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In the Forum: Playback Listening
In the Thread: The nature of "soundstage" in audio.
Post Subject: The artificial nature of the soundstagePosted by drdna on: 2/3/2008
Well, correct me if I am wrong, but I would say that imaging relaies heavily on the differences in timing and amplitude between the two sides and with secondary reflections. This leads to a perception of sound wherein we are able to localize individual instruments and such with focus and clarity, in the same way that one might bring the lens of a camera into focus.
The imaging of a stereo is not the same as that of a live musical experience, and it is my sense that imaging has nothing to do with Sound. Focusing on imaging can lead you a great sounding stereo that has nothing to do with the Sound of the live music.
With the soundstage, this to me is an artifact of the recording and reproduction that is one such way of going astray. It may be that compression is responsible or something else, but in any event, I describe the effect like putting a fish-eye lens on your camera. It is not so much that it is in focus or not, but gives a very distinct view with specific features and boundaries that are by-products of the process but have nothing to do with the original event any more than a fun house mirror has anything to do with your own reflection. The mirror distorts all images it reflects in a particular way.
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