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June / July 2009
Guest Editorial
Space — The Final (Sonic) Frontier
CES provides an annual microcosm of the state of the audio art. This year, I heard a profusion of systems exhibiting audiophile virtues such as midrange purity, high and low frequency extension, finely gauged dynamics, holographic soundstaging, and precise imaging. Yet while I was deeply impressed with the timbral veracity and dynamic dexterity of these systems, I was surprised to find myself unconvinced when it came to their spatial accuracy.
"Accuracy" is the operative word here. To be sure, we in the high end have established a set of spatial ideals to which most manufacturers aspire — and regularly achieve. The only problem is that these ideals do not reflect reality.
For example, many CES systems summoned admirably wide, deep soundstages right before my eyes. Unfortunately, in a live musical event, the soundstage (or better, the "soundspace") is not exclusively in front of us; rather, a lot of it is around us. Only one room delivered this higher level of realism: the Kimber IsoMike room. Not coincidentally, it was the only multichannel music exhibit at the show. There, top-drawer software (by Ray Kimber) and hardware (from EMM Labs, Pass Labs, and four TAD speakers) delivered a far more accurate recreation of the recording venue than any stereo system could pull off. At one point, a brass band recording so thoroughly transported me to the performance site I could almost smell the stadium grass.
Similarly, in the area of imaging, most systems adhered to a false ideal. Sure, they were able to accurately pinpoint the location of a centered vocalist, which is considered audio Holy Grail. But the phantom singer's radiation pattern bore no resemblance to that of a live singer, thus making for an imperfect illusion. Indeed, the most natural and convincing vocals I heard at the show — such that I could easily imagine a singer standing before me — were in rooms utilizing TAD speakers specifically designed to deliver a coherent radiation pattern. Both the TAD Reference One and the new Compact employ a midrange cone and tweeter dome that are configured concentrically (think coax), a rare approach that, like the IsoMike multichannel setup, delivered one of the show's few glimpses of progress in spatial accuracy.
All these observations were validated at VMPS' courageous, edifying "live versus recorded" demonstration. A jazz quartet — piano, upright bass, flute, and percussion — accompanied by vocalist Leslie Olsher (our own DO's wife) constituted the live element. The recording chain was purity itself: no mixing board, EQ, compression, or spot miking between the Sennheiser mics and the Sony Sonoma DSD recorder. Playback was equally straightforward, with a modest component chain terminating in a pair of VMPS' mid-line RMV6V planar speakers ($8900/pr) and four VSS subs ($1650 each), the latter necessary due to the expansive room. Listeners were treated to a live performance, which was recorded in real time, then immediately played back.
The results illustrated how far the high end has progressed — and where it still needs work. Overall, the recorded version of each performance was impressively similar to the original. Timbres were faithful, and dynamics were virtually indistinguishable from the live event. There was a mild loss of warmth on the bass and the piano, but I'd attribute this to the room, and to minimal setup time. Without question the most significant differences I heard between the live and recorded performances were spatial in nature. The recorded vocalist was more narrowly focused than the real one (she was too pinpoint), and sounded flattened rather than three dimensional. However, instruments located to the sides of the stage, where no phantom imaging was required during playback, did not similarly suffer. Another spatial disparity I noted was the sound between instruments. Live, all the musicians clearly occupied the same air "cloud", with no continuity gaps. On playback, the cloud was no longer contiguous; there were dead zones that separated and isolated instruments from each other.
Audiophiles can be thankful that meeting many of our most challenging goals has become commonplace. But when it comes to spatial accuracy, the industry has adopted — and perfected — a false ideal. To progress, it must strive to achieve a more rigorous, realistic standard. CES demonstrated both that need, and the potential to succeed.
— Alan Taffel
