An important aspect of sound perception are spatial impressions, which play an important role in the immersion experienced by the listeners. The most common way of research in this area is experimenting with multichannel systems of various kind. In this paper we present an alternative approach that utilizes an uncommon type of the electroacoustic transducer: distributed mode loudspeakers (DML). With diffuse radiation patterns and no typical acoustic axis, they create different impressions for the listener than traditional cone loudspeakers. We conducted a series of listening experiments, where the subjects assessed stereo systems based on the DMLs and three-way studio monitors in terms of perceived audio quality, especially spatial impressions, namely: general listening satisfaction, realism of reproduction, sound clarity, stage width, listener envelopment, and ease of localisation. Assessment was performed in three different listener localisations, for various music excerpts. Results of statistical tests imply that in most cases there is a significant difference between perceptions of stage width, localisation and envelopment depending on the type of the speaker.
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