Listener position and high end audio...

Joined
Feb 24, 2019
Messages
995
Location
Southeast Iowa
...First of all, with this post keep in mind I'm a relative newb to high end audio. I had a high end system in the late '70s through early '90s but it's been since then that I have been heavily into high end audio. So, I am out of touch, especially with the technical end of things.

With that caveat, why is it that many high end audio systems require the listener to be in a very specific position relative to the speakers to realize the full benefit of a particular audio system. I would think that the "better" systems would allow you to enjoy the listening experience much more if the system would provide for broader listener positioning. Perhaps even allowing multiple listeners to get the maximum benefit of the audio system. But it seems many of the high end systems are very sensitive to listener position. Is this what is referred to as "sound stage?" Just what is "sound stage?" Thank you for your comments. I obviously have a lot to learn...or, a lot to catch up on.
 
I'll give it a try: In a good system playing well recorded music, one can perceive the location of musicians/instruments from left to right and front to back (depth) on a 'sound stage' in front of the listener. In a perfect world, these locations would match the locations of the performers when the recording was made. Some of the key variables in achieving a realistic sound stage are the recording and mastering process, the listeners room and system setup, and the quality of the system.
 
In its most basic form stereo as such would work best at a singular position. Speakers with better sound stage re-create the depth of field, placement of instruments, etc. This almost always requires one best "sweet spot", however there are exceptions.

There are some speaker manufactures that are especially good at making speakers with a wider "sweet spot" and one that I am familiar with that really does not have one particular spot at all. The company that I have listened to with this capability is MBL. A friend in our audio club has a set of one of their higher models. You can pretty much set in any chair within a very wide range and experience his system the same. This comes at a very great cost however. His system is valued at well over a quarter of a million dollars. I believe his speakers alone retail for over $100k.

This is way out of my budget, so I "settle" for a system that sounds its absolutely best in one particular spot. It sounds good anywhere in the room (or house for that matter) but only in the main recliner can you hear exactly what the system is all about.
 
Back
Top