Speakers with the best imaging

[josejames123]

Hi All,

I am planning to set up a second system in my home just for music.The room size is 27*15 feet. I would like to know which are the speakers with the best imaging quality. As my room is pretty big, I would appreciate If i could make out the position of the instruments with reference to the singer. Please suggest something

 

[Flash]

A question to you Sir.

My family consists of 2 members and I am looking to buy a car
Which car has the best performance for a spirited highway run .

What would be your Answer ?

------------------------------------

I guess you would say --- Depends on your Budget

The same holds true for HiFi as well .

Everything boils down to a budget.

However since you did ask the question without specifying your budget
Here are a few suggestions

1. Focal Grande Uthopia
2. Kharma Exquisite Grand
3. B&W Nautilus
4. Avalon Acoustics Sentinel

 

[josejames123]

Thank you Flash,My budget can go up to 60K over speakers alone. I am planning to save some money to set up my hifi gear over the next few months.Any good suggestions in this price range

 

[anm]

what is your primary system?

 

[josejames123]

I am still in process of building my HT system. Right now have a Denon 1612 with a pair of TSI400 FS

 

[jaudere]

Nice suggestions Flash! Now prices please. On the other hand, According to me, no matter how much good speakers are , stereo cannot create exact 3D Sound. It is like no matter how good is a 2D TV, it can never show 3D image. So exact positioning the instruments with respect to singers is difficult to achieve with stereo. A lot also depends on how the recording was done.

 

[olly42]

josejames123,

You can look at Paradigm, PSB, Tannoy, Polks, Warfedale, and many more in the budget you mentioned. You would also need to look at the source to drive the speakers.

+1 to jaudere..... there is a lot to consider to achieve the final output

 

[Audiodoc]

Although stereo may not produce a 360 degree sound field good systems are made to reproduce a live performance in front of you. So you don't need a 3d sound in such situations.

Systems with great resolution tend to open the sound stage in front of you when you can audibly visualize which instruments are playing where and were the singers are situated. These features are usually termed by audiophiles as sound stage and depth.

 

[Flash]

At the end of the day..

Irrespective which speakers you have, 10k or 100k

Placement and Room Acoustics play a very important role

 

[jaudere]

That is what I am saying. For recorded sound, The sound stage and depth does not depend much on actual placement of instrument. It depends upon quality and placement of the mics meant for the instruments and the gain that was provided to each mic on the mixin console. Depending o how loud or low an instrument sounds, we perceive whether the instrument is in front or in background. Depending upon whether left or right channel is given full /partil preference while recording, we may visualize as if the instrument is being played at extreme left/right/ bang in centere or somewhere in between. So I personally feel that more tha quality of sound reproduction, more important is how the sound was recorded in the first place and how it was remastered by sound engineer! In fact if by mistake, the recorsing person reverses the mics, it will be heard as if the intsrument is playing in left side while actually it is on right side. I agree that as we get better and better gear, each unstrument will be more clearly heard and even low sounds are beautifully reproduced and are more pleasurablebut that may not still be faithful to actual spatial placement of singers and instruments. . My comment is very clearly directed to requirement of OP that he should exactly able to place various instruments and singers.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Stereo is nothing short of a miracle. Just two microphones can make a recording that will reproduce the positions of the instruments when played back by two speakers.

I had thought that stereo reproduction was limited to two dimensions, and that depth or hight could only be added by the inclusion of our imaginations in the listening process.

Possibly, in most recordings, this is the case, but try this at Blind Listening Tests:

LEDR - Listening Environment Diagnostic Recording Test

LEDR stands for Listening Environment Diagnostic Recording, a test to subjectively evaluate the accuracy of stereo image reproduction.

In the eighties, psychoacousticians began researching what are called pinna transforms, the way in which the shape of the outer ear filters the incoming sounds and permits our brain to infer their location. By embedding the filtering characteristics of the pinna into the audio signal, sound can be moved around the listener's head from a single pair of loudspeakers.

The LEDR test generates pinna-filtered audio that will literally float around your speakers, assuming your sound reproduction system is neutral enough to preserve the original signal characteristics.

 

[josejames123]

Thank you all for replying, but I want to know which speakers are the safest bet below 60K which really has all the so called qualities like imaging, soundstage, depth etc, I know there are so many other factors to be considered, but strictly from a speaker perspective which is the best for imaging

 

[jai1611]

For imaging and soundstage, single driver speakers are quite good. Try and listen to the Audire speakers. They used to have a few in the sub 60k range earlier, dont know if they still do.

Also try the Rethms, although I'm afraid that they will be well outside your budget range. Will give you a good perspective of what is possible.

 

[avidyarthy]

Or ..... single driver full range speakers from Virenji ... Lyrita Audio, New Delhi. He makes use of Fostex 166eN drivers for the Harmony series speakers and a combination of Fostex and a separate woofer for the Amity series. Both speakers are within 60K. Check his website.

 

[koushik]

Either it is ...(impossible)

According to me, no matter how much good speakers are , stereo cannot create exact 3D Sound. It is like no matter how good is a 2D TV, it can never show 3D image.

Or it is ... (difficult)

So exact positioning the instruments with respect to singers is difficult to achieve with stereo. A lot also depends on how the recording was done.

Both cannot be true at the same time

IMO it is very much possible but difficult and I have experienced it being created tracks after tracks for hours and hours inside a room with the system that is hardly money can buy now. :licklips:

 

[Hari Iyer]

At the end of the day..

Irrespective which speakers you have, 10k or 100k

Placement and Room Acoustics play a very important role

I fully concur.

 

[pt121pt]

I believe that imaging will be mostly the effect of correct room placement and elimination of the first reflections in the room. Also the quality of the ancillary equipment will also play a large role in imaging. Some amount of room treatment will be needed to achieve the maximum quality form your system.

 

[2chFreak]

The Room .....

And the set-up ... (This is 50% of the Equation to Nirvana ... )

Balance 50% is the Hardware

 

[vktarun]

Since you are building a system from scratch, don't forget to audition Magnepan Speakers,
Magnepan MG-12 will come for around 65K to 70K [Audio Vision is dealer in India]

Can be considered for;
Great Vocals [specially female]
Sweet High,
Tight & Fast Bass [No Boom]
Good Imaging
Highest Transparency
VFM product

Against;
Don't have Punchy Bass
4ohms, 86db, so you need at least 150watt into 4 Ohms Amp, Expensive.
Speaker Placement [you have enough space]
Not good for bad recordings- the sound is so detailed, it will expose all the flaws in recording.

Happy Listening

 

[GeorgeO]

You need to (like taking a test drive) try and audition as many speakers as you cna to figure out what works best for you.