Surround sound and movie vs. Stereo and music

[stuwee]

You what's sad Mark? Folks with lovely speakers that have a big TV, or worse... rack with their gear right in between them! You bought ML's put that $hit to the side, bring them out! HT is for little tiny speakers and big woofers all around the room, I see so many systems on this forum that make me cringe, speakers shoved into corners, close to the back wall...TV's and racks of gear right between them!?! Come on folks! If your wife doesn't like them and the room ain't right...Divorce attorney and move!

I really didn't mean that but, it felt good to say it!! :devil:

 

[RCHeliGuy]

You what's sad Mark? Folks with lovely speakers that have a big TV, or worse... rack with their gear right in between them! You bought ML's put that $hit to the side, bring them out! HT is for little tiny speakers and big woofers all around the room, I see so many systems on this forum that make me cringe, speakers shoved into corners, close to the back wall...TV's and racks of gear right between them!?! Come on folks! If your wife doesn't like them and the room ain't right...Divorce attorney and move!

I really didn't mean that but, it felt good to say it!! :devil:

LOL! My wife told me that our next house should have a dedicated room for my stereo. Actually I'm the one who wants to stay in this house. She would fine with finding a larger home. There is a practical side of me that says that the two of us should be able to make due with 3800 sq/ft. That and I like not having a mortgage. I would toss my RC Helicopters, stereo and all my earthly possessions to keep her and I wouldn't even think twice about it.

My wife LOVES music and has enjoyed the ML's in the Den. She knows how to use the JRiver Media server and drive it from JRemote using a tablet. She considers me the wimp for not liking live music as much because it's too loud for me. She loves music more than I do and now that I've ripped our entire CD collection, she has been listening to a lot of music to see how it sounds on something besides her iPod, or in her car.

 

[Bernard]

Seeing statements about people having two separate systems in the same room makes me think back to the time when stereo stores advertised having single-speaker demo rooms, the thinking being that an undriven speaker in the same room screws up the sound.

Has anyone with such a config ever removed their HT system to listen to the impact, if any, to their 2-channel system?

Mark, you are wise in not going to live concerts. I don't either, but then I dislike rock. I do like live acoustical concerts. I'm amazed at what people subject their hearing to; even movie theaters are generally too loud. I have always avoided loud venues; as a result I still have excellent hearing (I got it tested about two years ago), and I'm not a young 'un.

 

[Bernard]

+1

I thought multi-channel was a phase that was mostly passed.

Adam, have you seen the description of GaryG's system? 36 Speakers in the same room, including Neoliths, CLXes, and Renaissances.

Multi-channel aficionados claim that there's nothing like it. I'm not used to sitting in the middle of an orchestra, so have never considered it. Besides, I'd rather spend my money on the best 2-channel I can afford (hence the ARC gear, which is sadly missing from your system :devil.

 

[Peter Hogan]

You what's sad Mark? Folks with lovely speakers that have a big TV, or worse... rack with their gear right in between them! You bought ML's put that $hit to the side, bring them out! HT is for little tiny speakers and big woofers all around the room, I see so many systems on this forum that make me cringe, speakers shoved into corners, close to the back wall...TV's and racks of gear right between them!?! Come on folks! If your wife doesn't like them and the room ain't right...Divorce attorney and move!

I really didn't mean that but, it felt good to say it!! :devil:

I have a Panasonic projector, and a 120" roll-up screen, so there's never much between the front speakers (ML Odyssey), and when there's no video, just a tug on the screen and it's gone too...equipment is on a side wall.

 

[roberto]

A reason why I do not like very much the Super Audio (SA) multichannel surround sound is because I do not like to be seated as a Director of the orchestra. I like to be seated in the concert hall, and usually, they way that I have setted my system, when playing a Blu Ray DVD, is that, what I get from my surround speakers are some echoes and clapping only. I do not like to hear any musical instruments coming from my back or at my side. What I do like most is to have the musicians(s) at the stage. And what I get is the best seat available at the concert hall. If the recording of the DVD is as many SA CDs, where listening as multichannel, (I am with the director), I make a copy for use as CD only, and give it to a friend. 2 channel offers me the right sense of the stage, with truly 3D and the musician(s) there, in front of me at the imaginary stage in my room.

