Holographic imaging

Tbg,

I'm curious why you sound so down on German Physics? I've heard mostly good things about them but have never heard them. Their use of a specialized coherent source Walsh driver (the DDD) has special appeal for me compared to other omni designs.

Are you just not down with omnis in general, or do you find something particularly lacking with the GErman Physiks?

Mapman, I am down on omnis in general because I have never liked any I have heard. You mention that ohms sound is disassociated with the speakers. That I believe is quite true but not real. The waves impacting on microphones are mainly direct. Taking that signal and springing it around your room doesn't recreate the original recording venue. I want to hear what I would hear were I located where the microphones were or very near-field.

People rave about the Magicos also, but I would never buy them either. I must say that I seem to march to a different drummer than most reviewers so I don't expect to influence anyone but me.

Perrew, an excellent question that I have been unable to evaluate yet. I have one of John Tucker's Exemplar line stages from ten years ago, but really don't think it is worth the trouble to try it, but soon John is going to send me his new top-of-the-line line stage. I was so good with his LSA Statement amp at the RMAF that I am anxious to try it with both amps.

I fully expect that the H-Cat amp will be better with the H-Cat line stage, but I am, I think, open-minded.

"You mention that ohms sound is disassociated with the speakers. That I believe is quite true but not real."

I'm saying it is "holographic" only in accordance with my understanding of the term.

I'd like to hear the sound quality on the holo deck of the Starship Enterprise though.

Reproductions look pretty real there from what I can tell on TV and I bet the sound is equally realistic.

What kind of speaker technology do they use I wonder? To the best of my knowledge, its never been stated.

I'd bet the dispersion pattern is omnidirectional though or wide dispersion at the very least......

Tbg,

You indicate you've heard MBL.

Have you ever heard Ohm or German Physiks?

I understand and appreciate that you do not lean towards the omni sound from ehat you have heard.

Personally I have heard Ohms only and like the wide range, wide/omni dispersion, highly coherent Walsh driver approach in general.

MBL uses multiple drivers in the Radialstrahler designs as I understand it to achieve omnidirectionality within a particular frequency range.

I am not a fan of designs that attempt to integrate many drivers in general, omni or otherwise, because believe it is difficult or near impossible to do well. maybe MBL does it better than most...I don't know.

If you have not heard an Ohm or GP design in particular, try to keep an open mind. I wouldn't equate all onmi designs equally any more than I would any other category of speaker design.

My impression is that my equipment is much more "holographic" than what I hear in live music (jazz, chamber), and live music is much more dynamic than what I can get out of my system.

On the "holography" side I find that good SS (Pass XA30.5 for example) is very good on locating the instruments within the soundstage with depth and stable localization, but that tubes make the individual instruments sound more 3D as a source, the instruments themselves seem more 3D within the soundstage to me with tubes than SS. I don't know which is a more "distorted" signal, but that has been my experience pretty consistently with the same speakers and room placement.