Soundstage - Too much?

I don't think you can have too wide or too deep of a soundstage as long as you don't give up imaging. My soundstage is simmilar to Cornfedboy, well beyond the side walls and very deep, on some recordings (Dr. Johnson - RR sound test) the back wall is 30' deep. I have a fireplace 7' back from the speakers, I've often thought the singer is in the firebox! Very cool.

Copland 100 on Reference Rec. "Fanfare for the common man" the entire hall is there, front, sides and around. I think alot of the RR recordings extend the stage.

I believe it has to be aural illusion. All we are hearing is the reproduction of the sound in the studio or hall. We hear what the microphones hear, right? That's why on the Copland disk my music room sounds 100' wide. I'm reproducion the sound of the room in relationship to the microphones. The sound isn't really in my fireplace or next door in your flat. That's my non-scientific explaination, and I might stick with it.

If side wall created the image outside the speakers, I should hear that more when a insturment is at the far right. That just isn't the case, I can have an insterment loudly playing far right and here nothing outside the speaker. I believe it's the enviroment within the studio and the sidewall locations in relationship to the mikes. If I had a recording with information telling the speaker theres sound 10' right, even in a dead room I think I'd hear it. Just my guess?

Much better communicated Sedond. I think the sidewall reflection does smear the image, damn your good.

Craig, your room and set-up is very similiar to mine. I'm 1 foot shorter, (always behind the big guys) I have been playing around with different powercords and footers lately. Each time I do anything the presentation changes. The past 2 weeks my system has been perfect!!!!! So in the true audiophile manner I had to try a different cone on my tube pre-amp. I lost the magic that fast. So I put the others back, but I cann't quite find the same point they hit the pre-amps bottom plate. It's close but not quite, so I came out to play computer. The point is, even the finest adjustment on a high resolution system like we both share will alter the presentation. Speaker placement we all are aware of, location is critical to success. It's the tweeks that create the magic, not a new amp. Keep trying suttle alterations, maybe go back to a base point, old powercord, new tubes or whatever. I'm sure it's as suttle as a cone moving 4mm. Good luck, keep us posted. Your continuing the high value of this post with your input. J.D.