Is Imaging Worth Chasing?

First. Primary emphasis on specifications disappeared because, while not meaningless, they are a distraction and are frequently deceptive. The only reliable way to characterize high end audio equipment is descriptions of sound characteristics.

Imaging is as @frogman points out only one of many characteristics of a good high end system. Some folks consider it an important characteristic, some could care less.

How well your system images is the result of all components of your system, venue and speaker setup.

I would start with What you have. Optimize it, then decide what the next step should be.

The most useful thing you can do, to allow us to help is to put photos of your system and venue. This way we have some idea of what is really going on. There is a place under your UserID to do so, under virtual systems.

Step one will be slow methodical adjusting speaker placement. Get the triangle correct (speakers and chair), wall distances. Your ears need to be at tweeter level for most speakers… these are what are doing most of the imaging. 1/8” difference on placement can make a difference. Toe in is next. The soundstage opens up as you go from the speakers pointed at you to straight ahead…but, too far and the central image collapses) So this is not a quick process.

Then room treatments. If your front and side walls are too reflective then the imaging is confused… you can see my main system to see some of the treatments I have used. The really heavy, thick wool rug on the front wall profoundly improved the imaging in my system. The images go deep into the wall (so, 4’ to the wall and 5’ into the wall), and on both sides of the speakers (so for me the soundstage is about 12’ wide). In special recordings I can hear sounds behind me.

You can find detailed instructions about how to approach the above two activities.

Then there is your system. Top priority is speakers that are known to image well, of an appropriate size for your room. High quality stand mounted speakers can be the easiest to get great imaging out of. Then there is your electronics… in general, the better your equipment the better it will image.

This audio hobby is challenging and that is what makes it very exciting.  The whole point of stereo is to recreate the 3D soundstage of the musicians and singers.  Several challenges precede that goal however.  First, is tonal balance so that the music sounds right- sounds live.  Probably one of the biggest challenges we face is bass response.  Getting that last bottom octave is a challenge not just for speakers but for the room as well.  Then we have Signal to Noise and distortion to deal with. One type of distortion not often discussed is dynamic or responsiveness.  Can the music reach the crescendos and the decrescendos and do it like a live performance.  And when it comes to tonal balance and bass response, there is no right answer.  Just as musicians have their signature sound and the way they make music from their instruments, we audiophiles have our own artistic input into how the music is reproduced on our systems.  If one is fortunate to hear various hifi systems in their lifetime, they will have a handful of stereo systems that are defining moments in hifi for them.  My very first defining moment in hifi for me was a pair of modified Quad ESL's mounted in wooden frames for extra stiffness and powered by a Quicksilver Tube amp with a modified ARC SP-8 and a Sota Star turntable.  It was early 1988 and it was a magical moment for me.  I can still remember the magic of those speakers.  That started me on the "true" hifi journey.  

The best systems can not just meet the "basics" of audio reproduction but they also can paint a wide and deep 3 dimensional sound stage that can make you feel like you are there in the room with the musicians.  The best of these systems will make you feel like the musicians are moving around in the room with you.  It can actually feel creepy or spooky.  Since the day I heard those Quads, imaging has always been a priority for me.

Speaker placement, eliminating as much noise as possible, and room dampening are critical.  In addition, isolation of each component- including the speakers will sharpen and define the images.  The right cables are important too in order to bring the images into sharper focus.  Some level of imaging is possible with just about any stereo system.  Unfortunately, it seems like the more expensive speakers, amps, preamps and sources as well as cables contribute to reaching the pinnacle of imaging.  One other point- turn out the lights when you listen.  It makes a difference.  

Oh, and I did have a neighbor one time get up and leave the room.  He did not like the spooky imaging one bit.  Realistically, imaging is not for everyone.  Some do not even care about it at all.

It’s one of the most important things in my opinion, and the goal of a properly set up space. If imaging and soundstage aren’t important to an individual in this game then why bother with high end, get a soundbar or a cheap set of earbuds and call it a day.

I have complete and utter faith in my speakers.

zlone—Thanks for the tip. Moving the speakers apart is one of the few options open to me so I’ll try that. Toe-in worries me. The only time I’ve ever heard any brightness from the LS50s (which TAS described as a "butterscotch sundae" of a speaker) is when they’re toed-in. But it’s certainly worth a shot.

edcyn—Poetry. A great description of imaging. I think it would be worth a chase to hear the singers walk around the stage. But between the limitations of my room and of my own ability—and desire—to hold my head in one place, I don’t think it’s a chase that I will ever win.

I value transparency far more than imaging.  Couple of reasons.

First, I don't believe the hyper-etched imaging of close miked music to be at all realistic or transparent.  Quite the opposite.  Listening to live acoustic performances the "imaging" is actually pretty soft and laid back.

I also don't particularly think high jump-factor speakers are "realistic" unless you are are on the stage itself.