Home theater vs. high-end audio
Subscribe to Ask Paul Ask a QuestionHome theater afficianados go to great lengths adjusting their systems with DSP and microphones while 2-channel enthusiasts plop down the speakers and go. Why the difference?
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Isn’t the core reason for having DSP and room measurements as mandatory functions for home theater that the videos are mixed/mastered for a precisely defined arrangement of loudspeakers? And aren’t home theaters finally set-up in a dedicated room – not in the living room where most stereo systems are located? I never had the wish to clutter my living room with dozens of mediocre loudspeakers nor with a giant plasma screen. Not to mention the cabling. But imho even stereo requires DSP for taming room modes and a best match of subwoofers. Even the “analog” signal from the turntable requires this kind of “treatment” optimization!
I gave up on home theater years ago. I find it to be extremely fatiguing to my ears and my nerves. Can be fun and impressive for about 5 minutes – but a 2 hour movie? – no way! And so darn complicated and expensive to get right. For me, the return on investment is much greater in the 2 channel world of music. The closest I come now to HT is videos of concerts. But even then, since it is music, its strictly 2 channel sound with a sub. For TV shows and movies, my family and I find the quality of sound from big screens now is pleasantly sufficient and the least fatiguing. My 2 cents.
IF i was more ambitious, I’d pull my HT receiver and take it to the other room and hook it up to the 2 channel stuff and run Audyssey just to see what it did in terms of correction. It will never happen because of the mess of cables and connections. Might be interesting though.
I’m sorry, but I disagree strongly. Regardless of the “optimal” positioning of speakers in the room, and the listening spot, the room still has major impact on the sound. My husband’s use of REW to test this clearly showed peaks and nulls that can only be partially improved by positioning or room “bass traps”.
The reason there is no Audyssey or more DSP used is that it is not very available in two channels equipment. We run everything digital and using DSP is complicated. After REW, you have to program the DSP, test, retest, etc. Or adding DIRAC to the Mac Mini is complicated too.
It would be very useful if most DACs allowed practical DSP beyond the software (we use JRiver) or added DIRAC. I think very few two channel DACs do so.