Why don't more recordings have soundstage outside of speakers
Pragnmus, what are you talking about. I mention the delay. It is not as important for localization as relative volume. Studies have confirmed this and you can prove it to yourself with one control. The one that says "Balance" With a system that really images you will have to make small adjustments in balance with most records. Like 0.5 dB or so. |
@sounds_real_audio , you are absolutely correct, most speaker do suck even the better ones. Andy2, You can by reflecting sound off the side walls. The reflected sound can throw instruments that are hard left or right beyond the speaker. This is a distortion and a sign of poor system/room management. This is not to say that the ambience in the recording can not seem to come from everywhere, it frequently does. The ambience is at a low level to start with and in the smaller rooms we listen in the reflected sound can compete with sound coming directly from the speakers creating the sensation of venue ambience. Very cool. |
Why don’t more recordings have soundstage outside of speakers It’s more in how the recording was done, sure having nothing (obstructions) on the outside of speakers help also, get hold of Roger Waters "Amused to Death", it’s done in Q sound, and some of it comes from behind you, and the barking dog at the beginning the first shocker comes form your right shoulder. What I was told by recording engineer if I remember right. To get the image happening outside the speakers, you a get right channel only signal (say voice), and if to want it to seem like it’s outside the right speaker you add the same "but out of phase" right channel sound into the left channel", this then shifts it from the right only to outside right. Cheers George |
"Everything matters" and "Too many variables" should be the most posted thoughts in this thread! ie: My son brought the above mentioned Amused To Death (on CD), to the house, when it first came out and a few times afterward. It DID amuse me, with all it's effects: probably the most striking was the horse drawn wagon or sleigh, that started well behind my left shoulder, ending up far in front and right. One SHOULD have the impression, they could hop aboard and take a ride, as it passes their listening position. If I remember correctly: a phone ringing (I may have that confused with what's on my Heart vinyl), or was it an AM radio playing, somewhere to my immediate left, in the next room and a dog barking, on my (90 degree) right, outside, on the street. I didn't know that dog was on the recording, until I played the CD again and the pooch was back. Anyway: I ordered the exact same Columbia disc: according (scrupulously) to every bit of it's label info. It was devoid of ANY of those effects. Same exact system, same exact room with nothing changed, but: somehow, a different pressing. Another example regarding interconnects: I'd been using Silver Audio Hyacinths (between pre and main amps) and enjoyed a spacious sound stage and precise imaging, with them, BUT; there were glowing recommendations, regarding new generations of cables, out there. Maybe it was time to move on? Tried a pair of Wireworld's, then current, Platinum Eclipse interconnects, which gave me a nice uptick, over the Hyacinths, in tone, texture and inner detail (NO: not brightness), but; the width of stage shrank to between my main speakers' outer edges. HMMMM! Kept them on hand (for direct comparison) and ordered a pair of Synergistic's Tesla Apex, which provided me with an equal dose of the above improvements (I was somewhat surprised at how alike they sounded, in that regard), but; my sound stage width was accurately back to whatever was on the recordings I'd made, personally. I could detail how various NOS phase splitter and driver tubes, in my Cary monoblocks, have affected my system's depth of stage. Go on and on, with a plethora of further examples, regarding what I've found (over the past 5 decades) make a difference, ad nauseum, but... YEAH: everything matters, from the recording, stylus or LASER, to your room and ears. If anyone's actually interested in removing the variables, far as the multitude of differences in recordings, at least; try your system's presentation with the tracks on this Chesky CD (especially the LEDR test): https://www.amazon.com/Chesky-Records-Sampler-Audiophile-Compact/dp/B000003GF3 https://cheskyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/chesky-records-jazz-sampler-audiophile-test-vol-1 |
Amendment! I should have said: ...everything matters, from the recording, stylus or LASER, to your room and the shape (acuity AND pinna) of your ears. Then: there's what the brain does with all that info: https://pstnet.com/auditory-spatial-perception/ https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA563540.pdf Some got, some don't! That's just the science of the whole thing, which (of course) some seem to hate. |
