Question for audiophiles

[Lee Christie]

I'm really I'm to picture quality so I guess I'm a videophile, that's why I'm so excited about Blu-ray.

I want to ask what the big deal is with sound quality, it just doesn't really bother me, basicly I just need a pair of stereo speakers (actually i wouldn't really notice if it was a mono laptop speaker as long as I can hear the dialog) preferably with a volume control and an on/off button.

With video you can pause the movie, go up the screen, check out the sexy pixel count and color vibrance, the amount of detail you can see in a character's hair and skintone. I don't really see what you get out of 7.1 sound. You only have two ears anyway, why not just precompute how the X number of sound sources should sound at each ear given optimal distance and positioning of virtual speakers, then turn it in to 2 channels and wear headphones? Like THIS. Unless you get up and walk around the room and turn your head about a lot during the movie you wouldn't notice.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by Lee Christie

I'm really I'm to picture quality so I guess I'm a videophile, that's why I'm so excited about Blu-ray.

I want to ask what the big deal is with sound quality, it just doesn't really bother me, basicly I just need a pair of stereo speakers (actually i wouldn't really notice if it was a mono laptop speaker as long as I can hear the dialog) preferably with a volume control and an on/off button.

With video you can pause the movie, go up the screen, check out the sexy pixel count and color vibrance, the amount of detail you can see in a character's hair and skintone. I don't really see what you get out of 7.1 sound. You only have two ears anyway, why not just precompute how the X number of sound sources should sound at each ear given optimal distance and positioning of virtual speakers, then turn it in to 2 channels and wear headphones? Like THIS. Unless you get up and walk around the room and turn your head about a lot during the movie you wouldn't notice.

...same reason you dont stick to an analog black and white tv. You see a picture dont you? what difference if it has color, pixel count, contrast,brightness...blah blah blah.

Who the hell wants to wear headphones to watch a movie?

whats the point of this thread??

[LembasBread]

It's all about psychoacoustics. Yes, humans only have two ears, but because of the shape of our ears, or the pinna, we are able to localize sounds within our environment. Our head and even shoulders play a large role in the way we percieve sound as well.

While it is possible to get a "virtual" surround field with only two speakers, the way that Dolby Surround works, it sounds flat and when comparing it with 5.1 surround set-ups, you can obviously tell that it's only coming from two sources. The way that Dolby Surround works is with phasing, everything that is in the "surround field" by nature must be out of phase, and therefore mono and with a relatively small dynamic range.

Headphones are not the answer because 1) mixes were not and should never be done on headphones and 2) your big noggin is in the way to create a true stereo sound field. And while there are things like Dolby Headphone mixes on DVD's like Pearl Harbor and T2, they're still phony compared to a true 5.1 setup in which a human being can be literally immersed in a circular wall of sound with the proper monitor placement and loudspeaker calibration.

Now, 6.1 and up are still relatively new to the home video format though there are many, many other speaker combinations that have been experimented with, mostly with music where people have set up something like 22.4 channels of sound. So with that in mind, mixers are still experimenting with just how to use these "extra" channels of audio. Imo, the only DVD's that ever had any effective use (relative to human psychoacoustics) of all 6.1 channels of DTS:ES is Gladiator and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

5.1 audio was invented for the ability of producers and mixers to widen the possiblity of what one can do in the sound field. The fact that it helps to market home theatre systems and movies on video is just a bonus of that ability. That's why we've long had the ability of more than just two channels of audio.

[beakergeek]

MY GOODNESS! You are really missing out on alot!!! Surround sound is just that, it makes the movie have 3 dimentions whereas video is two dimentional. In a properly configured surround system if a spaceship is approaching from the rear and comes across the front you will hear it before you see it and it literally makes the movie come alive. There is a lot to different surround formats, speaker quality, amplifier quality, recording quality, etc. DVD has compressed sound which means some of the sound information was thrown out to make the soundtrack and the video track all fit on one puny DVD. The breakthrough with blu-ray is that the disc hold A LOT more information, hence, you can put a high quality 1080p picture AND an uncompressed soundtrack. This way the picture and sound are more true to the original motion picture. Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD are both compression algorythms that are supposedly lossless meaning you don't loose any of the sound information. Uncompressed PCM is not compressed at all, therefore, it is true to the original recording. Wow, there is a lot to explain, the bottom line is that surround sound is like turning the movie into a 3 dimentional experience. I recommend visiting a home theater dealer (NOT Best Buy) and listening to their demo room to get an idea of how much sound adds to the experience of a movie.

