@immatthewj different people hear it differently. :) I just wanted to know if the OP had tried that.
I watched a pair of Wilsons get sold to a Russian "businessman" for their exceptional imaging this way.
Soundstage drastically worsened when I replaced a solid state AV amp with tubes.
Hello. I am streaming music with Qobuz and Apple Music through a McIntosh MX123 A/V processor, into a McIntosh MC8207 7-channel solid state amplifier (200 watts x 7 channels), into Klipsch La Scala speakers (105 dB sensitivity). (I also have an SVS 2000 sub-woofer.) (The components are behind the wall in the photo.) With that setup, I had a 180 degree soundstage, extending laterally well beyond my speakers and from ceiling to floor in height. I wanted to see if tubes would improve the system for music listening, so I added a McIntosh MC275 amp to power the front L and R LaScalas. Now the MC8207 is used only to power the surround speakers. The MC275 improved the warmth of the music and greatly increased the bass. However, the lateral soundstage is gone. I now have a deeper soundstage focused perfectly between the speakers, but the lateral and height extensions are gone. It is as though I am back in the 1950s listening to a single mono speaker directly in front of my listening position. The music is beautiful, but I miss the soundstage. Other than replacing the amp for the LaScalas, everything else is the same. I did have to temporarily add an extension chord to the McIntosh power cord until I can get one of the proper length, so that could be the culprit. Otherwise, does anyone have any ideas regarding why the soundstage so drastically changed? I expected the soundstage to improve with the tubes, but it worsened. Thanks for your thoughts!
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Gotcha, @erik_squires , I have never purposely or accidentally done that. The only experience I have is with one of those test CDs by Rodger Skoff & Doug Sax where (I think it's) Rodger who says, "IN PHASE, my voice should be tightly focused betwen your two speakers," (and it is), and then he says, "OUT OF PHASE, my voice should have no apparent [something or other] and it should sound as if it's coming from you from all around the room." (and it does) ". . . Move your speakers a little bit at a time to enhance this effect. . . ." |
@immatthewj The OP's description of his imaging when it was "good" just sounded too much like that situation. TBH, I had this happen a couple of times at two different dealers, so I got more than a little suspicious they did so deliberately as a gimmick. |
@erik_squires it would be interesting to see what would happen if OP had access to and played that track from that test CD. |
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