'Holographic Sound Stage?'

I agree that if one can occupy the same space as the mikes, one can appreciate what and how the mikes hear it. But no one sits that close. I had the pleasure of sitting just three rows back and center in a church setting to a three piece period baroque ensemble and the sound was practically homogenized when it got to me. I was hearing the sum of its parts when considering location despite clearly hearing the individual instruments.

There are advantages to hearing some things live and advantages to hearing some things at home. Live music allows one to emphasize with the musician(s) and the contact high that comes with listening with others. Home listening allows one to enjoy and appreciate all the more the mechanics of a recording.

I don't mean in the "mechanical" sense a rigid, soulless interpretation, but rather in the structure, timing, and highlighting of performers that would otherwise be smeared or homogenized.

All the best,
Nonoise

I understand that the imaging and soundstaging we hear in well set up systems (with the right recordings) is perhaps "artificial." None the less, to me it's one of the most fun, pleasurable and at times thrilling aspects of a good system.

I get perfectly holographic sound stage from my meager 6K, two channel system. Well, that and the concoctions rendered from my liquor cabinet! :)

This be very true Danoroo. A good Cabernet is far more holographic than a Merlot. A Pinot Noir not so much...

A good system will just replicate what is on the recording. The greater the resolution, the better the effect, if it is there to begin, depending on mic placement and mixing. Case in point concerning the Mercury studio recording of 10cc's "I'm Not In Love". The soundstage expands with the echo delay effect in the mix. I have had this recording for many years and I often use it, along with others to see how a new component is interacting in the system. I cease to be amazed at how this "halo" effect of the mix just keeps expanding completely to the walls of my room front and back the greater the resolution of the system is increased, the speakers completely disappear, just one case in point. What is more remarkable is how the lead vocal becomes more natural, coherent and focused amid this effect, just amazing.

In live music this is never heard or experienced so the reality is that a microphone can seldom capture what you hear in a live setting but some of the old RCA and Mercury recording engineers did a very credible job in replicating what you might expect to hear from a live orchestra at a venue if not ALWAYS missing the natural tonality of real instruments as credible as a great system may get.