The Disappearing Act

It happened gradually as I dialed in the sound with relatively small but significant improvements

This is my experience. Many tweaks who are often dismissed were a big part of the disappearance. First was the footers Then the electric. . A $2 footer tweak started the journey. It wasn’t that the tweak was so astounding. it was the very fact that I heard a difference at all. I was quite skeptical. Not now. I discount few things.

very recording dependent for me. Some albums from the 60s already have it but .likely not. Also genre dependent, studio dependent, etc. 

As others have mentioned, some of the early stereo recordings from the 60's are particularly egregious. I listened to some Mommas and Pappas that were cringe worthy. Especially on headphones. Many songs start with sound from only one channel. Weird feeling of sound in one ear and a vacuum sucking on the other (with phones). No disappearing components from that.

The disappearing act is one very prominent characteristic of “the suspension of disbelief”, but others are required to get there. I’ve heard lots of systems that image so well/holographically such that the speakers absolutely disappear, but the system lacks the appropriate tonal balance, effortlessness, harmonics, etc that it still doesn’t sound “real”. 

Agreed with those said…disappearing act largely depends on original recording. While a well-set-up system and room are essential, the way a recording is engineered determines how effectively the soundstage is created and whether the speakers “disappear” into it. 

IME, the disappearing act reflects the synergy between the recording’s spatial information and the playback system’s ability to reproduce it faithfully. Even the best system can’t make poorly engineered recordings disappear, but with a great recording, the illusion can be simply magical.

@blisshifi 

You’re right—while the “disappearing act” is essential for creating that sense of realism, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. A system can image beautifully and place instruments with pinpoint accuracy, but without proper tonal balance, harmonic richness, and dynamic effortlessness, it can still fail to convince the listener of its authenticity 😊