Do you prefer a "you are there" or a "they are here" type of system experience?

IMO this thread is more about sitting in the front of the orchestra or in the middle or back. The semantics just don't cut it.

 

Prefer an I am there experience, worked for a while to get it down, now I am pleased.

 

To my left on rhythm guitar is John; to my immediate right on lead guitar is George; to his right is Paul on bass; behind me up on the riser on drums is Ringo.

 

I have a considerable (for me) amount invested in my system and damned if I know if the presentation is you are there, they are here, they're not either, etc., but the music sounds good to me and THAT'S what I care about.

 

I subscribed to this thread with the hope of understanding what the OP means. I can say that I sit just inside the equilateral triangle, with speakers tied in so that the meet at a spot behind me on the wall behind the listening position. What would that be? They are here or I am there?

 

Depends on the recording.

 

To a certain degree it's a function of how the original recording was produced and engineered.

I used to think the ideal system would make me think the musicians were transported to my room with me. Then I started to think the ideal system would transport me to the room where the original performance occurred.

Later I realized it's a distinction without a difference. My system transports me to the room where the original performance occurred and the musicians are right there performing in front of me.

 

This isn´t a perfect example, but still, they cannot be in our room. We must be there. Dropbox - Mask5.2.IW.wav

 

This whole thread is neither here nor there.
.

 

I never worry about distinctions per the OP. That's not what I'm looking to do as it can vary from one recording to the next, but a good representation of what's on the disc and with the least distortion possible (hence the actives).

 

Double entendre.

 

Herb Reichert's review of the Abyss headphone is now on the Sterophile web site.
Gramophone Dreams #17: Abyss AB-1266 Phi headphones

The review is all about how the Abyss can do a "you are there" sound and what that is like. Herb gets obviously excited about it. I expect that most people reading the review will be wondering what kinds of drugs Herb was on when writing and listening because few will be able to believe headphones can do what he's describing. It seems pretty out there. But I've heard planar magnetic headphones do some of what he's describing. I can believe the Abyss is doing what he's hearing and describing when driven by the right amp and source. I don't believe Herb was on drugs to hear what he heard. And can understand his excitement if he heard what he wrote about.