[immtbiker]

When listening to a music video DVD, is the Dolby Digital, or DTS audio choice better, with 5.1?

 

[Kirium]

If DTS is an option on DVD's, music or movies, use it.

DTS uses higher sampling rates (and/or higher bitrates, I forget, been a long day) and it's widely accepted that DTS provides higher quality sound.

Always go DTS...

 

[JMedeiros]

Same here..I welcome DVDs encoded with either..but always choose DTS when it's available.

John

 

[Jasper994]

DTS resolves much better, probably the best example of this is the DVD-Video section of Eagles - Hotel California (DVD-A). The DTS track sounds a lot less compressed. The only thing I've noticed is that for all you bass heads out there, the DD track tends to have a boosted LFE channel.

 

[tortie]

I also choose DTS when this option is available for music & especially movies.

 

[Ryan T]

I always use DTS when the DVD has it. I find DD to sound kinda harsh and I really don't like the GIANT bass boost DD has at 30 HZ.



Ryan

 

[immtbiker]

OK - I have changed my option when I have one to DTS. Certain DVD's and DVD-Audios sound better, some don't. Santana's Supernatural DVD sounds better in DD 5.1. Herbie Hancock's "World of Rhythym" with Ron Carter and Billy Cobham sounds better in DTS.
The "expert" in Virgin Mega Records, said without a doubt, always pick DTS when there is an option.
I appreciate everyone's opinion, but are they one of opinion coming from the ears, or is DTS a superior recording technology, and if so, does anyone have any data to back it up (Graphs, articles...so on).
Here's my continuation. My multichannel receiver, even though it is now the weakest link in the home theater (speaker) set-up, also offer a THX- Cinema option, besides DD 5.1 and DTS. Without 7.1 (back surrounds as they are called), should that option be used on a THX movie, such as a Lucas Film production. The reason I am asking, is because in the 125 page (yes, English only), it says that this option is to be used to make the soundtrack, sound more like a movie theater presentation, but I have not been in a theater lately that sounds better than my living room set-up. That was not meant as a brag statement, it's just that most theaters sound systems sound like crap. I want the least amount of DSP possible, but am I missing sounds because of not using the THX option. And what if I use that option on a non - THX movie.

 

[Kirium]

I'll agree with you that most movie theatre's sound like crap, to the point of verging on painful.

DTS uses superior sampling rates and higher bitrates to acheieve what is commonly and widely accepted as "better" sound when compared to DD.

Having said that, your ears are what you should trust... If you like Santana's DVD in DD, then go with that... Same with using the psuedo cinema technology from THX. watch some scenes with it on, and do some scene replays with it off. trust your ears, and keep them happy...

 

[immtbiker]

good advise from everybody...just what I was looking for.

 

[Czilla9000]

As I understand it, DTS is better than DD because it uses a lower compression ratio. The trade off is it takes up more room on the DVD.


About LFE. DTS tends to only use the subwoofer for the lowest of the lowest notes. Less bass is sent to the subwoofer. Instead, DTS sends more bass to your speakers, for more 'positional bass'.

DTS is assuming that anyone who bothers to use it are audiophiles with full-range speakers capable of handling the bass.

Thus, if you have a cheaper setup with small speakers - or really love your subwoofer's upper bass response - it is probably best to use DD, since it will not stress the speakers as much in the bass region.

EDIT: I am thinking of getting a Pioneer Elite receiver like yours. Does it work well with just 5.1 - not 7.1 - speakers connected?

 

[immtbiker]

Quote:

EDIT: I am thinking of getting a Pioneer Elite receiver like yours. Does it work well with just 5.1 - not 7.1 - speakers connected?

I have the 45 tx which retails for about $1500, compared to the 47 tx which retails for abou $3200. It is a wonderful unit with many wonderful features. I got it for $750 from Crazzie Eddie who drop ships it from an authorized distributor in the midwest. The only thing is, that I ahd a bunch of amps laying around from my pre-multichannel ststem, so I pre-out all of the channels except the center, so I can't vouch for the internal 100wpc amps that come withe the unit. It has an abundance of features that are fantastic. The best feature is the auto-calibration. You just put a mike (that comes with the unit), in your sweet spot. and it runs through a series of sound routines, that calibrate the volume and delay of all of your speakers for optimum home theater and SACD/DVD-A listening. It is highly acclaimed. You can read some reviews:

http://www.audioreview.com/A-V,Recei...4_2718crx.aspx

 

[Nefarion]

In general, DTS will always be superior to DD. But thats not always the case. They both use, what we will call "equalization techniques"... for instance, more bass to the subwoofer with DD. On some occasions, DD will be more desirable ... on others it will not.

