Does anyone prefer stereo to surround for HC?
Discussion
Currently I'm running my trusty combo of Arcam Alpha 10 amp with B&W 602s, I've had them for the best part of 10 years due to never having space to justify a HC setup.
At the moment I've a Pioneer plasma with the speakers situated 3ft away at either side, my seating position is bang in the middle for an absolutely spot on soundstage.
Baring in mind that I have a roughly 5mx4m living room I don't see how I could possibly benefit from surround sound, listening to films at a good old volume the stereo pair does a convincing job of filling the room, obviously I'm missing out on rear detail and bottom end oomph but I've heard far far messier surround systems.
Of course, given time and space it goes without saying that I would not be posting this thread
At the moment I've a Pioneer plasma with the speakers situated 3ft away at either side, my seating position is bang in the middle for an absolutely spot on soundstage.
Baring in mind that I have a roughly 5mx4m living room I don't see how I could possibly benefit from surround sound, listening to films at a good old volume the stereo pair does a convincing job of filling the room, obviously I'm missing out on rear detail and bottom end oomph but I've heard far far messier surround systems.
Of course, given time and space it goes without saying that I would not be posting this thread
It's not filling the room with volume that's the issue with HC, it's the effect of multiple channels that HC brings.
In my opinion, by not having at least a 3.1 system, you are missing the two most important components of home cinema - center and sub. 80% of sound comes from the center speaker and really locks speach to the screen.
If you don't have the room then I can understand not having the surrounds, although including them would help tremendously, but I think in a 5*4 room you would have and it gives you the effect of being within the sound field.
In my opinion, by not having at least a 3.1 system, you are missing the two most important components of home cinema - center and sub. 80% of sound comes from the center speaker and really locks speach to the screen.
If you don't have the room then I can understand not having the surrounds, although including them would help tremendously, but I think in a 5*4 room you would have and it gives you the effect of being within the sound field.
Edited by allgonepetetong on Friday 29th January 09:39
allgonepetetong said:
It's not filling the room with volume that's the issue with HC, it's the effect of multiple channels that HC brings.
In my opinion, by not having at least a 3.1 system, you are missing the two most important components of home cinema - center and sub. 80% of sound comes from the center speaker and really locks speach to the screen.
If you don't have the room then I can understand not having the surrounds, although including them would help tremendously, but I think in a 5*4 room you would have and it gives you the effect of being within the sound field.
Can I upgrade my room to 7*5 In my opinion, by not having at least a 3.1 system, you are missing the two most important components of home cinema - center and sub. 80% of sound comes from the center speaker and really locks speach to the screen.
If you don't have the room then I can understand not having the surrounds, although including them would help tremendously, but I think in a 5*4 room you would have and it gives you the effect of being within the sound field.
Edited by allgonepetetong on Friday 29th January 09:39
A sub would be very nice but the 602s can make a decent go at shaking the house, although I'm not sure if it would hit 33Hz..
For me personally to have a full rear channel setup I'd need a very clever setup and I feel I'd be more frustrated than satisfied. With the compromise I have with two channels I have it as good as I'm likely to ever get.
Certainly not trying to say it is better than 5.1
Merely curious as to whether or not anyone is daft enough to agree!Just to say that I've had some quite decent floorstanders in the past and they didn't rattle the living room door anything like the subwoofer I have now does. You don't need to spend a fortune and as you have a room not too disimilar to mine in size you shouldn't have any trouble finding room for one either. There is a surprising amount of below 20Hz content on films (War of the Worlds for example has some bits below 10Hz), that you don't hear as much as feel. My sub does roll off towards 10Hz (partly to protect the driver as it's a ported model) but those very low signals really add to the atmosphere IMHO.
