Monitor speakers that disappear:best image/staging


In the past, I've had speakers that could throw an image creating an uncanny impression that, even if the image was on the hard left or right, could not be identified as coming from the drivers or even the speakers (these were Apogee Stages, Wilson W/P6s,
and Kharma 3.2s).

Do any monitors do this (at least fairly well)? (Maybe Focal Diablos, Wilson Duettes, among the big names? What about some of the smaller names mentioned frequently in the threads on monitors)?

Many speakers still make me struggle to find the sweet spot and shift from left to right to get good imaging and transparency, which can be annoying even if the tonality is fine and the sonics are fine in all other respects.
rgs92

Showing 1 response by soix

I've found Joseph Audio to be consistenly good in the disappearing act category. Audio Physic does well in that area too, along with many of the others already mentioned.

Haven't read all the other posts, but inert stands and sweating the details in positioning are obvious starting points. The other thing is that a lot of manufacturers don't go the extra mile to ensure all drivers are matched to very tight tolerances, and I think that could also play a role here.

Lastly and maybe most importantly I'd also mention the room itself. In properly treated rooms images most always seem to be locked in solid, and if a room is not properly treated I find it can be a crapshoot and I too often find myself shifting my head a little left or right to lock things in (especially the center image). As is so often stated here, a treated room is probably one of the most important and most commonly neglected areas in our hobby. I'll also second Newbee's comment about ears not always being perfectly balanced -- good to get that checked especially among us audiophools.