Home Theater Audio/Stereo Help

[Spider-Dan]

I also disagree that you need to enjoy action movies to enjoy surround sound.

Even for purely stereo movie sources, I really enjoy the much greater immersion when the sound comes from all around me.

[...]

The only situation where I prefer a 2.0 stereo system is when listening to music. Replicating the right-left channels in the two rear channels ("4.0  stereo") is okay, but doesn't really add much IMHO.

So why don't you enjoy stereo music coming from all around you?  It adds exactly as much as listening to a stereo movie in simulated surround.

In any case, it's easy to simply add more speakers (on the same 2 channels) to a 2.0 system.  The 5.1 still isn't worth it, IMO.

[fyo]

Budda, your best bet may be to see if you have a friend with a surround setup that is easily movable and who's willing to drag it to your place. Yes, it'll cost a few hours, but you'll get to hear exactly what you can expect from a stereo vs a surround setup.

You might consider buying a spool of decent speaker cable, since getting your friend to uproot his speaker cable installation might be a tough sell (the equipment itself is usually much easier to get to).

On the topic of speaker cables... this is one area where you DON'T want to overspend. A cheap spool of 12 or 14 guage copper speaker cable would be more than adequate for your needs and sells for 30-40 bucks on amazon for 100 feet:

http://www.amazon.com/14AWG-Enhanced-Oxygen-Free-Copper-Speaker/dp/B009EADB2Q
http://www.amazon.com/CNE62270-100-Feet-Enhanced-Oxygen-Free-Speaker/dp/B00APEG9M4/

For a stereo setup, you would need MUCH less (you could probably even get away with 50' in a surround setup). Just make sure you don't overspend. Brand name cables with all sorts of fancy crap will NOT make your setup sound any different.

Do note that depending on the equipment that you are considering, you might need cable with plugs of some kind at each end (like the Sony system Dan recommended, which requires some weird two-pin plugs -- and unlike the Onkyo system where you can just stick the stripped end of a cable in).

[fyo]

So why don't you enjoy stereo music coming from all around you?  It adds exactly as much as listening to a stereo movie in simulated surround.

In any case, it's easy to simply add more speakers (on the same 2 channels) to a 2.0 system.  The 5.1 still isn't worth it, IMO.

For some reason, listening to music isn't an immersive experience for me. Very different from watching a movie. YMMW.

Music also almost always recorded in stereo, not surround (although there are certainly concert recordings in surround available).

[Spider-Dan]

But that's the point.  Buying a 5.1 system to surround yourself in stereo media is a waste of money, just like buying a 7.1 system to surround yourself in 5.1 media is a waste of money.

If you like to be surrounded in stereo, you can just add more speakers to a stereo setup.

[Brian Fein]

I had a 5.1 surround system in my dorm room in college.  It was a 10x20 room and it was fantastic.  In fact, I still have all the speakers and the receiver, but the receiver no work so good anymore.  I am keeping the speakers in case, someday, I get to build the garage I want.

[fyo]

But that's the point.  Buying a 5.1 system to surround yourself in stereo media is a waste of money, just like buying a 7.1 system to surround yourself in 5.1 media is a waste of money.

If you like to be surrounded in stereo, you can just add more speakers to a stereo setup.

I agree with you, but my understanding was that Buddha had Netflix. Netflix streams in 5.1 surround.

Movies on basic cable channels through e.g. Comcast cable should also be in surround sound.

In other words, I'm not sure where all this stereo media you're talking about is.

[Spider-Dan]

Non-HD television shows are not in 5.1 because the original non-HD delivery methods don't support it.  Movies will indeed be in 5.1, but as stated, non-action genres are not going to have anything of value going on in the surround channels.  Music is essentially all stereo.

5.1 is basically for action-genre movies (and HD action-genre TV shows, I suppose).  Outside of that, it's a waste of money.

7.1 is just a waste of money, full stop.

[fyo]

Movies will indeed be in 5.1, but as stated, non-action genres are not going to have anything of value going on in the surround channels.

..

5.1 is basically for action-genre movies (and HD action-genre TV shows, I suppose).  Outside of that, it's a waste of money.

You keep repeating that, but you don't offer any arguments to substantiate your position. Repetition does not make it so.

Doing a quick Google search for best movies for surround sound turned up quite varied lists, many dominated by "effects" movies like Jurassic Park and Prometheus. The Lord of the Rings trilogy also features heavily, as does The Hobbit and various Harry Potter movies. Documentaries like Planet Earth also abound. (Even musicals like Chicago and Moulin Rouge are quoted often).

That said, for surround sound to have any meaningful impact, of course there has to be sound coming from multiple directions. That's a given. And scenes with action in them quite often fall into this category. Clearly, a dialogue-driven drama isn't going to benefit much from the 5.1 portion of surround (although the general immersion might still be worth it).

Edited to add: Some of the scenes I've liked best in surround are actually those with "chatter" around the main focus. Say crowd noises or chatter from other tables in a restaurant. The immersion can be quite terrific and really improves my enjoyment of a movie.

"It just sounds better."

[CF DolFan]

Hahahahaha .... Only on TDMMC can someone asking for audio help can it get turned into a debate.

[Spider-Dan]

Doing a quick Google search for best movies for surround sound turned up quite varied lists, many dominated by "effects" movies like Jurassic Park and Prometheus. The Lord of the Rings trilogy also features heavily, as does The Hobbit and various Harry Potter movies.

Your first citations against the "action movies or bust" claim are...  two science-fiction movies and ~a dozen fantasy movies?   Those movies have a sizable amount of action content.

I don't doubt that there is some non-action content out there that employs the surround channels, but it's the equivalent of buying a 3D television to watch Silver Linings Playbook or 12 Years A Slave; you can do it, but why?

[fyo]

I don't doubt that there is some non-action content out there that employs the surround channels, but it's the equivalent of buying a 3D television to watch Silver Linings Playbook or 12 Years A Slave; you can do it, but why?

I'm not going to debate this with you. If you count any movie that has any action content as an action movie, then fine.

[Buddhagirl]

Hahahahaha .... Only on TDMMC can someone asking for audio help can it get turned into a debate.

I was just thinking the same thing. Love it!

Brian, I didn't know Sound Advice went out of business. Ha! I like that HHGregg store or whatever it's called.

And...yes I'm a Netflix junkie. It's pretty much the only thing I use.

[Buddhagirl]

I finally bought something after a bunch of research. I got a Toshiba soundbar with woofer. It was EXACTLY what I needed for my small space. I love it!