I got my Monolith DFsub from BK Electronics for around £400 (think they've gone up a little since then):
http://www.bkelec.com/HiFi/Sub_Woofers.htm
Also, the effect of decent surrounds is that you don't just get the cheap trick effect of bullets, etc pinging around you, but you do get the more subtle acoustics of the room/hall/cave that the actors are in. I often hear sounds that I think are outside the room, which can make you jump if everyone else is out. It's all about wrapping the listener in a cocoon of sound, making you feel part of the film.
Of course the hardest thing is finding an AV solution that can satisfy for stereo use...I just bought a good quality, (but older model) used Arcam AV processor that is reviewed as being very good with stereo music. I hope it lives up to my expectations.
I got my Monolith DFsub from BK Electronics for around £400 (think they've gone up a little since then):
http://www.bkelec.com/HiFi/Sub_Woofers.htm
Also, the effect of decent surrounds is that you don't just get the cheap trick effect of bullets, etc pinging around you, but you do get the more subtle acoustics of the room/hall/cave that the actors are in. I often hear sounds that I think are outside the room, which can make you jump if everyone else is out.
It's all about wrapping the listener in a cocoon of sound, making you feel part of the film.Of course the hardest thing is finding an AV solution that can satisfy for stereo use...I just bought a good quality, (but older model) used Arcam AV processor that is reviewed as being very good with stereo music. I hope it lives up to my expectations.
I find another benefit of surround sound which is at the other end of the volume scale.
As I have small kids, to say nothing of a wife who generally gets knackered out by the little cherubs and is ready for bed before I am, I quite often find I want to watch TV later, without disturbing the rest of the house.
Even without selecting night mode on the amp, voices are far clearer than without the surround sound, so I find I can have the overall volume lower, but still have the same ability to hear the speech perfectly.
As I have small kids, to say nothing of a wife who generally gets knackered out by the little cherubs and is ready for bed before I am, I quite often find I want to watch TV later, without disturbing the rest of the house.
Even without selecting night mode on the amp, voices are far clearer than without the surround sound, so I find I can have the overall volume lower, but still have the same ability to hear the speech perfectly.
Plotloss said:
A sub does more than floorstanders no matter how large.
A sub presents everything below the crossover point from the front effects AND the LFE channel, which is specific to the subwoofer alone.
Interesting you mention this. I'm building up my B&W 684 HT set and currently I have the centre and two front floor-standers.A sub presents everything below the crossover point from the front effects AND the LFE channel, which is specific to the subwoofer alone.
I was going to leave the sub-woofer for last and purchase the rear surrounds (686's) next, however from what you mention, I may benefit better from the sub first; Or am I wrong?
Cheers for the advice!
Tough call. Surrounds really help the ambience and sound effects side, but the sub will give you that menacing rumble (when appropriate). I went surrounds first, sub later, but that was a few years ago and I lived in a semi detached at the time.
At least you have some fronts with decent bass, which will still attempt to reproduce the LFE channel if the amp is set to have 'NO SUBWOOFER' in the setuop menu. This way the LFE will get redirected to the main L&R speakers as long as they are setup as full range. Whether they can actually reproduce the verey low stuff is another matter.
At least you have some fronts with decent bass, which will still attempt to reproduce the LFE channel if the amp is set to have 'NO SUBWOOFER' in the setuop menu. This way the LFE will get redirected to the main L&R speakers as long as they are setup as full range. Whether they can actually reproduce the verey low stuff is another matter.
The surround and center and sub make all the difference. Just get some cheap surrounds and a decent center.
It's subtle but if you watch movies you will notice it. You don't notice what you don't have mate. I was without my sub for about 6months and when I got it back I thought I wouldn't miss it as I had enjoyed good sounds with my 5.0 setup. WRONG I noticed the subtle deeper sounds instantly!
Koing
It's subtle but if you watch movies you will notice it. You don't notice what you don't have mate. I was without my sub for about 6months and when I got it back I thought I wouldn't miss it as I had enjoyed good sounds with my 5.0 setup. WRONG I noticed the subtle deeper sounds instantly!
Koing
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