Stereo won commercially because LP grooves could only store two channels
Evidence
Adding more channels allows for a soundstage, conveyed by the front channels: the lateral spread of the orchestra, with depth. There is also a more subtle component: apparent source width (ASW), or image broadening, wherein sounds acquire dimension, and an acoustical setting; some call it “air” around the instruments. Two channels suffice for a single listener in the symmetrically located “stereo seat,” but multiple listeners or a single listener not in the stereo seat require the addition of a center channel to prevent the phantom image soundstage from distorting and ultimately collapsing to the nearer loudspeaker. — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 69 (
#qualifies, via linked claim)
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Two-channel stereo only works for one centrally seated listener — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 69
Related
- Two-channel stereo only works for one centrally seated listener (similarity 0.93)
- Stereo’s dominance stemmed from LP storage limits, not audio ideals (similarity 0.85)
- Stereophonic two-channel reproduction became widespread after the two-channel record format arrived. (similarity 0.79)
- A multichannel system need not compromise stereo quality (similarity 0.79)
- Crosstalk cancellation works only within a centimeter-sized listening zone. (similarity 0.79)
- Stereo and multichannel listening make listeners more forgiving of loudspeaker flaws (similarity 0.79)
- Adding rear channels to stereo does not improve spatial diffusion (similarity 0.78)
- Every channel in a multichannel setup must perform well as a solo monophonic source (similarity 0.78)
- Stereo presentation masks audible differences between loudspeakers found in mono. (similarity 0.78)
Broader Connections
- Two-channel stereo only works for one centrally seated listener
#qualifies(0.75) — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 69