Imaging and Sound stage

[musica]

Imaging and Sound stage what are the differences?
thank you

 

[Jimbob54]

Imaging and Sound stage what are the differences?
thank you

Sound stage- the perceived depth/width/ height of the (virtual) "stage" you are listening to the music performed on.

Imaging- how well defined the instruments are within that sonic stage. Can you follow a particular instrument through a track or does everything get mushed together.

Both obviously need a competent recording and playback chain

 

[Rip City Dave]

Sound stage is the illusion that instruments or vocalists are presented on a stage in front of you. The width and depth of the stage will vary with room geometry, speaker type, speaker placement, acoustic treatment, etc.

Imaging is the illusion that an individual instrument/performer is placed discretely within the sound stage and given an appropriate size/shape.

It's all an illusion.

 

[Jimbob54]

Sound stage is the illusion that instruments or vocalists are presented on a stage in front of you. The width and depth of the stage will vary with room geometry, speaker type, speaker placement, acoustic treatment, etc.

Imaging is the illusion that an individual instrument/performer is placed discretely within the sound stage and given an appropriate size/shape.

It's all an illusion.

jinx ;-)

 

[musica]

Imaging and Sound stage in headphones how are they perceived?

 

[Jimbob54]

Imaging and Sound stage in headphones how are they perceived?

You kind of already asked that. Dont be that guy.

sound stage in headphones

With headphones I perceive the instruments on the sides and behind the head, nothing in front is it normal?

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Doodski]

Imaging and Sound stage in headphones how are they perceived?

Well... as far as the brain is concerned nobody really knows other than the location in the brain and when it is or is not perceived.

 

[musica]

What genres of music are best suited to perceiving soundstage and imaging?

 

[DVDdoug]

What genres of music are best suited to perceiving soundstage and imaging?

I don't think that's much of a factor. There are too many different ways to record & mix a recording.

It's probably easier to locate a single instrument (or singer) in a small band than in a full orchestra, but the full orchestra isn't always playing all of the time and you should be able to locate the various sections left-to-right... to some extent.

There's also a standard seating arrangement with a classical orchestra and classical music fans are aware of that so that probably helps with the illusion. Or if you've seen your favorite rock band live (or seen videos of them live) that memory should also help with the illusion as long as the mixing engineer followed the pattern.

P.S.
Most live rock/amplified music is mono from the PA system. And with a live orchestra in a concert hall there is a lot of reverb & reflected sound coming from all around. And depending on how far-back you are sitting the stage may represent a small angle. If I ever get a chance to hear an orchestra again I'm going to close my eyes to see if I can really locate the sources of the sounds. ..If my brain can ignore what I've seen and what I know.

 

[musica]

I don't think that's much of a factor. There are too many different ways to record & mix a recording.

It's probably easier to locate a single instrument (or singer) in a small band than in a full orchestra, but the full orchestra isn't always playing all of the time and you should be able to locate the various sections left-to-right... to some extent.

There's also a standard seating arrangement with a classical orchestra and classical music fans are aware of that so that probably helps with the illusion. Or if you've seen your favorite rock band live (or seen videos of them live) that memory should also help with the illusion as long as the mixing engineer followed the pattern.

any sample videos?
thank you very much

 

[Doodski]

This has obvious imaging parameters.

 

[musica]

This has obvious imaging parameters.

amazing imaging

 

[FrantzM]

This has obvious imaging parameters.

Video is not available

 

[Doodski]

Video is not available

Yeah, this video pains us both. It's the same Ahmad Jamal - Crystal - Avo music video on YouTube that we have exchanged messages about because it won't open for you.

 

[markanini]

Headphones and IEMs don't do soundstage justice. Floor standing speakers wide apart and parallel to the wall is your benchmark. A fair amount of headphones have good imaging capabilities.

 

[krabapple]

What genres of music are best suited to perceiving soundstage and imaging?

Strange question.

For most popular music, the soundstage and imaging are entirely created by the recording/mixing engineers. They are not conveying a real space (soundstage) or real placement of instruments in a real space (image) , nor are the musicians necessarily playing at the same time.

For that, you need a 'live' recording of an musical event in a real acoustic space, either a studio or a concert venue, using microphones at some distance from the musicians. 'Classical' and acoustic jazz recordings may fit the bill. But the imaging of these recordings may be 'enhanced' by close miking/multimiking.

 

[dshreter]

Headphones and IEMs don't do soundstage justice. Floor standing speakers wide apart and parallel to the wall is your benchmark. A fair amount of headphones have good imaging capabilities.

Why do you suggest parallel to the wall? I would have suggested speakers pointed directly at the listening position for the most focused image. Parallel to the wall will make for a more bass heavy sound and proportionally more reflected vs direct sound.

 

[half_dog]

I can almost touch the instruments in this song with a HD650

This one is simple but there is a interesting layering among the instruments

 

[markanini]

Why do you suggest parallel to the wall? I would have suggested speakers pointed directly at the listening position for the most focused image. Parallel to the wall will make for a more bass heavy sound and proportionally more reflected vs direct sound.

I'm making a recommendation for sound stage. It doesn't have to equal what's good for general listening or what I personally use.

At the same time the fact that it begs the question shows that maximum soundstage is a product non-ideal conditions. That's why it's hard to reproduce on headphones, which are more ideal by their nature of separating the listener from the issues of a live room.

 

[musica]

I think the imaging, therefore the details, are obtained with not too expensive headphones, instead to have the same details on a system with speakers it takes a lot more money or not?