I've really only heard the disappearing effect to a highly convincing level by using a divider plate to eliminate stereo cross talk, sitting fairly close to the speakers and far from the walls, and then some EQ to fix the response issues caused by the divider plate, and then a recording that has some coherent ambient information in it, which usually means NOT a studio mix of any kind. It didn't require high end equipment. Just a highly inconvenient listening setup. Getting the EQ right was extremely important to creating the illusion for me.I also used absorption above and to the sides of the speakers to minimize wall reflections. Really a PITA, but I've never heard anything more convincing from megabuck systems. Crosstalk is the great spoiler in my mind, bringing great systems down a long, long way and making them sound essentially similarly wrong to much, much less expensive systems in terms of imaging. At least that's how my ears react. So I don't pay as much attention to imaging depth and pay attention mostly to clarity and good tonality, low distortion, smooth dispersion and response. I expect a speaker system to reveal itself sonically like a good work of art does visually, with it's frame clearly visible, but also give me a very good insight into the musical performance, which is plenty challenging but at least it's possible without getting into a very constrained listening position.
When Did Your System Disappear?
As we upgrade our audio systems, things (hopefully) keep sounding better and better. I have found that after a certain point, the system completely disappears. It’s no longer a pair of speakers, amps, preamps, sources, etc. Music is created out of thin air floating between and behind the speakers with little to no colorations in the sound. The regular audio verbiage can be thrown out the window because all you hear is the recording. If something is bright or harsh or bass heavy, it’s the recording not your system.
I noticed this when I modified my source and preamp to accept better power supplies. Using a combination of linear power supplies and large SLA batteries took my system to a new level where the equipment just disappears. Of course, this wasn’t the only thing that helped. Up to that point, every component has been experimented on to achieve a high degree of synergy. Interconnects, power cables, speaker cables, etc. all play a role too. Everything matters.
My question to you all is when did this happen in your system? Did it develop slowly over time or was there a definite change that occurred with a certain upgrade?
I noticed this when I modified my source and preamp to accept better power supplies. Using a combination of linear power supplies and large SLA batteries took my system to a new level where the equipment just disappears. Of course, this wasn’t the only thing that helped. Up to that point, every component has been experimented on to achieve a high degree of synergy. Interconnects, power cables, speaker cables, etc. all play a role too. Everything matters.
My question to you all is when did this happen in your system? Did it develop slowly over time or was there a definite change that occurred with a certain upgrade?