Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!csd4.csd.uwm.edu!info-high-audio-request From: bilver!bill@uunet.UU.NET (Bill Vermillion) Newsgroups: rec.audio.high-end Subject: Re: Amps, preamps, CD players, etc. Message-ID: <8612@uwm.edu> Date: 31 Dec 90 15:08:02 GMT Sender: news@uwm.edu Lines: 65 Approved: tjk@csd4.csd.uwm.edu Originator: tjk@csd4.csd.uwm.edu In article <8586@uwm.edu> chowkwan@priam.usc.edu (Raymond Chowkwanyun) writes: >Has anyone ever experienced a soundstage that extends past the physical >side walls of the listening room? Keith doesn't say how far his speakers >are from the back wall, but I assume there's a good chance it's less than >the 7 feet he experiences. I've also heard music seeming to emanate from >beyond the back wall, but the side walls? I've never heard a soundstage >go beyond the side walls. My very first stereo speakers gave me sounds that came from beyond the sidewalls. But I really dont recall how good the soundstage itself was. This was in 1959. A speaker system built by University, TMS-2, called the "Tri-Mensional Sound" system. It had a dual voice coil woofer, one for each channel (and you REALLY knew when the channels were out of phase). Then there were two mid-range 8" units, and two horns. The woofer came directly out the back. The front of the cabinet was solid, and you swung a covering from the front out to make to panels that extened out from the cabinet. (attempt at ascii drawing here) --------------------------------------------- back wall ^ woofer -------\ /--------- | | Tweet & mid range -> > < ------|-----------------|------- ^doors All the sound (ALL) was reflected. This was before BOSE, and about 1.5 years after the introduction of the stereo LP. You had a choice of about 3 cartridges then. The EV ceramic which was released simulataneously with the first 6 disks on Audio Fidelity. The Shure M3-D (which I got) at $45 in 1958 money (VWs were about $1200 new then). And a Fairchild cartridge that was more money. The mono LP's were better then in terms of frequency response, as there were cutter resonances with many cutting heads so the high-frequency range was limited to about 7 or 8kHz, while the monos were touted to hit 20kHz. It was strange to have music coming "through" the wall. You ears told you the music was coming form the other side (at a distance the same amount as the speakers were from the wall). Not bad for it's day. I remember how the stereo LPs were in one SMALL section while the rest of the store was filled with MONO LPS. To put it in perspective, imagine yourself in a music store 4 of 5 years ago, with thousands of LPs and about 200 CDs. Same difference. But is was STEREO - and the sound MOVED! WOW! RCA had a whole series that feature "moving" sound. They did this to show why you NEEDED two speakers, and two amplifiers. Some of the early stereo releases were pretty bad. However, I still have my copy of "Bob and Ray Throw A Stereo Spectacular" (I thinks that the title) and it really is amazing. Holds up pretty well 30 years later. bill -- Bill Vermillion - UUCP: uunet!tarpit!bilver!bill : bill@bilver.UUCP