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Is it me or are there some instruments that most speakers cannot keep properly positioned in the soundstage?I hava a pair of Sonus Faber Cremona Auditors that have amazing pinpoint imaging with most recordings, but if I play a violin concerto the sound from the solo violin jumps all over the soundstage like a chipmunk on espresso. Left, right, up, center, far right, far left, down, center, now up, now down.
It's quite distracting and definitely detracts from the listening experience.
Have other people experienced the same with violins or other instruments.
Is it something about the frequency and waveform of the violin that challenges speakers?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Thanks,
Alberto DeRoma
Follow Ups:
If you are able to play that same recording back in mono and you get similar results, then you should consider what Duke posted.You should be able to position two speakers in a room and play a mono recording without that happening. The mono "image" should sound like it's coming from between the speakers but not directly from either speaker. Then when you play it back in stereo, you should get stereo effects, AKA imaging.
Most stereo imaging is artificial anyway, not to say that it isn't fun. I think it's best to try and achieve a good balance between a solid mono image and subtle stereo effects. Although some recordings can get wild with stereo "fun".
recordings don't.At a live event we don't notice this audiophoolery because we're paying attention to the music. So very many speakers that blather on endlessly about imaging when most all $300.00 speakers do it well is simply a big scam to cover for anaeimic dynamics, poor sluggish transients, a lack of correct decay and remotely good bass response.
You don't get that very much in real venues, either.
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"Opposition brings concord. Out of discord comes the fairest harmony."
------Heraclitus of Ephesis (fl. 504-500 BC), trans. Wheelwright.
Ha ha ha.Ever put a pair of $30 computer speakers on stands and listened to how THEY image? No bass. Crappy highs. But they vanish effortlessly.
But nobody puts $30 computer speakers on $300 stands 3 feet off the wall.
Except nut cases like me...
"So very many speakers that blather on endlessly about imaging when most all $300.00 speakers do it well is simply a big scam to cover for anaeimic dynamics, poor sluggish transients, a lack of correct decay and remotely good bass response."Hitting the nail on the head. If you can't make the instruments being reproduced sound real then punt with imaging and soundstage.
On some concerto recordings the violin of Itzhak Perlman covers the 7 feet between my speakers - the same space occupied by the accompanying symphony orchestra. It sounds as if at least two microphones were focussed on the violin alone, so there's no suggestion of a wandering instrument.Yet I listen to these sonic atrocities again and again. It's that magic Perlman tone.
I occasionally find the violin imaging to move some, but usually is
unique to certain recordings. If happens all the time, could be room
reflections. If you rule that out, you could have your speakers checked out.
.
____________________________________________________
"Opposition brings concord. Out of discord comes the fairest harmony."
------Heraclitus of Ephesis (fl. 504-500 BC), trans. Wheelwright.
Something ain't right.One possibility is a mismatch in the midrange and/or lower treble region between the two speakers.
Another possibility is you have strong, asymmetrical room reflection characteristics that change with frequency.
Another possibility is the violin soloist was recorded separately from the rest of the orchestra, and was mixed back in out-of-phase with the orchestra. I've heard this with vocalists on occasion.
A remote possibility is that your speakers are wired out of phase, or perhapse the midrange or tweeter is wired out of phase on one speaker - either of which could make a center-mixed voice or instrument (like a soloist) seem "spacey".
A final possibility is that the audio gods are tormenting you because you haven't offered up an acceptable sacrifice recently. See your local dealer and he will assist you in transacting a suitably generous sacrifice.
Cheers,
Maybe the violin is real close to the microphone and the person is rather "animated" and is literally moving around. Hey... you never know. You should be able to tell if it's closely mic'd or not.Honestly, one or more of Duke's answers is probably correct but I couldn't help but mention this one too.
Some of those pesky violinists turn this way and that when playing, too, which could be a recording engineer's nightmare, I suppose.I have heard the little SF Cremona Auditors and thought they were superb. Great looking, too. I am pretty sure I didn't try them with solo violins, though it seems unlikely the speakers are at fault, unless they are defective in some way.
____________________________________________________
"Opposition brings concord. Out of discord comes the fairest harmony."
------Heraclitus of Ephesis (fl. 504-500 BC), trans. Wheelwright.
I'm married to one. However, she's quite stable when she plays. ;-)
A friend of mine is a professional violinist but he's not always stable!
____________________________________________________
"Opposition brings concord. Out of discord comes the fairest harmony."
------Heraclitus of Ephesis (fl. 504-500 BC), trans. Wheelwright.
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