Walk-in soundstage

@fastricky 

Thanks for sharing! This is actually the first time I’ve learned about the Shahinian Obelisks and their ability to create an enveloping soundfield.

Your observation about the Pontus II resonates with me. It definitely offers impressive width and tonal richness, but I’ve also learned it to be a bit reserved when it comes to the depth. Interestingly, someone recently discovered that adding a Harmony Micro DDC to the Pontus II helped him achieve noticeably deeper soundstage. A tube DAC might also take you further in that direction—it’s definitely worth exploring if you’re after that “walk-in” effect.

@steakster

Thank you for sharing that experience—what a vivid description! Being able to literally stand up and walk into the soundstage before the illusion broke down sounds truly extraordinary. Rick Becker’s setup must have been something special, especially with that room size, the Kharmas, and the attention to power and cabling. I imagine the cathedral ceiling played a big role in enhancing the spatial presentation too.

I agree—getting that kind of walk-in depth seems to require a perfect storm: excellent recordings, precise speaker placement, and a well-matched system in a well-treated space. It's interesting that both LP and CD sources could deliver it equally when the recording quality was there.

As for Steve Huff—I hear you. His enthusiasm can definitely be polarizing. Still, I find it interesting to compare perspectives, even if I take some of them with a grain of salt. He seems to have resonated with a certain kind of listener, but I understand why his style might not appeal to everyone.

Have you ever come close to replicating that walk-in effect in other systems you've heard, even if not quite to the same degree? I’d be curious to hear what other setups came close.

Walk-in soundstage?  Easy…with nitrous oxide!

Two out of five are already cracking jokes—guess soundstage still feels like a mission impossible for some.  I get it though—chasing that truly immersive, three-dimensional stage can feel elusive. When it clicks, it’s pure magic… almost like acoustic N₂O.  And I do believe this can be achieved with miniMax gears.

Steve Huff also talks to dead people. Have you seen those videos? A Kook.

I’ve only been able to hear a true walk around in the sound stage feel once with single driver speakers from Omega (SAM’s), probably the best sound stage I’ve ever heard. Granted they lacked in other areas. Second best was some Open baffles, but they need a specific room to optimise correctly. The smaller the speaker the better the sound staging IMO. Larger speakers tend to do that large sound stage that’s more of a wall of sound then a true walking in the sound stage type of thing.

To obtain that enveloping sound stage that puts you in the center of the event, right up there on stage with them, is hard to find with large multi driver speakers from my experience.