to affect depth and soundstage width is the electronics. If you have phase shift issues in the upper region of the audio band, you'll lose soundstage information as a result. Phase shift is usually caused by a rolloff that is often outside the audio band. In most amplifiers, the upper limit where the -3dB point is encountered in the amplifier's frequency response is where this phase shift starts, and it has influence down to 1/10th the cutoff frequency. So if your amplifier rolls off at 50KHz you can expect effects down to 5KHz.


Also, if your electronics has a distortion character that increases with frequency (which describes most solid state amplifiers made in the last 70 years) maximizing the soundstage will be more difficult, since you will have distortion at the higher frequencies masking low level detail that is part of the soundstage presentation (this distortion characteristic is also responsible for brightness and harshness). If you have wondered why some designers eschew negative feedback, this is why, since the application of feedback is tricky. If you have some but not enough you'll get that rising distortion with frequency thing I just mentioned. 'Enough' is usually about 35dB or more! Semiconductors that allow for the sort of gain bandwidth product (which is to feedback like gasoline is to a car) really haven't existed for most of the last 70 years.

To avoid these issues the electronics either has to have so much feedback that it doesn't make more distortion at higher frequencies and phase shift in the audio band, or you run no feedback at all and simply have a wide bandwidth amplifier. Now of course many reading this will be thinking that they are getting fine soundstaging with their older solid state gear (which almost by definition is what I've been talking about); So to be clear here I am talking about **maximizing** the ability to reproduce the soundstage correctly. You certainly can get good soundstage effects with older gear.
t always remains an illusion, I listen a lot (for corona) to live music and yes, then you can see the music and you can see and hear the depth. I also read a lot of audio magazines, and if you read that such a reviewer is talking about the soundstage and surprising depth. Well sorry, I am already quite used to audio installations, but there has been none of which you could say, for example, "hear those basses in the choir back there" A while ago I heard those Magico M2 and M6, they cost a hell of a lot the sound is fantastic but I haven't been able to perceive that depth anyway. Example: There is an audio Highend dealer in my area that sometimes organizes a listening session, with live music, which is then recorded on a Studer A80 mastermaschine, and then played and top installation with speaker from the 75K range. Yes, it is almost real. I myself have been trying for years to thin the "net curtains" between reality and the installation as possible  but it continues to make do
I agree with the comments on the room making a big impact.

In this room, I had exceptional depth.

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/6378#&gid=1&pid=1

In this room, I didn't have the same depth (but the speakers are the same model). The sound was a wide wall of sound.

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/9046#&gid=1&pid=2
Wow, OP has to be totally confused after all this! Unfortunately, optimizing audio systems is very complex undertaking, lots of good advice through  thread. Only personal experience with advice here will get you to system's full potential. Changes you undertake will have variable results.

In the end, every single thing in your system, from the ac feed to room has an effect on sound stage and imaging.

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but many rooms are not symmetrical. Positioning of speakers and acoustic treatments must take this into effect.