Accurate soundstage alone cannot satisfy musically without reproduced hall reflections

Evidence

Although stereophonic reproduction can give a sufficiently accurate imitation of an orchestra [the soundstage], it is necessary to imitate also the wall reflections of the concert hall, in order that the reproduction may be musically satisfactory. This can be done by means of several loudspeakers, distributed over the listening room, to which the signal is fed with different time-lags. The diffused character of the artificial reverberation thus obtained [the envelopment] seems to be even more important than the reverberation time. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 391

Categorization

• XREF: Directly relevant to the reader’s existing DEEPTHINKING material on envelopment vs. reverberation time; reinforces the distinction between soundstage and envelopment as separate perceptual dimensions.