Don't need no stinkin' SDAs....

shack

As I sometimes do, my SDA 1Cs are in the boxes in the basement and my RT400s are currently front and center in my 2 channel rig. Matched up with NAD gear, it is a very listenable rig. Last night I put a few CDs in the changer and was listening and Sting's "The Soul Cages" came up. I had to turn on the light to see if I had put the SDAs back in a moment of stupor. NOPE! There were the 400s. It was the widest and deepest soundstage I can recall on any non-SDA speakers. In fact it was a bigger soundstage than many recordings on the SDAs. Some of the sounds seemed to literally be coming from beside me. It is an awesome recording. I have always been a fan of the technical quality of Sting's recordings. I put on "Nothing Like the Sun" with similar (if not as pronounced) results. Imaging and depth is spot on. I enjoy his music. He is similar to Peter Gabriel in that he tries various "styles" and doesn't necessarily stand pat. If you get a chance pick of some of his albums to see what I mean.

Another interesting thing happened in the same listening session, when The Who's " My Generation: The Very Best of the Who" came around on the changer. The tracks are in chronological order and frankly the first half dozen sounded....bad. Hollow, muted...just very poor. Good songs...terrible recordings...even in the studio. Then comes some of the later stuff when Townsend had taken on a greater role in the recording of the albums. The difference was truly "night and day". The soundstage, imaging, clarity....was excellent. The sounds from the sequencers and synthesizers on "Baba O'Riley", "Who Are You" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" seem to jump around the room while the instruments and vocals were right where you expected them to be and sounded exactly like they should.

The point? No matter how good the gear...the recording is the final piece of the puzzle. Great music is still very good even when recorded badly and I can still enjoy it. Great music recorded well, is just on a different level...sort of a jaw dropping and/or stupid grin level.

VR3

Peter Gabriel - "More Than This" (Radio Edit)

Is perhaps one of the best recorded songs I've heard as far as soundstage "depth"

The effect they use for some of the guitar parts is literally as deep as my room - and expands past the walls

But definitely, you do not need SDA to get that SDA like soundstaging...

Ricardo

I've also heard those wide soundstages; it happens when the recording is the right one, but also when the drinking is abundant

ben62670

I love my RTA-15TLs also, but my passion is the SDA's.

ESavinon

Sting's The Soul Cages is recorded using Q surround.
http://www.qsound.com/technology/3d-audio.htm

shack

ESAVINON wrote:

Sting's The Soul Cages is recorded using Q surround.

And so it is... It appears this is the "SDA" effect from the software end.

As it turns out, I have another of the CDs recorded using this technology (there are about 60 ±).

Shawn Colvin "A Few Small Repairs". I brought it out to see how it fared. A very nice recording...but...nowhere near the soundstage and "3D" effect of "The Soul Cages". Maybe this just illustrates my original point. It's not just the equipment...it's the execution.

I think I may have a couple more on the list and if I can find them, I'll give them a listen as well.

I still highly recommend "The Soul Cages" if for no other reason than to check out this "Qsound".

hearingimpared

Lasareath wrote: »

Hypocrisy!!!

You big goof, you mean blasphamy?

hearingimpared

shack wrote: »

And so it is... It appears this is the "SDA" effect from the software end.

As it turns out, I have another of the CDs recorded using this technology (there are about 60 ±).

Shawn Colvin "A Few Small Repairs". I brought it out to see how it fared. A very nice recording...but...nowhere near the soundstage and "3D" effect of "The Soul Cages". Maybe this just illustrates my original point. It's not just the equipment...it's the execution.

I think I may have a couple more on the list and if I can find them, I'll give them a listen as well.

I still highly recommend "The Soul Cages" if for no other reason than to check out this "Qsound".

Steve, I still contend that I can listen to any genre of music if it recorded and mixed well. I have problems sitting though great music that sounds like ****. The things that get my feet tapping is the involvement with the music and I just can't seem to get involved with music that just sounds bad.

BTW my wife loves Sting and has several CD's of his. I have to check and see if she has "The Soul Cages." Thanks.

heiney9

shack wrote: »

And so it is... It appears this is the "SDA" effect from the software end.

