2. misc-audio
  3. 156585-138054

Soundstage Width and Depth

I’m curious about what your systems produce when it comes to soundstage. My speakers are about 8’ apart and I sit about 10’ from the front plane of the speakers. The speakers are toed in so that they each are pointed at a spot about 8” from my ears on each side. (Laser verified) My room is treated with bass absorption and diffusers.

In many recordings my soundstage is approx 28’ wide and, although this is tougher to determine, I would say on most recordings I’m hearing sounds 10’-15’ further back than the speaker plane. Some sounds, usually lead guitars, are presented slightly in front of the plane of the speakers. There are also recordings that produce height in the soundstage. Some fill the room floor to ceiling, while others are more on the same plane about 5’ from the floor. I do get layers usually in about the same order, guitars, lead singer, bass guitar, drums, violins and backup instruments and singers in order front to back. Again this is recording dependent. Intimate recordings that feature a singer playing a guitar usually has all of the sound between the speakers. Is this what everyone experiences? Could the depth be deeper? Do many of you hear sounds in front of the speaker plane? Do you have any recordings that accentuate the front to back soundstage?
baclagg

Showing 2 responses by geoffkait

geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 

audiokinesis
@geoffkait wrote: " The best and easiest way look at soundstage imho is that the better the output signal the larger the 3 dimensional sphere of the recording venue will be presented.”

I’ll concede that what you propose is the "easiest" way to look at soundstage, but I’m not sure it’s the "best" because it is incomplete. Neither does it tell us anything about how or why, nor offer guidance as to how we might make improvement.

>>>>>OK, fair enough. Here are some ways to improve the soundstage, in terms of expanding the 3 dimensional sphere and organizing and resolving the information within the sphere. There is no substitute for Signal to Noise ratio. All of these suggestions improve SNR - including for the signal in the room. I am not going to address information fields or mind-matter interactions, which are also important factors, as they’re beyond scope.

Here is my short list of how to obtain deeper wider higher and more resolved soundstage. This list is not meant to be all inclusive.

Isolate all components
Suspend or elevate all cables and power cords
Position speakers precisely using XLO test CD or similar Test CD
Address room echo and room corner SPL peaks - I.e., comb filter effects
Cryogenics and/or home freezer for anything that you can fit in there
Address static electric fields
Check electrical continuity/polarity
Clean all electrical contacts, including all wall outlets in the house
Address RFI/EMI
Address vibration of the CD itself, or cassette for that matter if you’re into the whole cassette thing.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
I’m speechless that people still talk about being surprised by sound outside the speakers. You’ll have to excuse me but isn’t that a little archaic? As in 1970s? Come on, guys. The best and easiest way look at soundstage imho is that the better the output signal the larger the 3 dimensional sphere of the recording venue will be presented. When you finally get your system working the expanding sphere of soundstage should be well-defined in width, depth and height. A wonder to behold. 🤗

“An ordinary man has no means of deliverance.” - old audiophile axiom
More to discover