How Much Better Can Audio Get?

[stockstar1138]

I'm going to make a major investment into an audio system soon. I'm just curious before I make this investment if something bigger and better is going to come out shortly (a few years), because I won't go balls out if there is.

It just seems to me that it can't get much better than 7 channel, uncompressed (PCM) surround sound. Am I right?

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

I'm going to make a major investment into an audio system soon. I'm just curious before I make this investment if something bigger and better is going to come out shortly (a few years), because I won't go balls out if there is.

It just seems to me that it can't get much better than 7 channel, uncompressed (PCM) surround sound. Am I right?

That's about the end point for currently released technology. You can do all kinds of stuff - get built-in decoders in your receiver for the current high end sound modes, and all that - but it's seven audio channels, and one subwoofer channels.

How many speakers you connect to that regime is another question. It's another case of, what comes first, software or hardware? Ironically, even 5.1 equipment still sounds terrific.

[Psiweaver]

Things will always get better though that doesn't make old technology bad it just makes it different. Film for instance still gives a great look and I love watching film. Vinyl has way better sound quality than CDs or DVDs. The present is always a great time to jump into something because you can always upgrade or work from there.

[Milksnake]

Audio has peaked out with vinyl. I do like the sound that blu ray has to offer but it's not even close to the sound of true analog.

[olitas]

Actually movie theather are in 10.2, a DTS format, go check dtsonline.com
The only intergrated system that I know of is a DENON 5000series and a yamaha. The Yamaha is a lot lower in price and has all the current sound decoders and 10.2 discret in for the day it's available. Contraly to the denon system that only has one advantage (2 independent room in 5.1) the yamaha will offer multi-room hook with-out switching wires and presence speakers in the main room (a yamaha featured that gives the impression of a bigger livingroom) and bi-wireing of the main speakers at the same time. The Yamaha is a lot lower in price too. But if your looking for the best STEREO (2 channels) system in a integrated home system the denon sounds better

[ManUtd]

I don't think there will be any source that will be available to consumers beyond 7.1 in the next few years. Now when you say major investment, did you mean receiver or pre/pro + amp and speakers/subwoofer setup? What did you have in mind?

[Bobby Henderson]

Actually movie theather are in 10.2, a DTS format, go check dtsonline.com

Despite the availability of the DTS XD-10 scalable digital audio player for commercial movie theaters, the vast majority of digital audio tracks in movie theaters is merely 5.1.

Out of the box, the DTS XD-10 unit is capable of 8 channel playback in the 5 screen channel, 2 surround channel, 1 LFE channel layout similar to Sony's SDDS-8 format. Optional expansion cards can boost the unit's capability to handle larger, experimental layouts like 10.2 surround.

So far, no theatrical movie release has ever used a 10.2 surround layout. Very few have even taken advantage of the 8-channel capability that has been available in SDDS for over a decade.

Usually, when a movie features a discrete 6.1 channel or 7.1 channel mix on DVD or Blu-ray that mix was created specifically for home video release.

The audio mix is one of the very last things produced on a movie release. Unfortunately lots of movies have the audio post produced in very short amounts of time with very demanding deadlines. The theatrical release may feature a quickie sort of mix. And then it will get tweaked and re-worked a bit more carefully as material is being prepared for home video.

[tommyboy81]

Maybe a 8.1 THXHD MA Surround sound.

[MatrixS2000]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

I'm going to make a major investment into an audio system soon. I'm just curious before I make this investment if something bigger and better is going to come out shortly (a few years), because I won't go balls out if there is.

It just seems to me that it can't get much better than 7 channel, uncompressed (PCM) surround sound. Am I right?

hahaha...slippery slope you're on with audio equipment - I have a basement full of stuff I no longer use....

There is always something better to be had.

[Slec]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

I'm going to make a major investment into an audio system soon. I'm just curious before I make this investment if something bigger and better is going to come out shortly (a few years), because I won't go balls out if there is.

What are you looking at picking up?

[JohnGalt]

Good speakers, a good sub (or two ... or four), and good amp(s) will be useful in your audio system basically forever. You really can't go wrong putting money there if audio is something you enjoy.

[stockstar1138]

Originally Posted by Slec

What are you looking at picking up?

a receiver that does dts-hd ma, truehd, pcm, and supports 7.1. and some mid to upper quality speakers. ill probably get a standalone bd player too, unless PS3 gets a nice update.

