Dispersion vs. Soundstage

[nahmed]

Do soundstage and dispersion have an inverse relationship. When u have more of one, do u have less of the other?

I ask, because the Paradigm Studios I have seem to have good soundstage but relatively narrow dispersion. On the other hand, I have heard less expensive speakers with room filling disperion but no real soundstage. I guess it comes down to personal preference.

Nadeem

[WmAx]

Well, 'soundstage' is a bit of subjective term. I'm not sure everyone has the very same idea about terms such as 'soundstage.

1. However, if you mean the ambient effect, seemingly where reverberate cues originate, helping form the venue type/size, then dispersion is relevant within specific conditions.

2. If you mean the 'individual' images of multiple sound sources as they are spread out, and the distinct seperation of these, this is not nesecarrily relevant to dispersion in the same manner as the previous definition, though a different factor. The no. 2 definition more relevant to IMD, spectral decay of the speaker and the room reflection interval times/decay times vs. the specific speaker's dispersion pattern.

Which do you mean?

-Chris


Do soundstage and dispersion have an inverse relationship. When u have more of one, do u have less of the other?

I ask, because the Paradigm Studios I have seem to have good soundstage but relatively narrow dispersion. On the other hand, I have heard less expensive speakers with room filling disperion but no real soundstage. I guess it comes down to personal preference.

Nadeem

[mtrycraft]

Do soundstage and dispersion have an inverse relationship. When u have more of one, do u have less of the other?

I ask, because the Paradigm Studios I have seem to have good soundstage but relatively narrow dispersion. On the other hand, I have heard less expensive speakers with room filling disperion but no real soundstage. I guess it comes down to personal preference.

Nadeem


Here is a very good link to read about acoustic research about just this:
http://miragespeakers.com/nrc_story.shtml

As you go down the page you will see that a wide, uniform dispersion is necessary. Hecne, soundstage and dispersion must be linear, not opposites.