As it turns out, I have another of the CDs recorded using this technology (there are about 60 ±).

Shawn Colvin "A Few Small Repairs". I brought it out to see how it fared. A very nice recording...but...nowhere near the soundstage and "3D" effect of "The Soul Cages". Maybe this just illustrates my original point. It's not just the equipment...it's the execution.

I think I may have a couple more on the list and if I can find them, I'll give them a listen as well.

I still highly recommend "The Soul Cages" if for no other reason than to check out this "Qsound".

Q Sound was all the rage in the late 90's. Madonna "Immaculate Collection" is another to add to the list. Q Sound was a way to artificially enhance the recording and I believe it was done during the final mixdown. I find Q Sound cd's sound completely unnatural on SDA's but they make for some very cool effects . For a non-SDA type speakers the soundstage, while contrived, can be very enjoyable.

Not sure how popular the recording technique is today as now with 5.1/SACD musical formats it's fallen by the wayside. I believe it was originally used to provide sound beyond or mimick the typical "quasi-surround" sound of the late 90's.

H9

EDIT: To correct teh Madonna cd that had Q Sound.......memory is fading

snow

Next question is how does this Q sound, sound on SDAs? Oops already answered unnatural.

Gotta learn to read more carefully .



REGARDS SNOW

Face

hearingimpared wrote: »

You big goof, you mean blasphamy?

Heresy would work too.

shack

The list is of albums recorded in Qsound is VERY limited. It looks like around 2000 was the last time any were released. Check out the list, see if you own any and give them a listen.

http://www.qsound.com/spotlight/users/recording-artists.htm

wingnut4772

Cool. I have a couple.

shack

I just KNOW that 98° album is laying around here somewhere....


(you think I'm kidding don't you...well I'm not...I think one of my kids has it)

heiney9

snow wrote: »

Next question is how does this Q sound, sound on SDAs? Oops already answered unnatural.

Gotta learn to read more carefully .



REGARDS SNOW

Try it for yourself, if you want. It can be quite a trip and certainly has great entertainment value. . You may even like it, I find after an extended period it just becomes slightly annoying..............unless I've had a few beverages then it's just cool as hell .

H9

reeltrouble1

So when are you going to finish the rest of the story Shack Daddy, you know the part where you woke up and realized your SDA's had been playing all night as you were dreaming about other speakers..................

RT1

steveinaz

I've got The Storm and Luther; I'll have to take a listen tonight...

shack

reeltrouble1 wrote:

So when are you going to finish the rest of the story Shack Daddy, you know the part where you woke up and realized your SDA's had been playing all night as you were dreaming about other speakers..................

RT1

When I dream....it's not about speakers.....

reeltrouble1

along as your smiling bro.

RT1

tonyb

......and none of you tadpoles has the Tom Jones greatest hits???
I'm stunned,I tell ya:)

snow

heiney9 wrote: »

Try it for yourself, if you want. It can be quite a trip and certainly has great entertainment value. . You may even like it, I find after an extended period it just becomes slightly annoying..............unless I've had a few beverages then it's just cool as hell .

H9

Well I just ordered soul cages so we will see how it sounds on the SDAs

Thanks for the info on Q sound Shack.


REGARDS SNOW

reeltrouble1

Tom Jones was greatly underrated.............its not unusual...

I picked up SACD of BB-King--Reflection, Police--Sychronicity and Sting--Sacred Love over this week, I think I will give the Manley and the SDA 1C's a good workout over this long weekend.

SDA + tubes=Rule

RT1

shack

Well we DO have the 98° (boy band) album recorded in Qsound...and I listened to it.

Gimmick or not...the Qsound recording is very interesting. Of course some said the SDA effect was a gimmick at the time.

This particular CD exhibited extremely wide soundstage, excellent imaging and separation. The music however like totally sucked. For some reason though, while listening I felt the urge to paint my toenails and browse through a 16 Magazine.

tonyb

Actually Ted,I was makeing fun of myself.I have Tom Jones greatest hits and like a few songs on that puppy....go figure.:)

hearingimpared

Me too and more than just a few. One time I got so into his music that I threw my underwear at the speakers.