[invictus]

Don't listen to Vandelay, he is in the latex business.

[bix105]

Speaking of SDDS... whatever happened to that?? I haven't seen an SDDS theater in years

[ManUtd]

Originally Posted by invictus

Don't listen to Vandelay, he is in the latex business.

LOL! Hey that's my other job, I'm primarily an architect.

stockstar1138, have fun shopping around...it's have the fun.

[dobyblue]

Don't expect the movies to change dramatically in fidelity anytime soon.

Also with the exception of no hiss, crackle and pops, I think the better SACD and DVD-Audio discs are equally as good as vinyl and they can add several more channels of audio.

Multi-channel music isn't for everyone, but I hunger for it.

[Bobby Henderson]

Speaking of SDDS... whatever happened to that?? I haven't seen an SDDS theater in years

There's still a good number of SDDS systems still in use. "Quad format" SR/SRD/DTS/SDDS 35mm are still commonly ordered by most major movie studios, although studios like Fox and Paramount have excluded the SDDS tracks on some releases. Most independent movies just use Dolby Digital or just go with SR stereo.

Some SDDS systems do get taken out of service. Sometimes it's a LED-based film reader failure or the rack mount processor loses some crucial components. It's not a well supported product anymore. Same goes for the oldest generation of DTS players. Those systems are so old you can't get replacement parts for them anymore -you have to scrounge still working parts from other spare systems. The conversion to digital cinema is taking a lot of film-based digital sound systems out of service.

[dobyblue]

Also remember that very few movies with an SDDS soundtrack are using the full 8 channels.

I saw The Fifth Element in Toronto at the Uptown Cinema, which was a THX certified and SDDS certified cinema (Cinema 1), and to this day it is the best aural experience I've ever had...in a cinema. It flat out freaking rocked..and it was an 8 channel encode.

Sadly they knocked it down a few years ago because it wasn't handicapped accessible, despite several other cinemas in the area which are. We lost one of the best screens in North America.

The last film to have an 8 channel SDDS encode was June 2007's "Surf's Up"

The last studio to make an 8 channel SDDS encode that wasn't Sony was 2004's Oceans 12 from Warner.

Current movies for 2008 with SDDS tracks:

Oct-08	RocknRolla
Oct-08	Where the Wild Things Are
Sep-08	Inkheart
Sep-08	Passengers
Aug-08	Case 39
Aug-08	Wild Child
Aug-08	Towelhead
Aug-08	The Pineapple Express
Jul-08	Journey 3D to the Center of the Earth
Jun-08	Get Smart
Jun-08	Wanted
May-08	Speed Racer
May-08	Made of Honor
May-08	Son of Rambow
Apr-08	Baby Mama
Apr-08	Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Apr-08	Redbelt
Apr-08	Amusement
Apr-08	The Forbidden Kingdom
Apr-08	Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Apr-08	Killshot
Apr-08	Shine a Light
Apr-08	Leatherheads
Mar-08	21
Mar-08	Drillbit Taylor
Mar-08	Under the Same Moon
Mar-08	Never Back Down
Mar-08	Horton Hears a Who!
Mar-08	Sleepwalking
Mar-08	Snow Angels
Mar-08	10,000 B.C.
Feb-08	Possession
Feb-08	The Other Boleyn Girl
Feb-08	Semi-Pro
Feb-08	Married Life
Feb-08	Bangkok Dangerous
Feb-08	The Spiderwick Cronicles
Feb-08	Jumper
Feb-08	Definitely, Maybe
Feb-08	Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
Feb-08	Fool's Gold
Feb-08	Strange Wilderness
Feb-08	Over Her Dead Body
Jan-08	Meet the Spartans
Jan-08	How She Move
Jan-08	Untraceable
Jan-08	Be Kind Rewind
Jan-08	27 Dresses
Jan-08	Cloverfield
Jan-08	Mad Money
Jan-08	Bar Starz
Jan-08	The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, A Veggie Tale
Jan-08	Pride and Glory

[Galley]

Ultra High Definition Video uses a 22.2 surround sound system.

[unreal1080p]

Originally Posted by invictus

Don't listen to Vandelay, he is in the latex business.

No No No... Vandelay is an importer/exporter

P.S. Lupus? Is it Lupus?