[arktraveller]

I reckon for music it's a great big marketing inspired novelty, simply to sell you more gear, and different versions of the software. Hell, most producers and bands couldn't make a good sounding record if their lives depended on it. So give them 5.1,6.1,7.1 or 862.1 and we'll simply have aural earbleed attacking us from all directions.

For movies it's nice, but not nessessary. I sold my surround gear a year ago.

 

[mmhardky]

Just wait for the new "Queen: A Night At The Opera" DVD-A; especially for the surround version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and you will see what surround sound technology is good for......

 

[timoteus]

Quote:

Originally posted by mmhardky Just wait for the new "Queen: A Night At The Opera" DVD-A; especially for the surround version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and you will see what surround sound technology is good for......

Yeah, I'd like to hear that. I think there's something like 64 or 67 different tracks on that one song. It would be interesting to hear how they mix that for surround.

 

[Audio-Me]

Music - straight up stereo
Movies - 6.1 DTS

Surround sound is by all means not a novelty. Would you go to the theater if they only had two channels providing entire room with only two speakers?

I can't wait for 10.1 surround sound (four front, front&rear center, four surround, LFE).

 

[jopi]

I remember reading in the latest Stereophile an interview with a high end audio retailer in New York:

He didn't give too much about multichannel. Basically with stereo you've got two problems --- a right channel and a left channel. With surround you've got five or six problems.

 

[Mumrik]

Surround Sound is fantastic!

Now you not only have to buy better and better speakers (as always), but you also have to buy more and more as we move from 5.1 to 6.1 to 7.1 etc.

 

[Audio-Me]

Actually, you can get great surround sound with cheaper speakers. When you're setting up a stereo system, you want the highest fidelity for two channels. That ends up costing a lot. Well for the same amount of money spent on that, you can get a home theater system that sounds just as good in terms of performance of surround sound through that setup vs stereo through the two channel set up.

 

[jeffn]

It depends on the source as to whether I use stereo or surround.
I think surround is here to stay for movies but I switch to stereo for my CD's and most TV broadcasts.

As far as buying cheap speakers for the surrounds...you will not like it. Imagine a jet sounding like a tin can as it approaches from behind then really sounding good once it gets to your nice mains, or vice-a-versa!

 

[Ctn]

I dunno how 5.1 would work for music.

I mean where are you suppose to be seated??

Relatively speaking, for 2 channel music its:

[THEM]

[YOU]

Which is like a concert, which is natural.

for 5.1:

............[THEM]

[THEM] [YOU] [THEM]

............[THEM]

Which is ????...kinda scary if you ask me.
If you want this effect, I think a headphone setup would do much better.

Id rather stick with 2 channel for cd music & dvd concerts and 5.1 for movies

 

[morphsci]

Well I let you know in about a week. I just scored an Outlaw 1050 receiver on Audiogon to keep me company until my number comes up on the Outlaw 950 pre/pro reservation list.

Supposedly for music the new Dolby Pro Logic II is the Shiznitz, but I have not heard it yet myself. The real problem with almost all multichannel SACD and DVD-A players is their lack of (or rudimentary) bass management circuitry, IMO.

 

[mmhardky]

I think, that the imagination that all instruments and vocals are supposed to be in front of you is not allways correct.

A good example is the song "Bohemian Rhapsody" which was remixed to 5.1 in these days. Queens guitar player Brian May (who has also directed the new 5.1 mix) said, that this song actually sounds more natural in 5.1 mix and, if they had the technology in 1975, the whole album would be mixed in surround sound. They had actually troubles how to mix all the vocals in the "opera part" (at some places 256 voices at the same time) just for 2 channels so that it sounds as monumental as possible.
It should not sound as if 256 Freddie Mercurys and 32 Brian Mays would sing and play in front of you, it should sound as if you would be in a some .... dream world. (with a 100000$ Burmester surround system

)

So, i think, it depends on the music whether 2.0 or X.1 The artists (composers) should decide, how are you supposed to listen to their music. I like listening to good music suitable for surround mix on a good surround system

On the other side, if you are listening to a jazz peace with one small drumset, one piano, one bassguitar and maybe a saxophone, a 5.1 mix is not a good choise...

I hope you understand what I mean. I have troubles with my bad english.

 

[Ctn]

Quote:

I think, that the imagination that all instruments and vocals are supposed to be in front of you is not allways correct.

What would it be like in real life though?

With all the stage all around you?

 

[skippy]

some music isn't really made to be played live. electronic music comes to mind. but is dd5.1 the best format for surround sound? you have all the problems of a regular stereo setup with an extra 2 channels in the rear. what about ambisonics and other formats?

 

[morphsci]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ctn What would it be like in real life though? With all the stage all around you?

How about the perspective as a member of the orchestra, ensemble, group playing the music? Their is an interesting article on multichannel recording in the latest TAS. I can't remember who the two interviwees were. I read it while drinking some coffee at borders yesterday.

 

[morphsci]

Quote:

Originally posted by skippy some music isn't really made to be played live. electronic music comes to mind. but is dd5.1 the best format for surround sound? you have all the problems of a regular stereo setup with an extra 2 channels in the rear. what about ambisonics and other formats?

As I said in my previous post, Pro Logic II is supposed to work well, or if you have the bucks and can afford a Lexicon processor, Logic 7 is supposed to be awesome with both movies and music. Again, this is only from reviews. I will not be able to comment on Pro Logic II for a while from my own experience.