A wide soundstage is not necessarily a precise one—but it certainly is enticing.
It’s common to hear people describe a system with “huge soundstage” as if that’s the gold standard. And it can be impressive—especially the first time a pair of speakers throws sound beyond the side walls or well behind the boundaries of the room. But that’s only part of the picture.
Soundstage refers to the apparent size and shape of the recorded space. Imaging refers to the precision of object placement within that space. A system can have a large soundstage but poor imaging, where instruments seem vague or blurry. Conversely, a smaller soundstage can still have pinpoint, stable imaging.
The goal is balance.
A convincing presentation has both width and depth, but also clarity—where each voice or instrument occupies a defined, repeatable location. That’s when the illusion becomes believable.
Imaging depends on phase coherence, timing, speaker placement—and the loudspeakers themselves. The soundstage depends more on recording quality and room interaction.
Understanding both—and how they differ—is key to knowing what your system is really doing.
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