[Audio-Me]

Room acoustics is reality, as in natural. In order to get accurate reproduction of the environment the music was recorded in, does it not make sense to playback in a similar environment? Think about the subtle delays and the physical absorbtion of the sound. When we talk, we also hear our voices through vibrations in our jaw bone, I imagine this also happens with real sound. I don't care about "error and colorations caused by room", having the room there is better than not having it there at all, effort is worth something, kinda like why I like the HD600. I'll use kellys 80/20 rule. In order to get the last 20 percent right, it takes 80 percent of the effort and resources to do that, I'd rather get the 80 percent right and not worry about the little stuff. Make the best of what's good, not bitch and moan about stuff that's not so good. I disagree that headphones are more capable of soundstage than speakers, that is crazy talk to me.

 

[SumB]

Quote:

Originally posted by xcalibur so this is what EAX and all is trying to achieve? (or rather...simulate)

No, EAX simulates the naturally occuring reflections in a 3d environment, and in the case of EAX 2.0+ occlusion/obstruction support was added. It's strictly a gaming API, or rather an extension to the pre-existing Directsound3D. Applying the static presets to music is stupid.

 

[tom hankins]

I agree with Audio&Me, There is no way headphone listening can come closs to recreating the soundstage of a recording as closs as 2 channel speaker systems. I'd be shocked to hear of someone who switched from a good 2 channel system to headphones because he wanted a more realistic soundstage. It's very rare in my stereo system that I can notice music coming directly from my speakers. This is not the case with my headphones. Headphones do many things well, soundstage is not one of these things.

 

[Orpheus]

Quote:

Room acoustics is reality, as in natural. In order to get accurate reproduction of the environment the music was recorded in, does it not make sense to playback in a similar environment?

no.

think about it... the perfect "playback environment" is no environment. you see, if you are arguing that there is soundstage because such "soundstage" was picked up by the microphones, then you should listen to the recording as is... without further modifications. if you listen with loudspeakers, you inevitably add your OWN soungstage, not what was on the original recording. in other words, if you play back the original recording in an anechoic enviroment, then you will hear the real soundstage that was recorded.

now, if you do play back such a recording on loudspeakers in such a dry enviroment, then you probably won't like the sound. that is because people like the effect of extra room environment. but that does not mean you are doing the recording justice. if there was soundstage recorded originally, then headphones will more accurately reproduce such effects.

if you play back in your home on loudspeakers, YES, you WILL hear soundstage--that is your room. those are your own acoustics you are hearing. NOT what's on the recording. hear no soundstage with headphones?--that's cause there never was any.

so, again, you will hear more soundstage with loudspeakers, just not the soundstage that was recorded. take the recording to a cathedral and play it back on the PA. now that's soundstage!--absolutely grand and incredibly enormous................. and totally never existed!