Wide-dispersion loudspeakers soften hard-panned images and reduce the center-image crosstalk dip

Evidence

In distinct contrast, the pop music selection yielded ratings for the Quad remarkably similar to those seen in monophonic listening (Figure 4.8). Why? Possibly because of the simple soundstage of the pop recording, consisting of significant amounts of hard-panned (i.e. monophonic) sound emerging from the left and right loudspeakers and a “double-mono” phantom center image. The reflected sound accompaniment for these monophonic components of the stereo soundstage is mainly the listening room. The wide-dispersion loudspeakers and the accompanying early reflections from the hard reflecting walls can be presumed to be advantageous in two respects: “softening” the localization of hard-panned left and right images and reducing the 2 kHz acoustical crosstalk interference dip in the center image—the featured artist—see Figure 4.4(e). — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 453

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains what ‘double-mono’ phantom center means and how wide dispersion helps stereophonic soundstages.