Of course when the DVD is recorded well, with tons of ambiance at the surrounds, the sense of being there, its more live like. My surrounds level are very soft, because I have them very close to my golden seat. My room is small, but with the surround, it becomes big!...I get the sense of the size of the room.

As I always say, sound is a matter of liking. Some of us might like garlic, other hate garlic.

My best advice, is enjoy the music where you like it most...no matter how I do like it! Happy listening!

 

[JonFo]

As an ardent multi-channel music fan, my dedicated room was designed from the ground up as a single music and HT system. It’s taken years, much of which has been documented in my system thread here on this forum, but finally as of around 2007 or so, I have a system that excels at movies, with impact like you rarely hear in homes thanks to a large center channel, as well as music. Specifically, high-rez multichannel music. There is a fair amount of excellent content if you are into progressive rock, as well as classical. Hearing Steven Wilsons albums on DVD-A or BluRay is an experience no 2-ch system can ever deliver.

But as I’ve documented elsewhere, getting large electrostats to work well for both purposes requires a lot of acoustical treatment and management. But the results are stunning. Even 2-ch recordings sound so much better than they used to back in 2002 when the room was not as heavily treated.

Another aspect that has been a challenge to a single system for both purposes is the center channel, I believe I’ve proven (at least to myself and visitors) that for a successful ML-based mch rig, requires an appropriately large, capable center. And since deploying that involves things like acoustically transparent screens, projection, etc. it’s a pretty rare configuration

 

[jsetliff]

Interesting discussion. I totally prefer multi-channel music. With four of exactly the same speaker for L,R,LS,RS it can be magic. (I have 4 Ethos and a Stage-X.) There are some really good surround mixes out there and I prefer them every time over their 2-channel mix. If mixed with care there is such a separation of instruments. I never really have liked simulated surround from any processor. It has to be separate channels on the recording.

My system does both music and movies well, but that does require some trade off in my system. It requires I leave the cross-over at 80hz for all speakers. With my Velodyne DD-18+ it is not a problem. The Ethos by themselves cannot produce the bass required for movie excitement in my room. I have experimented with switching from 80hz with movies to full-range with music, and also 40hz with music. I always come back to 80hz for music with my speakers in my room. I believe the main reason is the Velodyne's software that flattens out the dips and peaks between 20hz and 80hz so well.

I can recommend the following 5.1 music mixes that in my opinion are truly mixed well for surround:

Talking Heads - Remain In Light - DVD Audio 5.1 96/24 from the Talking Heads Brick package
Steely Dan - Two Against Nature - DVD Audio 5.1
Natalie Merchant - Tigerlily - DVD Audio 5.1
Depeche Mode - Black Celebration - DVD Audio DTS 5.1 96/24 UK import (European region on DVD player)
Depeche Mode - Violator - DVD Audio DTS 5.1 96/24 UK import (European region on DVD player)
Depeche Mode - Music For The Masses - DVD DTS 5.1 96/24 (Collectors Edition)
Lucinda Williams - Live from Austin TX (Austin City Limits) DVD Video DTS 5.1
Eagles - Hell Freezes Over - DVD Video DTS 5.1
Diana Krall - When I Look In Your Eyes - SACD multi-channel
Alison Kraus and Union Station - New Favorite - SACD multi-channel
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms - SACD multi-channel
Pink Floyd - Division Bell - Bluray DTS Master Audio 96/24 (think this came from immersion box set)
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - Live at Radio City - Bluray Dolby True HD 5.1 96/24
John Mayer - Where The Light Is - Bluray DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 96/24
Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense - Bluray DTS HD Master Audio 5.1
Talk Talk - The Color of Spring - FLAC 96khz/24bit Stereo - download from HDTracks


There are so many more, but these always come to mind for me. When I want to give someone a demo for the first time, I always go straight to the Talking Heads - Remain in Light 5.1. It is fun to see how many separate percussion instruments they can pick out in the surround channels the first time they hear track 2 - Cross Eyed And Painless. Also track 7 - Listening Wind is amazing in 5.1