"Breathing" of the air

if you stand in a room, you don't hear air. if someone is talking, you don't hear air. if someone is playing a piano, you don't hear air/

you hear an instrumentS) in a recording, but you don't hear air.

one can detect physical space, as when an instrument is recorded in a studio or a church.

one can also observe depth, as whena microphone is placed say, 10 feet from an instrument.

i doubt anyone is hearing air, except when someone is breathing, and in that case, one must be close to the source.

It's a descriptive adjective.

I think tvad and atmasphere (ralph) probally hit it correctly;but there sure a lot of other points of view to consider as well.
Mrtennis there a lot of recordings in which I can hear a artist/player take a breath;or the valves of a instrument opening and closing;what would you consider this,just wondering?

It's the air, and 3 dimensionality that really gets to me as an audiophile. I think that it comes from the maintenance of correct phasing throughout the recording and playback chain.

Whatever you call it... I like it and treat it like soundstaging . Just an added bonus/trick of the equipment .

So obviously I agree with Mrtennis's evaluation of it as compared to live .

Rleff ,
I believe that what you are refering to would be considered micro detail .

Happy tunes .