As far as visual goes, ivs been doing a lot of night listening. Nothing really on in the room besides vu meters and background led. I think it helps perhaps as you are more staring into space vs equipment.
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Perhaps the coolest aspect to me in stage is the startle factor. You hear something either so far out of the traditional stage or so pronounced, you get a minor jump out of it as its unexpected.
Really cool…
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Yes, the shock or amazement factor in a song. Every now and then I turn off the music or rewind a track to check if it was the music or something else in the house. Voices or noises heard from outside the listening room even though they are hidden in the recording. Similar effect to the recording of Michael Jackson when there is a knock on the door and someone shouts to turn the music down. Moments when you’re confused as to whether it wasn’t your neighbor or someone else in the house who said something. Or if something has fallen over and someone is sneaking around the house. 
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Thanks everyone so much for taking the time to respond to my thread. Excellent responses and advice and love that you hav suggested various tracks. I have my homework now for the weekend!
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12 inches from the front wall. Feel like that is not enough but is best I can do.
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Yep. Im about 18in. And the right speaker is a half inch behind the left. That made a difference. I assume its because my room is a “L” shape
Sound stage is a function of both system components and room configuration, dementions. Try playing with speaker locations. Try pulling the speakers into the room further if possible.
Room size, shape, and speaker placement would count for 75%, or more on great soundstage. If the speakers are too close to the front and side wall, there are no components could create deep and wide soundstage (maybe Bacch could, but I don’t know).
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Also, check out “Get Better Sound”, written by Jim Smith.
Highly recommended.
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I loved it when, twice, people with no concept of hifi, while listening to my system from the listening position asked the same question: If the music is not coming from the speakers, what are they for?
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A know-it-all friend stopped by shortly after I’d just got my Maggie LRS’ set up. In the middle of the front wall was a small 2’x3’ grill from my old speakers that were moved out. Said my “expert” friend, “It’s amazing,all that great sound from that single small speaker!”
Not only had he not recognized the Maggies as speakers (somewhat understandable) but he knew enough to pontificate. So I removed the errant grill and his eyes popped out!
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Everyone who comes in my room looks at my amplifier and thinks “Penis Envy”.
(Correctly)
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This FAQ is a succinct summary of what BACCH is and what it does.
BACCH is one of those things that must be experienced to fully appreciate. If you find yourself at an audio show, seek out the Theoretica room and listen for yourself. Alternatively, take them up on their money-back, 30-day trial of the Intro version,
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you funny
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Definitely cool and did fade several feet and back from my right speaker. The other thing that really jumped out at me was the background vocals. So unexpected but so noticeable in a good way. Thanks for sharing.
I also pay attention to the sound of chopping wood in the song and how realistic it sounds. Depending on which cable, the noise changes.
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Dchang05’s response regarding sound stage width and dimension was true in my case. Several years ago I switched equipment and speakers in my listening room 90º so I could have symmetrical distances from speakers to sidewalls and have more distance behind the speakers to the wall and that was the game changer. My sound stage is so wide now (recording specific of course) that it seems to cover an arc that extends quite a few few feet on either side of the speakers.
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My listening system upstairs is maybe low rung audiophile in this circle - Rogue audio Cronus Magnum integrated, MoFi table with a good Soundsmith cart, Ohm Walsh 5000s and two REL T5 subs. The room isn’t the best (why Ohm Walsh) with one long 40 foot wall nearly all glass. I have no desire to change anything in the listening room. So consider this a non-expert source.
However, I got a new TV and decided to hook up my old but refoamed and refreshed crossover Bang & Olusen redline speakers. I think the last the biggest passive speakers they put out. So I had to get an old but good at the time Sony home theater receiver cheap off Craigslist, and of course an old huge and incredibly heavy B&W subwoofer. The receiver is running in stereo mode, with the sub hooked up through the same posts as the speakers. The TV is in the corner with the sub under it. The large B&O speakers are about 7 feet apart, a few feet in front of the TV because of the corner placement, and each about 7 feet from me, toed in to almost pointing at me. Close to the TV is stuffed with furnature and stuff like a Teeter back stretcher. I am not listening at low volume. Eerily, sometimes spookily so, I hear sounds behind me, especially off camera sounds in YouTube videos or the crowd in UFC fights and off camera sounds in other TV shows or movies. Certainly way left or right of the speakers, and sometimes up and to the right behind me where I think my wife is talking down the stairs at me. Quite often, especially if I’m feeling a bit paranoid, I back up what I’m watching to see if the sound was from the TV or if my wife has snuck downstairs, or some item, maybe the wife, fell over upstairs. Sometimes, but honestly not often, I wonder why I get this wild soundstage from a mishmash mostly cheap Craigslist system. I do remember an old Ask Paul video where he might have suggested setting up a system in a corner of a troublesome room. And maybe as Craig suggests, I not focusing on the speakers or sound system at all.
I will say that those speakers and subs mere feet away certainly add a necessary element to, say, ZZ Top videos, soundstage aside.
Backenst,
Joe’s drums are a little left and Dave’s piano is a little right of my speakers on the album Take Five by the Dave Brubeck quartet.
To help with a wider stage,
- Are you able to pull the speakers away from the front and side walls for your listening session and put them back when you’re done?
- Close your eyes and take off your glasses if you wear them.
- Experiment with toe in and firing straight ahead. Don’t be afraid to spend some time doing this free tweak. It may take weeks but it should be fun.
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My first thought was I’m not messing with the guy who carried this amplifier down into the basement.
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