Holographic imaging


Hi folks, is the so called holographic imaging with many tube amplifiers an artifact? With solid state one only hears "holographic imaging" if that is in the recording, but with many tube amps you can hear it all the time. So solid state fails in this department? Or are those tube amps not telling the truth?

Chris
dazzdax
Audiofool, I am sorry that you have never listened to any H-Cat product and never followed through on seeking to become a dealer. I really don't understand your mindless criticisms for something you haven't heard and apparently don't want to hear, but that is your business.
SO will the H-cat gear be on display at the RMAF?

Seems like that would greatly help present the case based at least on relative sonic merit if not technical details.
Mapman, Joe Cohen of Lotus Group, who is a dealer for H-Cat, had the prototype of the H-Cat amp but had an AM station coming through that was volume sensitive so he will probably have the line stage but will not have the amp. Roger cannot afford to have a room at the RMAF and his dealer in the Denver area, who did demonstrations last year, is now in China.

It would be very nice to give many the opportunity to hear the combination, especially with the outstanding Feastrex speakers.
In a buddy's listening room a set up consisting of Marten Design loudspeakers, Krell pre- and power amplifier (KSA 150) the sound was flat and not musical, while in the same listening room the sound through the Marten Design speakers with CAT preamplifier and Gruensch power amplifier was holographic, natural and dynamic. Which combination was the most "objective"/truthful? Should one disregard units that sound more holographic than most?

Chris
Chris,
This, to my mind, is an excellent question. But is there such a thing as too much holography? In a natural event, say a string quartet, which I listen to often live, and I drift away from the music and switch on the "audiophile ear", I can of course aurally walk right around the players. I have quite a number of recorded string quartets, where I can almost get the same result in front of my rig at home. There are a few recordings where the space between and around the players is even bigger. That may be very impressive but for the trained ear completely unnatural. So thinking along those lines, had I not been to many concerts I would be proud of how good my stereo is, but since I have, all this exaggereated three dimensionality makes me uncomfortable.