Holographic imaging

There's little difference in the imaging of properly functioning SS and tube equipment. Dark Side of the Moon, Radiohead, I Robot are a few "holographic" recordings that fill one end of the room with an image as tall and wide as the room and much deeper. That's done with out of phase signals. If your two-channel, tube system throws images way beyond the speakers with an orchestra playing Mahler, then there's something wrong.

SS does not "fail" at imaging and I don't think that tube amps do either; however, one that throw images that are not in the recording are failing.

Have you got some specific examples?

Dave

Hi Chris,
I use Atmas and VTLs at the moment and get holographic imaging only if it is on the software. In my experience both SS as well as tube amps can screw around with phase, which sometimes, not always, can give you the illusion of holography.

"Holographic imaging", or transparency as it is often referred to, is an artifact of a combination of system and room acoustics resulting from speaker placement. Its not due to SS or tubes. Either may or may not image "holographically" depending on other factors.

The main pre-requisite for holographic imaging is that the sound not arrive at your ears primarily from the direction of the speakers alone. Another is that there is good stereo separation between speakers and that signal is relatively clean and not overly polluted with distortions.

Ok, I understand what you guys are saying. I have very limited experience with tube equipment. Recently I've had the change to home audition a CAT Signature Mk III preamplifier, that is as you know a famous tube preamplifier. When listening to the same tracks (especially vocals) I had the impression that with the CAT vocals had a 3D rendering, while my own preamplifier, the Accuphase C-290V (= solid state design) had less of this 3D effect --> I would say more 2D. This phenomenon was also reproducible with other music. Another example: I heard several times a full Jadis equipment with Sonus Faber speakers that also sounded more 3D than the same tracks through my own system. As you know, Jadis is a tube equipment manufacturer...

Chris