Soundstage and image height, does it exist?


On another site, there is a discussion on soundstage, and there are a few people clamming, that, since there is no vertical information encoded on stereo recordings, that soundstage height does not actually exist. It is a product of our minds filling in missing information. 

Are they correct?

Please explain your position, with as much technical details as you feel needed.

 

128x128simonmoon

Showing 2 responses by simonmoon

Thanks for all the responses to my OP, folks!

I have never had a problem getting height in my images, when the material calls for it. 

 

Like in the track on Chesky's first "Ultimate Evaluation Disk", with the Mozart flute concerto, where, on all my previous systems, and my current one, the flute is always at the correct height for a person standing and playing the flute.

Like wise, on the title track of King Crimson's "Islands", there is a cornet that comes in at about 2:00 in, that is also at about 5.5 feet above the floor, just at the correct height.

I ordered Chesky's CD with the LEDR test on it, even though I know you can get it for free. I also want the rest of the material on the disk.

 

There is no soundstage image height or image at all. It's just your brain trying to make sense of what it's perceiving its a trick an illusion.

@johnk 

Then how do you explain Northwestern's LEDR recording, already mentioned several times on this thread?

The track in question, starts with a tone in the left speaker, which then moves straight UP to at least 8' or more feet up, moves across to directly over the top of the right speaker, then down to the speaker level. 

Yes, this track was created specifically to exaggerate this effect, but if speakers were incapable of producing height, please explain this track.

So far, this same phenomena occurs on every system I've played it on. Even speakers not known for their great imaging.