[Lee Christie]

I guess it's just me then.. I always have to have the lastest and greatest 3d graphics card for my PC, but i'm always more than happy with my motherboard's onboard sound because it means not having to buy a fancy sound card from Creative or whatever hat ends up sounding the same.

Are there any home theater chains in the uk? I'm not sure i've ever seen one

[jorg]

computer audioa is sooo much differnt and a good sound card runs u atlest 130$ just for the card that not even speakers

[darkpoet25]

Originally Posted by Lee Christie

I'm really I'm to picture quality so I guess I'm a videophile, that's why I'm so excited about Blu-ray.

I want to ask what the big deal is with sound quality, it just doesn't really bother me, basicly I just need a pair of stereo speakers (actually i wouldn't really notice if it was a mono laptop speaker as long as I can hear the dialog) preferably with a volume control and an on/off button.

With video you can pause the movie, go up the screen, check out the sexy pixel count and color vibrance, the amount of detail you can see in a character's hair and skintone. I don't really see what you get out of 7.1 sound. You only have two ears anyway, why not just precompute how the X number of sound sources should sound at each ear given optimal distance and positioning of virtual speakers, then turn it in to 2 channels and wear headphones? Like THIS. Unless you get up and walk around the room and turn your head about a lot during the movie you wouldn't notice.

I see it this way. Yes I only have two ears, but because of their location, they also allow me to hear 360 degrees of sound, both in front of me and behind me. Do you go to the movies? Most cineplexes play a 5.1 or higher soundtrack when screening a movie. The main point of a 7.1 setup is to experience that 360 degrees of sound immersing you in the movie itself. So I would rather hear movies this way as opposed to through headphones. I am both a videophile and audiophile. Why wouldn't I want both? You get to hear gunfire, canon blasts, cars zipping by not to mention having a subwoofer will really bring the roar of a jet or the reving of a car engine to life.

[Lee Christie]

i guess i'm just put off by the fact that to triangulate something in 2D you need 3 points of reference (hence the verb triangulate), and to locate something in 3D you need 4 points of reference. I don't really understand the shape of your head thing.

Why do you want to hear a loud jet engine? Isn't the dialog the most important sound in the movie?

[richteer]

Originally Posted by Lee Christie

I guess it's just me then.. I always have to have the lastest and greatest 3d graphics card for my PC, but i'm always more than happy with my motherboard's onboard sound because it means not having to buy a fancy sound card from Creative or whatever hat ends up sounding the same.

Are there any home theater chains in the uk? I'm not sure i've ever seen one

Jeez, if you're happy with PC sound, you haven't heard anything yet!

Specialist home theatre chains, almost by definition, don't exist. About the closest thing I can think of in the UK is Sevenoaks Hifi. But for a true high end experience, seek out a dedicated installer. NB High end audio, like anything else high end, can cost serious amounts of cash. Even if you can't afford to spend that much, you owe it to yourself to listen to a decent system anyway, to get a feel of what is possible.

[darkpoet25]

Originally Posted by Lee Christie

i guess i'm just put off by the fact that to triangulate something in 2D you need 3 points of reference (hence the verb triangulate), and to locate something in 3D you need 4 points of reference. I don't really understand the shape of your head thing.

Why do you want to hear a loud jet engine? Isn't the dialog the most important sound in the movie?

In a 5.1 or 7.1 setup there is a dedicated center channel for all dialog and a pair of front stereo speakers that play effects as well as dialog. All the rear speakers play the special effects and the subwoofer is self explanatory. I wasn't really refering to the shape of my head, but that our ears were made for hearing sounds in 3D. Sorry if there was any confusion in that. As far as the jet engine, it was in reference to the surround effect that it has. You still hear the dialog, but it hightens the overall effect of a jet taking off or in flight. If you have a copy of Flightplan or Gone In 60 Seconds try taking to a Home Theater store in England. Have them play it for you in a dedicated home theater room and see what I am talking about. Or if you know someone with a surround setup try watching a film there.

[Petra_Kalbrain]

I was never gung-ho on the idea of surround sound either, at first. I was able to comprehend the concept but thought that it wouldn't really affect my movie experience all that much... then I sat down and watched some action flick in a dark room with a high-end 5.1 sound setup. The next movie I watched in stereo made me feel like I was reading a book. From that moment on I understood what it meant to enjoy a film experience in the comfort of your own home.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! I give you the next evolution in AUDIOPHILE addict memorabilia... Husbands will lose their wives... their neighbours will have them evicted... and their existences will fall into a comfortable little niche right in the centre of....

THIS