How important is it for you to attain a holographic image?

I think that as many have mentioned here it just depends on what you're after. I care nothing for "3D" movies and would never try to simulate that at home. I'm sure that with the right money, equipment, expertise and room that I could do it but why would I when I've seen the very best and didn't care for it?

The point is, it isn't sour grapes to decide that you don't want or need some holographic effect that, as had been mentioned, requires knowledge, money, equipment and expertise. The truth is, that sentiment does not just come from those who have never experienced it. There are audio critics who have heard the best there is to hear and still don't put it at the top of their list of criteria that are important to them. Just Google it.

And I think that is an inherent problem in the audiophile world. There is always this notion that someone has heard something that if everyone else could hear it they would love it and if they haven't heard it then they are claiming sour grapes. I like the grapes I can reach. I can acknowledge that the grapes I can't reach might be delicious but why make myself unhappy when I can't (or don't need to) reach them anyway?

n80, it's for sure you can't miss what you never had. Unfortunately, those high end salons no longer exist that presented you music in a fashion that you had never heard before, but once you heard, there was no putting that Genie back in the bottle; you had to have it.

As I stated before, at those shows with the worlds best audio, I doubt if anywhere had a good holographic image because of the numerous requirement in addition to the equipment that are required. The salons had the rooms, and audio fanatics who could put it altogether.

The bottom line is the music, and not the equipment; having the music that makes you happy is most important.

If I close my eyes and can't imagine myself in the music's original venue, it's some aspect of the recording.  That confidence is important, to me.

n80, I walked into my first high end salon in 1990, and it took me 25 years to reach the grapes; the grapes are a "holographic sound stage"; when you get that, all else is in place, it depends on everything working together.

Never quit trying to reach the grapes; we're "audiophiles", reaching for sweet audio grapes is what we do.

@orpheus10 "Never quit trying to reach the grapes; we're "audiophiles", reaching for sweet audio grapes is what we do."

That does seem to be true of quite a few audiophiles here. That is not my cup of tea.

But I am new to this and by nature or nurture I also have a deep suspicion of 'progress' that has no ultimate goal. I do not see this hobby as a pursuit unless you include pursuing good recordings. When I listen to my system it pushes all the buttons I need to have pushed. I've done some basic room testing, etc and things check out okay. The sound quality makes me smile and sometimes gives me chills. The sound stage is reasonably large and defined. So at this point rather than seeking (= time+money) for that something extra, I'll enjoy the sweet grapes I have. Some might call that settling. And maybe it is. But in this field I suspect that there are those that would say that in some fashion or another you are settling as well. Who knows.

And again, its not sour grapes. I bet that high hanging fruit is wonderful.

And to be honest if I was going to invest that time and money there are other aspects of SQ that I would probably pursue before sound stage improvements. For me tight, clear bass would be the thing that could turn into an obsession.......if I let it.