Sound
Imaging
Also called stereo imaging, placement
Imaging is how precisely a product places each sound within the stereo picture: whether a voice sits in a clear spot between the speakers or smears across them. Good imaging lets you point at where each instrument is.
Where Soundstage is the size of the space, imaging is the sharpness of the objects inside it. A recording made with a pair of microphones in a hall contains strong placement cues; a studio mix creates them with panning and reverb.
On speakers, imaging depends on the pair being matched, placed symmetrically and aimed consistently; move one speaker a few centimeters and the center image shifts. On headphones, imaging is mostly about the two drivers being well matched and the design presenting cues consistently.
Owners rate imaging on a scale from vague to pinpoint. Listeners usually agree on it more than they agree on soundstage, since placement is easier to test with a familiar recording.
Where you’ll see this on tonistry.
- Owners rate imaging on a Diffuse ↔ Precise scale in their reviews. See community reviews and how ratings are read.