Passive preamp vs. powered

Phaelon, if the imaging is in the recording and you're not hearing it, why would that be? Not that it should be a goal to have imaging per se, you are right, it doesn't really exist in live music, at least not much in my experience, but if it is in the recording and it doesn't come through in the reproduction doesn't it suggest that something is missing that shouldn't be? It would seem to suggest a loss of information, whether "real" or not.

Hi Paul,
I don't dispute your point. What I took exception to is the assertion that, because I don't walk lock-step with the majority of the audiophile community in certain subjective values, my opinions are disqualified.

Let me attempt an analogy: I assume that one of the goals of a movie set designer, when constructing models of a set, is to facilitate the audience's "suspension of disbelief". High-definition video, like high-end audio, is concerned with extracting all the recorded information. Consequently, I now find that in some movies, high definition reveals Hollywood's magic tricks. Whereas before I was able to suspend disbelief and see a castle, I now see a plastic model. Likewise in audio, pinpoint imaging can sometimes serve as yet another reminder that I'm listening to a recording.

Good points Phaelon.

I always thought imaging/depth was more based on the recording miking technique used by the recording engineer(s) as can be heard on chesky's ultimate Demonstration disk and I am sure there are others as well.

Hi Phaelon, I do know what you mean about detail that can drive you to distraction, and truly accurate timbre and dynamics are much more important to me then imaging, as I really don't find much imaging in live music, more like a wall of sound. I'm not sure if this is a problem of recording techniques, but I suspect Rleff is right about that, my only point is that if for good or bad, if it is in the recording something might be suspect if the equipment isn't conveying those what is in the recording. Now whether it is in anyway a necessary part of enjoying a musical performance, I would say it is fairly low in my list of priorities. Besides, I never disagree with Clio09:)