Walk-in soundstage

If by “walk in” you simply mean “holographic”, “3D” or surround, I’m there. 

The synergies between the pieces of equipment and the room have to be working just so.  
 

my EQUIPMENT:

Cartridge: Koetsu Leopard, Koetsu Onyx, Koetsu Rosewood Signature, Grado 78

Tonearm: Sumiko MMT

Table: VPI HW MK IV with SAM

Phono Stage: Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2

Preamp: Beard P505

Phase Alignment: BBE282ri sonic maximizer

Subwoofer: Velodyne ULD-15

Amps: Julius Futterman OTL3s, converted to triode by Jon Specter

Crossovers: Mastering Lab

Speakers: Altec Lansing 604C coaxial studio monitors

Semi-anechoic room design and treatment: by architect C.B. Wayne

In my opinion, it takes several factors to fool the ear/brain system into believing that sounds, actually coming from a couple of speakers, really represent a walk-around sound-space.

My system/room was not fooling me sorry...

With the proper acoustics control of the system/room relation you are able to interpret and translate what is the many spatial information cues recorded by the sound recording engineer set of trade-off...

The recuperation of this acoustic information in the play back process by a well optimized system/room is not an illusion nor a placebo but resulted  from  a rigorous set of acoustics concepts ...

The best explanation is given by Edgar Choueiri...

'Walk In'  as a description is a play on the word Soundstage, to make the notion the Soundstage had Volume and Separation that seemed more increased in dimension than typical.

In my system certain tracks do this, but many with a Q Sound CODEC embedded, will expand the Soundstage and imagery with precision, where space seems without boundaries. 

On a particular track from a artist who has a history of using Q Sound, one Track with a Helicopter and references to an importance of a education. Has the Helicopter being heard approaching from above and outside the building. 

The Helicopter descends through the Roof - Ceiling and Hovers in front of the listeners in the Soundstage. 

If a High Powered Fan was in the listening space, one would be ducking Rotors. 

I have not got a Play On Words, but the experience is indelible and much enjoyed. 

When prompted I do stand still. 

As the Thread has also included ESL Speakers, the arrival of the Helicopter is experienced as an End Sound on Stacked Array Quad 57's and a 3 x Driver - Floor Standing Cabinet Design. Both are capable of creating a similar impression of a Soundstage when Q Sound embedded data is in a recording.

As an individual who has spent many hours in the Company of all Quad ESL's minus the latest 'X' Model, I can assure they have traits produced within their End Sound that are very much wanted to be maintained and heard as an End Sound.

Also I am totally confident in saying Cabinet Design Speakers in different designs are as capable of producing traits in an End Sound that are very much wanted to be maintained.

For this reason, I am not a committed monogamous speaker user, I am Polygamous in a commitment to experiencing End Sound from Speakers.

In my Local HiFi Group, Quad ESL users also have moved on to being Polygamous with Speakers after being many many years wed to the Quads.

I thoroughly enjoy their alternate options as do they mine.

One of the easiest methods one can adopt to reinvigorate a keenness to experience owned recorded music and also encourage the want to add new recorded music. Is to learn music listened to, remains totally impressive when the End Sound is heard from another option selected to produce the End Sound.

Trials with different Speakers will bring discoveries that compels one to have them maintained and lived with, but shared with another/other readily available options.

@pindac  Thank you for introducing Q Sound. You must refer to The Happiest Days of Our Lives on The Wall by Pink Floyd for the helicopter spatial sound effect. Q Sound was subsequently used in, for example, The Division Bell, to achieve 3D effects. Additionally, to name a few, Roger Waters’ Amused to Death also incorporates this technique.

I’ve noticed that the “walk-in” spatial sound effect becomes more prominent in my system with the latest recordings that contain these spatial cues, even when using traditionally designed (box-type) speakers. In that setup, the elevated spatial height achieved with my Harmony Micro DAC becomes an important factor I would say.

I would also like to revisit the unanswered question I posted earlier regarding the significant roll-off above 10 kHz of the Quad ESL panel. I believe this characteristic is one of the sound traits that warranted his stacked HQD systems implemented by Mark Levinson, where:

D: Decca Kelly Ribbon (> 7 kHz)
Q: Quad ESL 57 panel (100 Hz – 7 kHz)
H: Hartley 24" woofer (< 100 Hz)

Again, I am curious what experience the end-users like yourself have and how you cope with this.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/mark-levinson-hqd-loudspeaker-system