The phantom
by Paul McGowan
Mono was a great idea and, in many ways, a lot better than stereo.
Everything we hear in the real world comes from a mono source. A violin is mono, a person singing is mono. All are single sources. A mono reproducing device gets closer to replicating a single point source than anything else.
What's missing from mono, of course, is dimensionality and spatial/directional cues. Alan Blumlein (widely credited with inventing stereophonic sound) borrowed from stereoscopic viewers to create a phantom image between two loudspeakers that gave someone standing in the middle directional and spatial cues.
What's missing from stereo, of course, is a convincing illusion available anywhere in the room.
Just as you need 3D glasses to appreciate the illusion of a third dimension, hifi listeners are stuck with a small fixed window to appreciate the phantom image of stereo.
We can do better with less.
Paul McGowan
Founder & CEO
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Table of Contents – Issue 218
“Thank you for the days / Those endless days, those sacred days you gave meI'm thinking of the days / I won't forget a single day, believe me” – The...
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Table of Contents – Issue 218
“Thank you for the days / Those endless days, those sacred days you gave me
I'm thinking of the days / I won't forget a single day, believe me” – The Kinks, “Days ”In this issue: We have two reports on the AXPONA 2025 audio show, from myself and Rudy Radelic. Octave Records gets funky with Protostar by the Black Hole Boogie Band. I get a rare opportunity to hear the legendary Hill Plasmatronics loudspeakers. Paul McGowan offers advice on optimizing the listening room in The Audiophile’s Guide book series. Wayne Robins sees a new generation discovering the Beatles and “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Ray Chelstowski talks with legendary rocker Don Felder.
B. Jan Montana sees that when Zeus is dead, Chaos reigns. Peter Xeni has a look at 50 years of the Melbourne Audio Club, one of the world’s oldest audio societies. Our colleagues at FIDELITY magazine visit turntable and cartridge manufacturer Clearaudio, and a PMA Magazine writer…quits audio? My series on playing in a rock band goes to some extremes outdoors. PS Audio introduces their new top-of-the-line PMG Signature Series. Ken Kessler won’t quit in his pursuit of vintage Revox reel-to-reel decks. We round out the issue with channel surfing, a monolithic loudspeaker, and mind games.
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Contributors to This Issue:
Carsten Barnbeck, Ray Chelstowski, Frank Doris, Ken Kessler, Jonson Lee, Paul McGowan, B. Jan Montana, Rudy Radelic, Wayne Robins, James Schrimpf, Peter XeniLogo Design:
Susan Schwartz-Christian, from a concept by Bob D’AmicoEditor:
Frank DorisPublisher:
Paul McGowanPost-publication Nitpicker:
Rich IsaacsAdvertising Sales:
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