[helicopter34234]

So I didn't really know how to title this post but basically my question is what is required to hear good soundstage. I have Sleek SA6's IEM's and HD497's and I assume I should get some kind of soundstage out of them. But I don't even really know what to look for. Supposedly you should be able to just close your eyes and pinpoint where the different instruments are coming from, however with my music (rock and rap) this is not so. Does it have to be a live recording where you would actually have a large physical area over which the instruments and vocals are spread and then one stereo mic in the front? I imagine that in studio recordings, you have some guy singing into a microphone and each instrument is locally mic'd (maybe even with a stereo mic) so there really isn't much dimension to the recordings because each location of sound source is mic'ed so you can't record the soundscape of the environment.

Correct me if I am wrong but soundstaging occurs solely due to phase differences in the L/R channels as well as differences in volume/clarity for the L/R channels. I don't understand how a headphone could be deficient in either of these areas, how hard is it maintain phase differences in the L/R channel output. Ok, granted in reality there is also the differences in how the sound bounces off your pinna which contributes to how you percieve location (certain frequencies couple into your ear more efficiently from different angles), but how could a headphone modify how the sounds interacts with your pinna (especially if it only has one driver per channel). I would imagine this would all be in the recording itself. Ok, I guess I can see if all of this information is int he recording and is very subtle then if the headphone cannot fully reproduce it with clarity then the information is not fully perceived by the listener.

 

[ericj]

Point 1: It's more complex than that.
Point 2: if it's missing in the recording, nothing can add it.

 

[Golden Monkey]

So much of it depends on the actual recording and mastering...it doesn't have to be a true live recording, but that's where you'll notice it the most (assuming it's not some audience bootleg, lol). It can easily be captured in a studio session, either by mic placement or by mixing properly. A lot of today's recordings are much more inclined to less subtle things like loudness and dynamic assaults on your senses, and less about nuance and imaging. If you want to hear a good example of soundstage, and you like rock, try the remastered Allman Brothers Live at the Fillmore East. You have two drummers sitting across from eachother on opposite sides of the stage, two guitarists, a bassist, and a piano player, among others. The vivid sense of instument placement is very real, and if you don't hear the imaging due to poor equipment, it really sounds like just one drummer...

 

[Uncle Erik]

Do you have a pair of speakers you can use for comparison? Speakers vary widely, too, and your listening room matters, but an A/B between headphones and speakers should help you see the point.

Also, you might want to try some live recordings. Ones that have been mixed from multiple mikes are quite different from live with just a left and a right. Or pick up something binaural - that will give you a great idea of what to listen for.

 

[charonme]

I personally believe that you can achieve that kind of soundstage (pinpointing the instrument location) if the recording is binaural only. I don't believe that you can get this with postprocessing if the source was not recorded with two mics in the first place.

 

[Golden Monkey]

Here's a great source for some free binaural recordings as wel:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f9/leg...-links-223165/