For instance: Lord of the Rings (fellowship) Extended Edition has both DD and DTS. I had already been used to watching LOTR in DD when i got the extended edition ... So, with this new version, i got to try out the dts. When i did the first thing i noticed is the lack of bass impact (im using bose speakers paired with a nice svs subwoofer, ie ****ty speaker, great sub). In comparison to DD, it sounded cold and un-involving. That would concurr with the statement above that DTS puts more bass to the speakers as a pose to the LFE (sub) channel. But my bose speakers arent the greatest at handling bass... So, on occasion with some systems, DD can/will sound better. It depends on your system and the DVD.

Still, in general, DTS will be better.

 

[Czilla9000]

Nefarion - I noticed that same thing in LOTR! That prompted me to find out about the bass management systems between the two.

 

[tripletopper]

I actually prefer Dolby 5.1. Let me explain. Most of you are judging treble, bass and midrange comparisons. My main concern is directionality.

I have a Turtle Beach x41 and an x42. On a PS3 and Xbox One S, the Turtle Beaches sound great in both Dolby and DTS media.

But on non-gaming machines, Dolby sounds a lot better on an X42 than a DTS movie, which is totally silent. This was with 2 different Blu Ray players, an LG that no longer works and a Sony UBP-X800.

Then I thought it was because the Turtle Beaches only decode Dolby. So I tried a Sony MDR-DS6500 headphone. The Dolby sounds good, but not as good as my Turtle Beach. The DTS was better than the X42, which was silent, but the soundtrack sounds 1 dimensional. It only moves lalong the left/rigth plane. it has no sense for forward/backward or up/down.

On Turtle Beaches I get accurate Up/Down and Forward/backward in addition to left/right.

Also it depends on the player. On a PLastation 3 and an Xbox One S, I get accurate direction on all movies, Dolby or DTS. (Apocalypto is only in LPCM 5.1, so I don't know if that will decode right.)

So far I see 2 options, buy the cheapest game player that can do 4K and 3D, like another Xbox One S for upstairs. The secodn optio is getting a specific DTS Headphone, but according to Turtle Beach, their DTS headphones only accepts Dolby inputs and OUTPUTS to DTS. Then again, theirs are designed for game machines. Any NOn-gaming-specific headsets that that can do Dolby and DTS, in terms primarily of directionalism (I'll worry about trebles, basses and midranges later.) that work joust as well directionally as an X42. Anyone see a third option?

It must be cheaper than the $170-250 option of buying another Xbox One S.

I would prefer one headphone to do both Dolby and DTS, but if necessary, I'll specialize and segregate.

 

[tripletopper]

Sorry for the bump, but the category was Dolby vs DTS, without any more specific modifiers, like music, DVD music video, etc. I thought it was fair game.

The last most recent post was 2003. Newer technology came since then, including Dolby Headphones, which is especialy important for a website about headphones called head-fi.org

An takers on DTS still being a better format, as it pertains to the main thrust of the website, headphones?

I tried talking about the difference between DTS and Dolby on lddb.com , a website about laser discs, and everyone side with DTS. Then again I was literally the ONLY one talking about the advantages of Turtle Beach Dolby 5.1-> Dolby Headphone encoders. Admin took down my posts about this because when I extolled the virtures of Dolby Headphones, and found no DTS equivalent, people said I was crazy. That I was high on some drug hearing 3D sound in headphones.

If that's the case, how could professional game players pinpoint 3D location with the headphones out of angle range? My offline friend is a pro gamer. he got first turned on to headphones at WCG Ultimate Gamer Season 1. And he told me it should be the cheapest way to listen to movies in surround sound if it works in movies as well as it does in games, which it does. And yes, there were a couple gaming situations where 3D sound came in handy, and I usually play fighters and platformers, and most of them in 2D.