Holographic imaging


Hi folks, is the so called holographic imaging with many tube amplifiers an artifact? With solid state one only hears "holographic imaging" if that is in the recording, but with many tube amps you can hear it all the time. So solid state fails in this department? Or are those tube amps not telling the truth?

Chris
dazzdax
Solution to this never ending debate is to send some demo units to select few volunteers and have them report back? I suggest few qualified individuals- like Atmasphere (Ralph can do even some tests) Detlof, Duke, ??

Just trying to help.
Guys,

This had started out as a pretty interesting discussion on, what was it, Holographic Imaging. I thought it was pretty interesting until it turned into a sort of flame for all. I keep away from the other forums due to all the attacking, flaming, etc. I had always thought audiogon was above that.
Duke,

If I may clarify…

You have an artist playing a guitar in a studio – the sound vibrations from the stings are traveling away from the guitar toward the microphone through the medium of AIR. The velocity of travel is for this segment is Mach One.

Fast forward way ahead to your listening room. The sound vibrations manifested by your loudspeaker travel from the speaker across your listening room to your ears. This segment is also traveling at Mach One.

In-between the two AIR segments is a segment of electronics including storage that is presented in series to form a three-part chain of events. Don’t forget that what is stored in the recording is the sound of the guitar as heard through the medium of AIR. If there are any minor changes to the velocity/phase of the electrical segment – they will be manifested in the final sound of the system and assumed to be part of the recording.

For example if you add digital delay or reverb to the electrical segment – the net result is a feeling by the listener that the guitar is “obviously” in a big hall. (when in fact it was done in a quiet studio).

The real point to this is accepting the fact that any modification to the electrical segment gives the listener an impression about the RECORDING – not the system. After all if you purposely tamper with the electronic segment to “create” an artificial feeling about the recording – say like Carver – then why wouldn’t the reverse be true as well? Meaning that your impression about the recording can be altered by inadvertent and unintentional problems with phase in the electrical segment including velocity errors that give the impression of motion when there was none. The artificial motion impressed upon the guitar can be as simple as bloating, out of focus or larger than life physical size. The removal of these minor phase errors reduces the motion and stabilizes the pin point location back to what you would expect if you were there.

Roger
Goldeneraguy, I reread Detlof's and Atmasphere's last posts, I didn't miss what they were saying. I know of nine others who are thrilled with their H-Cat line stages. I know of two others who have heard the H-Cat amp, both dealers, who love it and have had great response to their demonstrations. I don't know what you mean by agreeing with statements by Roger, but one guy who is strongly dismissive of most posts here, says that he now better understands why it sounds so good. Again this makes my point that it is the sound that attracts people, not the explanation of why it does what it does.

I am a survivor of many of the scam police wars. I could give a shit whether people need to have the benefits of tweaks or components "proven" to them. This is the height of hubris IMHO. If they refuse to try it themselves, screw them. I will just keep enjoying the benefits.