Tube Preamp, Amp or Int for holographic imaging?


I am pretty new to High end, but was drawn to it after hearing some music with a holographic soundstage. Since then I've been on a quest to reproduce it in my own apartment.

I listen exclusively to vinyl music at home(nothing against CDs, I just personally find Vinyl more charming and collectible), and am currently hooked up to a Planar 3. I am using my home theater receiver as an amplifier, since I don't yet have a second system.

I've been using the Graham Slee Era Gold V for a preamp. It sounds great in everything except its ability to project the sound forward and leave the notes hanging in the air (at least on my system). My main goal in audio is, at present, getting that holographic soundstage, and I have read that tube amps do it best. My main question is, would it be enough to switch the phono preamp to a tube (probably the EAR or anything else someone wants to recommend), or should you have both preamp and amp be tube? In that case, what would be a good integrated for exclusively vinyl under $1k used (Jolida is the only well reviewed one I know of)?

Finally I have played around extensively with speaker placement, and some dampening. I get 'some' sense of depth (maybe imagined), but the images rarely seem to suspend in air. Also, the music still seems to come from behind the speakers most of the time, and I feel if I could just get the voice and front instrumentals to jump forward a foot or so I'd be perfectly happy.

Thanks for reading, any input is welcome.
superapplekid

Showing 2 responses by superapplekid

These are all very helpful responses. I thought the imagining might be unobtainable 'until' I got tube amps based on some of my reading, so its reassuring the hear that they can only help it in the end.

That said, I am using Boston Acoustic VR3s for speakers. They're home theater floorstanding, and I imagine they aren't built for the kind of music demands I was seeking. I'm considering trying to start a separate system for two channel with some cheap (>=$500, <$1000) speakers. Monitors and Magnepans seems to get a lot of praise for their 'holographic' imaging. Of course, I'm trying very hard to identify if there's an intersection between my budget and audio goals at the moment, and also how best to obtain those goals.

Also, thanks Tbromgard, since I have never heard that treatment trick before and will have to try it. I thought I had played around with placement/*fuax* treatment until my head was spinning, but I guess people aren't exaggerating when they talk about how much you need to play around with it.
Lot of nods to the Totem Arros, which weren't on my radar until now. Also, I'm glad to hear the experience people have had with my speakers, it gives me a good idea of what to expect with them. I'll have to check out Jim Smiths book, as well as some Totems (which seem within my price range).

As far as a lack of bass, dynamics, and volume - right now these aren't my primary concerns, and it seems most budget speakers that are great at imagining have to make sacrifices in these areas. Certainly, the dream is to one day have a setup that can adequately do everything, but, depending on the amount of bass and dynamics sacrificed, I may be able to live without those aspect for now.