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Ventriloquist effect

I'm curious if any of the members have noticed or specifically accounted for how visual queues impact auditory perception. In my favorite listening position with the normal lights on I experience a perfectly healthy soundstage and imaging. However purely by accident I noticed that with the lights out and just the glow from the gear, the soundstage is considerably wider and the instruments more localized.

It's not the same as listening eyes closed. With no visual queues at all I notice the soundstage start to collapse towards the center. However with enough light to see that the sound is coming from in front, but not enough to get a good lock on speaker position it feels more lifelike.

I'm guessing that my brain is arguing with itself and trying to pin the sound to the speakers even though my ears can't pinpoint the source. When that visual queue is gone the visual center gives up and let's the audio perception take precedence.

It's real to me so I go with it, but wondering if I should see a psych or if others have noticed this as well.
bgoeller
8 responses Add your response
sgordon1
436 posts
 
It's all good. My speakers have an (optional)
blue light. Since this might change the sound, I leave
it off.

I have also place plastic colored filters in the dome
of an overhead light in my listening room.
Again, it almost always stays off.

In addition to eyes open/closed, try cupping you hands
over your ears, and tilting your head up, then down.
As you vary the position, you vary the perception, right?
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,009 posts
 
I notice the same effect, but I still listen with lights on most of the time, as I often read while listening.Inreresting observation.
jjrenman
279 posts
 
Yours eye's can deceive you.... try it again, this time with the blast visor down!
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,883 posts
 
It's amazing just how much our eyes work with our ears. To say it's second nature is an extreme understatement. When deprived of decent lighting, our brains go the extra distance to sort things out.

However, I find the opposite to be true when I close my eyes: the soundstage stays about the same. Sometimes, even wider.

It's all in the fun.

All the best,
Nonoise
czarivey
5,946 posts
 
Agree to the fact that our eyes are attracted to the expensive wires by its looks and description more than its actual performance. Otherwise they'd look more like professional grade wires(that's what I use, because they've been most-likely used in the studio during recording).

I often close my eyes especially if the music indulges me and that's how I feel a dissapearance of speakers that look old and ugly, that I've purchased for very cheap in the poor condition(had to repair a woofer cone), but sound DARN GREAT!
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
are you saying a blind man will experience a narrow soundstage ? that is a non sequitor. your mind and attitude is more a determinant of what you hear than any visual cues.

in my own situation, visual cues have no affect upon what I hear.
rodge827's avatar
rodge827
619 posts
 
Lights out and pitch black!
Huge sound stage and more lifelike.
YMMV
pops
2,275 posts
 
When the lights go out I find myself with my chin on my chest wet from drool and a tilted cocktail in my right hand only to be awakened by the burn of the cigar stub in my other....before all that happens I do notice a wider SS with the lights out.
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