The Disappearing Act

@baylinor

That’s an insightful perspective, and you’re absolutely right—recording styles and mixing decisions play a huge role in how the soundstage is perceived. A great system doesn’t impose its own interpretation but instead reveals the recording engineer’s intent with precision. Just like mine, your system seems to strike that balance perfectly.

@steakster

That’s a beautifully articulated comparison. Just as a well-crafted film can transport the viewer into its world, a well-tuned audio system can immerse the listener in the music, making the equipment and even the room fade away. It’s fascinating how much the listener’s mindset and environment contribute to both experiences.

@toddalin

“The music just "emanates" in the room.” …..Exactly!

     I call it: taking me from here and now, back to there and then.

                                Everything above= +1

                                  So many variables!

OP asks if the disappearing happens uniformly -- with all recordings.

For me, definitely not. Only with a few LPs and a with a few CDs. In my experience, most recordings and subsequent transfers to media suck; probably because of weak technology, or possibly because the responsible engineers "had other ideas" about how things should sound.

But don't get me wrong -- I still enjoy this hobby, and I still love music. Most often, the disappearing I experience comes in a brief moment as a shocking surprise, and it transfixes me. In those moments I connect with the music, and -- forgive the metaphor -- I become one with the music.

@lalitk My speakers disappeared long ago. It happened gradually as I dialled in the sound with relatively small but significant improvements which, if you can imagine it, pulled the sound from 2D against the plane of the speakers to 3D away from them until they just disappeared.

Almost everything I play is simply in the room.

It happened gradually as I dialed in the sound with relatively small but significant improvements

This is my experience. Many tweaks who are often dismissed were a big part of the disappearance. First was the footers Then the electric. . A $2 footer tweak started the journey. It wasn’t that the tweak was so astounding. it was the very fact that I heard a difference at all. I was quite skeptical. Not now. I discount few things.