Moving from 5.1 to 2 channel

[macallan]

I have been thinking of making a move from my Klipsch RF-7 5.1 system to a Vantage system and think that a full ML 5.1 system will be unecessary. I use my system for watching TV and for listening to music, very little movies, and even fewer action type movies. My question is to anyone with an 2 or 2.1channel system, how do you connect your Cable or Satellite box? I am thinking I would go with the Vantages and the Krell 400xi integrated. My source would be the Sonos "music server" and potentially a PS Audio DAC(If necessary). Should I set the HD cable box to PCM out and run it through the DAC? Will i loose the LFE track? How terrible would the analog outs be on the cable box? The bottom line is that I do not care about surrounds that much and the center fill is quite good with the Vantages. I do want to maintain good bass response so maybe I would go with a 2.1. Any thoughts?

 

[Steve]

After just adding a Cinema to my system, I highly recommend that route. It fills out the front end very nicely. I am very happy with ML fronts and cheap surrounds (I am using some small Klipsch).

If you go strictly 2 channel, or 2.1, I would think you are better off running PCM through the DAC, and using a line level sub if necessary. My guess is that will make up for losing the LFE track.

 

[edwinr]

I listen to my ML system primarily in 2 channel. Switching between 2 channel and surround is not as dramatic as other speaker systems. The Summits and Vantages offer a very clear room filling sound - similar to Klipschorns (which were my former speakers) in the way they integrate into the room. I can watch DVD movies on my big screen in 2 channel without any feeling I'm missing out on something. Every now and again I switch my rears into play - I have no center channel - but to my mind listening to surround is not that big a deal. Two channel is just as good. I have Vignettes as rears at the moment. Before that I used my Heresys - which were pretty good. Maybe the money you save on surround speakers and processors you could spend instead on your 2 channel system. Believe me, your ears will thank you for it.

Regarding your set top box, I run the video feed straight into my projector and the analogue sound feed into my Audio Research preamp with no problems.

 

[socialxray]

Regarding how you should setup your system, it really depends on your processor/pre-amp. If you are using a pre-amp then you will have to make changes in the source components to reflect that you have a 2 channel setup and connect the MLs to the high-level outputs (binding posts) of the subwoofer if the subwoofer has them. If the subwoofer does not have high-level outputs then you can buy an external crossover.

If you have a surround sound processor you can hook up everything to the processor and make the changes in the processor to reflect your 2.1 setup and the processor will handle the down mixing and LFE routing for you. Most BUT not all surround sound processors will do this. You will need to check the manual.

Even if your processor can handle down mixing a surround mix, it may still be better to set all of your source components to reflect a 2 channel setup and just let the surround sound processor handle the bass managment. Of course you will still need to setup the system configuration in your processor.

 

[socialxray]

Hello mccallan,

Sorry I re-read your post and see that you do not have a subwoofer. Still, everything mentioned still applies sans subwoofer. To figure out if you will lose the LFE will depend on your source material and your source components and your surround sound processor.

Source material:
Some DVDs (such as concert DVDs) will have a discrete stereo mix. In this case you are not going to lose anything because the LFE channel will be mixed into the stereo mix at the mixing studio. Usually you will have to select the stereo mix in the DVDs setup menu.

Source components:
It really depends. I think that most source components would take all of the channels (including the LFE) and down mix them appropriately. I do not think that there is a hard requirement to do this so check the manual.

Surround Sound Processor:
If you configure a 2 channel system in your processor then everthing should be down mixed appropriately including the LFE. Not all manufacturers do this though. Example: Emotiva's entry level surround sound processor will simply not pass the LFE signal if a subwoofer is not configured.

 

[macallan]

Even if your processor can handle down mixing a surround mix, it may still be better to set all of your source components to reflect a 2 channel setup and just let the surround sound processor handle the bass managment. Of course you will still need to setup the system configuration in your processor.[/QUOTE]

I am not sure I understand this. My goal is to move my processor and surround sound to another room and just have a 2 channel system in my living room. I would use a krell 400xi or a MF A5 integrated so no processing would be done, just analog. My question is will TV sound ok through the analog outputs of my Time Warner Cable box or should i take the digital output from that box through an outboard DAC. I often listen/watch HD concerts so the sound quality is of some importance. Will the analog outs on a HD cable or satellite box sound ok?

 

[Charliemike]

Even if your processor can handle down mixing a surround mix, it may still be better to set all of your source components to reflect a 2 channel setup and just let the surround sound processor handle the bass managment. Of course you will still need to setup the system configuration in your processor.

I am not sure I understand this. My goal is to move my processor and surround sound to another room and just have a 2 channel system in my living room. I would use a krell 400xi or a MF A5 integrated so no processing would be done, just analog. My question is will TV sound ok through the analog outputs of my Time Warner Cable box or should i take the digital output from that box through an outboard DAC. I often listen/watch HD concerts so the sound quality is of some importance. Will the analog outs on a HD cable or satellite box sound ok?[/QUOTE]

From what I've read, the Motorola 6412 from Comcast has pretty crappy analog-outs. Probably better to do optical to a DAC.

 

[SugarMedia]

I would use a krell 400xi or a MF A5 integrated so no processing would be done, just analog. My question is will TV sound ok through the analog outputs of my Time Warner Cable box or should i take the digital output from that box through an outboard DAC. I often listen/watch HD concerts so the sound quality is of some importance. Will the analog outs on a HD cable or satellite box sound ok?

Macallan. I have the MF-A5 in a two channel setup. I also have a Plasma TV connected to my A5 Int-amp. When I watch TV I simply hit the A5's 'HT DIRECT' mode switch. I probably watch TV 40% of the time and music 60%.

There is obviously a big difference in the sound when watching TV compared to listening to the A5 cdp. I often watch/listen to a classical opera tv channel and it pales in comparison to actually listening to the A5 CDP, but it still does sound very good. For this I turn the TV's sound off and listen to only the speakers. When I watch dvd's, I turn the TV's sound on, with the Aeon's and I find the sound to be quite engaging and adequetly fill the room. But as I said it's apples to oranges going from the a5 cdp to the TV's cables box.

Hope that helps some.

 

[macallan]

Thanks, for the input. I would not plan to use the TVs speakers at all, just the vantages, the question was really rather to use the cable box analog out or its digital thru a dac.

 

[DTB300]

Thanks, for the input. I would not plan to use the TVs speakers at all, just the vantages, the question was really rather to use the cable box analog out or its digital thru a dac.

Testing will only tell you the true answer, but my opinion is the DAC will give you a better result.

Dan