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How high is your soundstage?

I have been having a lot of trouble getting my soundstage to sound the way I like it. Almost all of the systems I have heard generates a soundstage that is 1-5ft above the speaker itself. I really like this as it helps to make the speakers disappear. Sound seems to come from behind and to the sides of the speakers. Everytime I hear my friend's setup, I go home frustrated. In my setup, the soundstage is right at the tweeter level. To me, too much music is coming directly from the speakers. I do not hear anything behind or to the sides of speakers. In other words, my soundstage is narrow and shallow! I have tried a lot of different speaker/sitting positions to no avail. Nothhing I do raises the soundstage. I am pretty sure its my room.

So out of curiosity, I would like to know how high is your soundstage? Is it at tweeter height or above? If above, how much above?
128x128tboooe
tboooe's avatar
tboooe OP
1,009 posts
 
I agree with people's assertion that the soundstage should not be too high. I am curious how high people's soundstage is relative to the speaker. My soundstage is slightly above my tweeter, which to me is too low. I would like, and have heard other people's system where the soundstage is about 1-3' above the tweeter which sounds right to, like a band on a stage.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
How does one determine the height of a soundstage? Is it the imagined placement of a recording's featured vocal or instrument? Or, is it the imagined height of the recording's room ambience?

Also, every recording is different. Does one determine image height based on one reference recording, which won't apply to other recordings in one's collection?
larryi
1,972 posts
 
Chesky Records put out a test CD that included a very interesting set of test signals that sound like short bursts of static. If the system is set up properly, and if walls or furniture, etc., do not interfere too much with the direct sound from the speaker, the signal appears to start in the speaker then climbs to almost directly overhead before it arches over and then descends into the other channel's speaker. Quite amazing.

This Chesky test Cd is one of the best of its kind around.
tboooe's avatar
tboooe OP
1,009 posts
 
larryi, which test cd is this? i have a few of them (1 and 3 i think). thnanks
viper_z
95 posts
 
Strange, a speaker of that caliber should not have any problem with soundstage. I have a much smaller room and yet my speakers ($5.5k /pr) disappears like nobody else. My soundstage is between 1.5ft to 3ft high above the tweeter. The sound appears to come from everywhere except the speakers. It really has to do with speaker placement and room treatment.

Check out the layout of my room here:
http://www.audiocircle.com/gallery/albums/userpics/49166/Room_Layout.jpg

I think more bass trap / acoustic panels will help.
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