I can't imagine what speaker would have to do with imaging. That is handled by the mixing engineer using the pan controls on the mixer.
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Stereo imaging vs binaural audio
How does proper stereo imaging from speakers compare to the effects from listening to a binaural recording through headphones? I find I can pinpoint the location of the sound in a binaural recording and know exactly where everything is, but my (modest) speakers can't do any of that. How real can high end speakers reproduce the pinpoint effect in an actual room?
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I have gotten very good localization with a couple of speakers. Good room placement is key.
Me personally, I never understood stereo imaging for headphones. I get that there is some slight positioning and depth, but I never saw it as true "sound stage" and isn't a significant attribute of my headphone listening experience. for reference, I run HE500's with a Centrance dacmini.
Speakers on the other hand, solid imaging on every set I've owned. My current KEF LS50's image amazingly well, even in a non-optimal setup. You don't need high end speakers to image well. Just play with toe-in and where you sit respectively, give the speakers some room to breathe and you should be able to get a solid image.
Speakers on the other hand, solid imaging on every set I've owned. My current KEF LS50's image amazingly well, even in a non-optimal setup. You don't need high end speakers to image well. Just play with toe-in and where you sit respectively, give the speakers some room to breathe and you should be able to get a solid image.
You are right about the imaging of a recording being strongly related to the efforts of the mixing engineer.
Speakers can ruin/enhance imaging with how their directivity intersects with room acoustics.
Getting imaging with headphones must be largely a matter of listener training. I have been listening to stereo recordings with headphones for over 50 years and I simply can't remember when I didn't get a perception of a detailed soundstage, of course again dictated by the recording. Its a different soundstage but the usual elements are represented there for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FMW /t/1518966/stereo-imaging-vs-binaural-audio#post_24386148
I can't imagine what speaker would have to do with imaging. That is handled by the mixing engineer using the pan controls on the mixer.
You are right about the imaging of a recording being strongly related to the efforts of the mixing engineer.
Speakers can ruin/enhance imaging with how their directivity intersects with room acoustics.
Getting imaging with headphones must be largely a matter of listener training. I have been listening to stereo recordings with headphones for over 50 years and I simply can't remember when I didn't get a perception of a detailed soundstage, of course again dictated by the recording. Its a different soundstage but the usual elements are represented there for me.
Carver's Sonic Holography and Polk's SDA speaker. Anyone remember?
The theory is that soundstage is collapsed because sound arrives at each ear from both speakers, and that cancelling L/R channel signals would produce a larger soundstage (and it did).
However, though its seems counter-intuitive, headphones are inferior.
The theory is that soundstage is collapsed because sound arrives at each ear from both speakers, and that cancelling L/R channel signals would produce a larger soundstage (and it did).
However, though its seems counter-intuitive, headphones are inferior.
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