So many Surround Modes...So little knowledge

[a_mattison]

:D Alright, I got my AVR 635 today. Just got it hooked up 5 minutes ago. Unfortunately my wife is sleeping on the couch. Doh! So, I haven't run the Easy EQ (don't have an SPL meter) or done any tweaking. I'm playing a little Nora Jones right now at -60db and even at these very low levels am astounded at the 'big' feel of the sound. What a big difference. Anyway...tweaking tomorrow....on to my question.....

:confused: I only had Dolby Digital on my JVC receiver.....I am going to run five channel (plus sub) surround. What the hell are all these surround choices and which one should I use for five channel surround? What is NEO 7?

[Tour2ma]

Neo (no idea what it stands for) is a matrixing program for creating a 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 soundfield from a 2 ch source.

Here are a couple of decent reads on surround mode basics...

http://www.soundblaster.com/resources/read.asp?articleid=53912&cat=4

http://www.axiomaudio.com/surroundsound.html

[a_mattison]

Are there any advantages of DTS over Dolby Digital?

I briefly listened (and still haven't tweaked) to music in Logic 7 Music setting this morning. Adds impressive realism to some music, but makes others sound like you are in a stadium. Not sure yet what I think about that...need more listen time.

Later, Aaron

[zombie boy 2000]

Some random observations w/ my HK:
steer clear of any Hall 1/Theatre 1/Hall 2/Port-a-Potty 1, etc. modes as i am sure you have discovered they sound like garbage...
i'm in full agreement with you on the Logic 7 for music, but prefer it over all other modes (in Cinema mode) for HT
If I must venture from 2 channel-stereo to a surround sound format while listening to music (the wife prefers it when she's scrubbing every square inch of time and space around our apartment), then Dolby Pro Logic II Music w/ oversampling on suits us best -- as it seems to do maintain the integrity of the front soundstage moreso than the other surround modes.
On the rare occasion, and on only certain CDs where it seems to work (the Rapture's last album being one), VMAX far/near is fun to play with providing a sort of "faux-surround sound" presentation ala the surroundbar while using only the left and right channels. But again, this sounds really good on a handful of CD's -- and more like the bastard cousin of two frying pans making cacaphonous love on all others.
For what it's worth...

[aaharvel]

depends on if you have a 5.1 or 7.1 setup. Mine is a 5.1 setup, therefore i use logic 7 music and cinema for 2.0 analog sources, be it cable, cd or vinyl.

For dvds i leave it in it's native dolby digital or dts.

if you have a 7.1 setup, i would just use dolby prologic IIx for everything.

dts neo:6 modes and 5ch/7ch. stereo modes are awful.

[thehaens@cox.net]

DTS uses a less compression as DD, you will notice a more dynamic soundtrack using DTS. With HD DVD and Blu Ray upon us. We are going to see another format. DTS HD, which "promises" to be no compression...If you get a chance to pick up the latest Home Theater Magazine, they have a pretty good write up for the next HD formats coming (Dolby True HD and DTS HD)..

http://www.dvdreview.com/html/road_to_hidef_2.html

Scott

[a_mattison]

Thank you for the clarification! I was listening to the Logic7 Music surround today after calibrating and think I am going to like it (we'll give it a shot for a while anyway)

[jeffwalter]

You always want to use one of the digital processing modes for DVD or Cable/Sat if it is available. The logic modes on the HK are for purely nonencoded material and are to create a spacious soundfield from a 2 channel analog source. Use them if you like them. Personally I have not used mine.

[a_mattison]

You always want to use one of the digital processing modes for DVD or Cable/Sat if it is available. The logic modes on the HK are for purely nonencoded material and are to create a spacious soundfield from a 2 channel analog source. Use them if you like them. Personally I have not used mine.

Yea, since I made that post I have gone back to 2-channel for music. Going to get one of the EAgles DVD's in DTS if I ever get a spare moment though.

[Willow]

I dont use any surr. modes. I use DD or DTS for movies and 2ch stereo for my cds on my HK. I also use analogue cables for my cd player.