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Amplifier brands with great soundstage reproduction?

Woodface said:
I actually think it’s in the recording, quite often get big differences in sound stage between albums.

Speakers probably make the biggest difference to this in terms of equipment. Difficult to get a big image with a pair of small stand mounts.
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Imaging and soundstage are related but different aspects of the stereo effect.
The former relates to instrument and vocal phantom images and the latter has to do with the (re)creation of an imaginary acoustic space.
They're inversely proportional characteristics, meaning that you can get more 'spaciousness' and wider images at the expense of image focus.

I agree that for the most part this sense of an acoustic space will be embedded in the recording or mix, but some electronics and also turntables produce signal-correlated and sometimes delayed distortions which increase the sense of perceived 'spaciousness'.

Early reflections are also described as widening the 'soundstage' and the phantom images, and of increasing 'envelopment' (but will affect image 'sharpness' and overal 'clarity', possibly also the tonal balance through uneven off-axis response and comb-filtering). Wider directivity speakers will therefore benefit the soundstage but not without side-effects.
 
tuga said:
Imaging and soundstage are related but different aspects of the stereo effect.
The former relates to instrument and vocal phantom images and the latter has to do with the (re)creation of an imaginary acoustic space.
They're inversely proportional characteristics, meaning that you can get more 'spaciousness' and wider images at the expense of image focus.

I agree that for the most part this sense of an acoustic space will be embedded in the recording or mix, but some electronics and also turntables produce signal-correlated and sometimes delayed distortions which increase the sense of perceived 'spaciousness'.

Early reflections are also described as widening the 'soundstage' and the phantom images, and of increasing 'envelopment' (but will affect image 'sharpness' and overal 'clarity', possibly also the tonal balance through uneven off-axis response and comb-filtering). Wider directivity speakers will therefore benefit the soundstage but not without side-effects.
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I would generally agree, but I have heard systems with both incredibly huge soundstage and very precise imaging. Again, this is one of those very nebulous situations where there seems to be no clear explanation for the source of this magic.

I do agree, however, that the position of a given element's image will be controlled by the information in the stereo balance. Beyond that, I'm still pondering things.
 
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My experience is that the amps with the biggest sound stage are the least musically engaging. I remember comparing a naim Nait 5 (my own amp at the time, I took it to a shop to demo against other amps) and compared to a Musical Fidelity amp (pre and power IIRC) of the same vintage and the difference was night and day, like I was listening to a different recording. The MF amp was all about detail and sound stage but totally unengaging musically, like a soundscape without instruments.
I also had a 2nd hand big AVI integrated as a trial that was well reviewed at the time and that was very similar to the MF. Bags of detail and space but no music.
 
OldSkool said:
My experience is that the amps with the biggest sound stage are the least musically engaging. I remember comparing a naim Nait 5 (my own amp at the time, I took it to a shop to demo against other amps) and compared to a Musical Fidelity amp (pre and power IIRC) of the same vintage and the difference was night and day, like I was listening to a different recording. The MF amp was all about detail and sound stage but totally unengaging musically, like a soundscape without instruments.
I also had a 2nd hand big AVI integrated as a trial that was well reviewed at the time and that was very similar to the MF. Bags of detail and space but no music.
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I've had similar experiences, but it's not a given. I've also had systems that did everything exceptionally well. In other words, those two traits are not mutually exclusive. :)
 
After over 3 decades years of box-swapping, for the last few years I've settled on Aavik and Lindemann amps. Both are class D, but match my MBL-inspired MC-Audio stand-mounters to give pinpoint soundstaging. They are not in Conrad-Johnson mono-block + Infinity IRS league (my reference experience), but as best as I can hope to expect in real world UK room sizing.
 
gavreid said:
I guess that the better the phase relationship is preserved across the band then the more of the sound stage will be maintained. Another way of saying the same things is the soundstage info will be scattered if different frequencies are delayed in time over others. That's not only the amp!
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I think phase is often overlooked as a contributor to soundstaging. Many years ago I heard an experimental recording in which the sound was all around the room by design. I was blown away even though my system was unremarkable. It was all phase-bending trickery.

I have two favourite pairs of speakers: LS3/5as & JPW Gold Monitors with a couple of simple mods. The LSs are remarkable for their more or less absolute phase coherence, which for me makes them the best near field speakers I've heard. I just fall into the music. However I find them small & somewhat dull further out. The JPWs are all phasey & horrible in the near field but have a wonderful big wide open immediacy from mid field out.

I wonder if the slight mids-forward sound of the A&R A60 relates to phase, too. Measurements show the FR as flat. Nevertheless, there's an undeniable small bump in the presence band that I find pleasing.
 
kristoffer said:
I really enjoy my Rega gear, but sometimes I wish the soundstage presentation was a bit wider. This made me think about what amplifiers really reproduce soundstage well. I seem to remember that a wide soundstage reproduction is often prevalent on Japanese amps/gear?
I realise that soundstage is also heavily dependent on speakers and source device, but in my experience the amplifier is still crucial when reproducing a soundstage.
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Prima Luna...:cool:
 
The only amps I can remember that did anything special to soundstage/imaging was Linn LK1/LK2. And that wasn't positive, they managed to take away most of it!!!! I remember an album by Sting that was coded with some electronic trickery to get phantom images outside the arc of the speakers. With LK1/LK2 you didn't hear anything of it.

Otherwise, I think 90% of it is up to how you place the speakers in the room.
 
I agree that speaker, placement and room treatment are key here there are some differences in amps. I did a demo of a range of high end integrateds with the same speakers (Monitor audio platinum 300 ii) 6 years ago. The amps were Mark Levinson 585, McIntosh 8000 and a Luxman (505 I think). The Levinson’s sound stage width and depth was noticeably larger than the other two (although they had other sonic virtues).

I’m currently using Wilson Duette 2 which I bought partly due to their design of specifically being placed near to the rear wall but still have remarkable soundstage depth and width. They also image beautifully. They are being driven by an mbl c51 which is remarkably quiet and poised.
 
For me, the Rega Osiris has the best soundstage I have heard through my PMC Twenty5 22i speakers. These speakers have had many amps run them but the Osiris certainly has the edge on this which is something I like. Closely behind was the Hegel H590 amp, that had good soundstage too but now succeeded by the 600.

That’s not to say there aint anything better out there, that’s just my findings and considering you have a Rega amp (though I’m not sure what it is) the Osiris maybe something to consider if wanting an upgrade.
 
Rana said:
After over 3 decades years of box-swapping, for the last few years I've settled on Aavik and Lindemann amps. Both are class D, but match my MBL-inspired MC-Audio stand-mounters to give pinpoint soundstaging. They are not in Conrad-Johnson mono-block + Infinity IRS league (my reference experience), but as best as I can hope to expect in real world UK room sizing.
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The sub-£100 Fosi V3 in my desktop system also does a sterling job of creating a well defined soundfield considering its price.
 
OP - can we see a pic of your room from the listening position to offer advice please - we can then offer constructive advice moving forward, which will cost you nothing and I would guarantee better results than spending on another amplifier.
 
Not very related but for headphones it seems a scoop in the FR in the upper midrange can help in giving an illusion of a bigger soundstage.
 
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