I have very much enjoyed this discussion, found after a google search on the subject. Now I have a bunch of resources to explore.
A couple of examples.
Highway 61 Revisited by Dave Alvin / From an Old Guitar.
Near the start of the song, as it starts to get loud, there is sound coming from high and to the left - way lefter than the left speaker, and as high as the ceiling in my room. My ceiling is 2.9 metres and my tweeters are about ear level.
The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Brendan Perry / Ark.
As this track evolves there is a constant tick tick tick of something I assume the drummer is doing, I am no expert in musical instruments. This ticking sound, to me, floats around the sound stage like a butterfly. Left to right, forward and back, up and down. It’s fun to track and follow it in the mind.
Bonus track -
The Ballad of Bill Hubbard by Roger Waters / Amused to Death.
Must surely be a phase trick here. Turn it up loud and sit in the sweet spot, the (about 3) dogs will be barking behind you to the right, at a distance, perceived to be outside.
Other tricks too, the voice on the radio to the left - literally beside you to the left.
Two years ago I was using a pair of B&W CM9 speakers, a Musical Fidelity M6i amp and either a CD or a computer for source.
I had that for a decade and I thought it was good. Little did I know.
I cannot recall hearing height, or spacial effects such as those mentioned in this topic. I had stereo, that was about it.
In the last 2 years I have evolved my system through various hardware changes including B&W 702 S2 Signature speakers, Sonos Port, Bluesound Node, Auralic Aries and Sirius, Musical Fidelity M8xi amp, PrimaLuna EVO 100 DAC and EVO 400 preamp, Musical Fidelity M8-700M monoblocks, REL S/510 sub. And every piece of that hardware is now gone. I now have a full on end-game system, Tidal Contros (streamer/DAC/preamp), Tidal Ferios monoblocks, Tidal Contriva speakers and two REL No. 31 subs. A lot of money, probably out of the reach of many. My advice there is if you are at an age to do so, stick extra from your pay into your superannuation. When you can access it, you should have the funds to enjoy life, it worked for me.
That aside… Until I got the Tidal electronics to go with these speakers, I had no idea what was possible when it comes to soundstage quality and definition.
It’s early days but my experience so far has been beyond wildest expectations. Never heard anything even close to this level. It’s like I was fluffing around at the edges before compared to how good it is now. I did not know what to expect - I knew what I had was good so I was a bit concerned I wasn’t going to hear much difference. Damn, those fears are history.
Getting myself back on topic, and why I found this topic, I wanted to see if other people experience this height phenomenon. I don’t understand how it works, but whether it is a trick of the mind, imagination, room characteristics, or whether it is real, I am glad it exists.
I have had friends come and listen, I have asked them to close their eyes, I play a track with this effect and ask them to point to the source. Their results prove it isn’t my imagination.
Now I’m off to explore the suggestions people have commented on here, so thanks for the suggestions.