loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

In article ,
Ian Molton wrote:
I have disagreed with much of what you have said in this thread but on
this point I am with you 100%.

I agree also, but its not entirely wrong to do that. for example,
removing a chimneybreast is NOT a cheap thing to do, and you'd probably
have to bin a lot of your furniture...

I'm not quite sure why you'd want to remove a chimney breast -
'irregularities' in a room's shape are a good thing for sound.

I guess some people just figure they'll ge the best equipment they can,
if they cant do anything about the room

I'd personally rather have a modest Hi-Fi in a good room than the very
best money could buy in a lousy one.

You'll all, I'm sure, know of my preference - everything being equal - of
CD over vinyl.

But that preference is as *nothing* compared to my preference for a good
listening room.

--
*According to my calculations, the problem doesn't exist.

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

Actually, Im not. my point is that the type of recording used doesnt
reflect the ability of the technology to give a clear stereo image. you
are simply required to feed the correct type of recording into the
respective system in order for it to produce a 'correct' image.


headphones require a particular type of recording to work properly, so
do speakers. they just require DIFFERENT types of recording.

you said

"show me a pair of speakers that can create the, admittedly unusual,
situation of having a sound entirely in one ear and not at all in the
other."

inferring it was the best way to get a stereo image. There's more to stereo
than pumping sound into the ear (otherwise my etymotics would be the
ultimate...) because you then get fed the imaging of someone elses idea of
stereo, not your own with your own ears and head shape.

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

Actually, Im not. my point is that the type of recording used doesnt
reflect the ability of the technology to give a clear stereo image. you
are simply required to feed the correct type of recording into the
respective system in order for it to produce a 'correct' image.


headphones require a particular type of recording to work properly, so
do speakers. they just require DIFFERENT types of recording.

you said

"show me a pair of speakers that can create the, admittedly unusual,
situation of having a sound entirely in one ear and not at all in the
other."

inferring it was the best way to get a stereo image. There's more to stereo
than pumping sound into the ear (otherwise my etymotics would be the
ultimate...) because you then get fed the imaging of someone elses idea of
stereo, not your own with your own ears and head shape.

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

Just about every single reply here is simply pointing out the poor
acoustics of the average listening room. It amazes me that people will
spend so much on amps and speakers, but baulk at sorting room acoustics. I
call it the B & O syndrome.

Ahhh yes, B&O - Hifi for the deaf.

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

Just about every single reply here is simply pointing out the poor
acoustics of the average listening room. It amazes me that people will
spend so much on amps and speakers, but baulk at sorting room acoustics. I
call it the B & O syndrome.

Ahhh yes, B&O - Hifi for the deaf.

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 21:36:59 +0000 (GMT)
Dave Plowman wrote:

Would rather depend on the placement of the mics, as has been said
many times now..

For simplification, I'm only considering a 'straight' classical
recording where the purpose is to give the listener as close an
approximation of hearing the piece as one would at a concert.

In that case I'll concede the headphones *may* give a lacklustre
soundstage. I say *may* as it *may* give an exaggerated soundstage which
can actually sound rather nice.

certainly headphones would give an inaccurate soundstage if fed on such
a recording.

--
Spyros lair: http://www.mnementh.co.uk/ |||| Maintainer: arm26 linux

Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are tasty and good with
ketchup.

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 21:36:59 +0000 (GMT)
Dave Plowman wrote:

Would rather depend on the placement of the mics, as has been said
many times now..

For simplification, I'm only considering a 'straight' classical
recording where the purpose is to give the listener as close an
approximation of hearing the piece as one would at a concert.

In that case I'll concede the headphones *may* give a lacklustre
soundstage. I say *may* as it *may* give an exaggerated soundstage which
can actually sound rather nice.

certainly headphones would give an inaccurate soundstage if fed on such
a recording.

--
Spyros lair: http://www.mnementh.co.uk/ |||| Maintainer: arm26 linux

Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are tasty and good with
ketchup.

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 21:56:50 +0000 (GMT)
Dave Plowman wrote:

You'll all, I'm sure, know of my preference - everything being equal - of
CD over vinyl.

Same here.

But that preference is as *nothing* compared to my preference for a good
listening room.

If you can get your hands on one, sure.

I cant, so I'll settle for nice equipment...

--
Spyros lair: http://www.mnementh.co.uk/ |||| Maintainer: arm26 linux

Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are tasty and good with ketchup.

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 21:56:50 +0000 (GMT)
Dave Plowman wrote:

You'll all, I'm sure, know of my preference - everything being equal - of
CD over vinyl.

Same here.

But that preference is as *nothing* compared to my preference for a good
listening room.

If you can get your hands on one, sure.

I cant, so I'll settle for nice equipment...

--
Spyros lair: http://www.mnementh.co.uk/ |||| Maintainer: arm26 linux

Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are tasty and good with ketchup.

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 21:42:32 +0000 (GMT)
Dave Plowman wrote:

You've just confirmed my worst fears. On *any* quarter decent stereo
in a room which doesn't double as a bathroom, a mono source should
come from directly between the speakers and *easily* be confused as
just the one central speaker. If your system doesn't do this, I'm not
surprised you prefer headphones. You might start by checking the phase
of your speakers, and or the drive units within.

Any *you* just missed my point in grand style.

there is SUPPOSED to be a difference between one sound (say a tone for
sake of argument) comming from in front of you, compared to two sources
either side of you.

a pair of speakers really cant quite give you the real effect.

With a tone source in front of you, the sound would arrive at each ear,
in phase, with no delay, at the same amplitude. Moving your head would
make the sound arrive significantly out of phase for a relatively small
movement, and the amplitude would vary fairly dramatically for left
compared to right.

Try this with two sources either side of you *simulating* the 'in front'
tone, and you will fine that a small movement will give much less
variation.

thus, slightly moving your head is not really effective with a stereo
recording, in placing sources on the soundstage.

now, admittedly, with headphones, moving your head makes *no*
difference, but Im not convinced this is worse than the 'incorrect'
impression given with a stereo pair.

Interestingly, the problem is worse if you move the speakers further
away, so if you extrapolate back, the best case for a two source
recording would be two speakers held a *fraction* away from your head,
just enough to allow you to move your head slightly. pretty close to
headphones, IMHO.


--
Spyros lair: http://www.mnementh.co.uk/ |||| Maintainer: arm26 linux

Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are tasty and good with
ketchup.