What's the audiophile word for this...?

Soundstage

trippin'

j/k

expensive...

Imaging, with a good front soundstage. Some people will also
use the term, holographic.

^^^

+1 Jim wins.

It truly is a beautiful thing.

deftech bipolars are a start...from there it gets crazy expensive id wager...

My speakers are pornographic.

Stereo.

cheers,

AJ

Does that mean you pay by the hour for that sweet soundstage?

Yes, wonderful start!

What you should do is consider what your budget is, and then start auditioning speakers in and around that price range; find what sounds very good to you, and also build the soundstage to your liking.

All speakers have strengths and weaknesses, so establishing a budget and auditioning speakers until you find the right ones for you, is the best thing you can do.

Also, speaker setup has a lot to do with it. Although there are speakers that will seem to naturally image the music, a good setup can go a long way toward that 3D sound field.

Don't forget you will need a recording that has those details of "spatial" instruments engineered into it.

I always called that imaging. I'd say most people have never experienced it. It's a game-changer.

Better than pay per stroke!

yup!

The whole purpose of stereo imaging to create the illusion of a 3 dimensional soundstage from a set of point sound sources. The trend seems to be quanity over quality in terms of speaker set-ups these days (ie 7.1 and 9.1 setups)

It seems most of the audio industry has lost sight of that IMO.

Ok Mike, I usually have a few "dancing notes" on me for the "stage" when I go to Mons Venus.
Exactly what "dancing notes" are you referring to regarding spatial presentation aka "stage"?

cheers,

AJ

I call it "magic", because that's what it feels like when the right recording plays through the right setup.

+1

I've been reading many of the speaker threads here, and I've noticed the imagiing from a speaker does not get talked about much. Usually people just mention how great the bass is or the highs, etc.

I'd love to know if $400 or $500 would buy me a pair of speakers with great imagiing.

That is what I have been in pursuit of for many years. Holographic sound in my room. I had definitive technology bp7001's as my main l/r speakers which did anvery good job of creating that type of sound. I stumbled upon a pair of Carver al III's on Craig's list. They employ 4' dipolar ribbons. They bring the holographic experience to another level.of course the room and positioning of the speakers are important as well as the source material. My pre/pro has Audyssey XT32 onboard which also helped achieve the 3d sound stage.

The Boston E60 speakers, are a good one
http://www.amazon.com/Boston-Acousti.../dp/B001H9O1CG

However, with good speakers - you do not push them against a wall and
do not stick them in a cabinet cubby hole, or on shelves. Give them some
room to breathe and radiate.

Dipolar & bipolar speakers are generating a different type of holographic image vs. the image a pair of monopolar speakers generate. The former are producing an additional image by virtue of their design, resulting in that airy and expansive quality they are known for, whereas monopoles are generating an image solely based on what's contained in the recording.

In other words, IMO the image produced by dipolars/bipolars is partly artificial.

No. Multi-polar speakers simply add more delayed reflections into the total sound power perceived. There is no "additional" image, mostly a spatially expanded one. There is still only one singer on solo recordings, perhaps slightly deeper in the "soundstage", less ultra-precision. Much like real life, though audiophiles/studiophiles wouldn't know that.


Unless you are listening in an anechoic chamber, no they do not. Plus exactly how do you know "exactly what is in the recording"?? What method are you using to determine that? Speakers? Headphones? Which ones? Were you there originally?


Nope. Stereo itself is an artificial construct. Look it up, see how it's constructed. Multipolars are more artificially artificial?? Well....

Not aware of any controlled preference testing on consumers with monopole vs multipole in living rooms. No Harmans single poor example centered mono test doesn't count.

cheers,

AJ

This was my first thought.


Sadly, most people haven't. Including most audio enthusiasts. The majority of enthusiasts are more concerned with bass that is 10 dB hot than accurate L/R mains, properly set up.