General Forum

Re: Is it worth getting BL3 for my existing setup?

Alex — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:44:25 GMT

I see what you're saying, but in reality, when we see live performances, sound is coming from all around us in 360º.

The ideal system would have 4 'main speakers', 2 in front, 2 behind, and 1 above (floor reflections from directly below you are insignificant for listening). Unfortunately, while this may be the ideal system, it's the recording which matters most (how this whole thread effectively started).

Going back to the original topic - the B&O system works the best out of all the available systems I've used. You can choose specific speaker configurations with video, and with audio. Other systems seem to force you to either always have all the speakers on, only stereo, or automatic switching (even if you really want to listen in Dolby 3 on stereo sources, which the B&O system will let you do).

Re: Is it worth getting BL3 for my existing setup?

rayfenwick — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:40:18 GMT

I think at the end of it all, when it comes to music, 2 channels is the way to go, because we have 2 ears, and when we go to see a band/orchestra/opera etc they tend to all be on the same stage in front of us...

Sure, in films it is great to have spaceships flying overhead, helicopters landing behind you etc, and this is the role of multi-channel audio. In a battlefield, out in the street etc there are things going on all around you, and a surround setup certainly helps with that immersion.

But when playing a CD, Billy Joel didn't sit in front of you, playing a piano behind you.... The Who didn't make Entwistle "stand over there", so multi-channel audio is not the system to reproduce their music....

I can agree when at a gig you have noise all around, but the band is front and centre. The sounds from the side/behind are there so the people who didn't get good tickets can still hear something....

Of course, the sounds of the couple having an argument behind you may add to the feel, but do you really need to reproduce it in your own home?

Maybe a device that would elbow you in the back and spill beer on your shirt would add something also, but I can do without it

Re: Is it worth getting BL3 for my existing setup?

Puncher — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:31:04 GMT

Check out the date of the articles - it's seems highly unlikely to happen now as an audio only system.

It also sounds like some pseudo-surround system generated from two tracks. While it may give some spacial or immersive feel I doubt the integrity of the recording can be very well maintained. It certainly won't be 6 or 7 channels of full bandwidth uncompressed audio where the artist/producer has decided upon instrument positioning etc. (rather than some vague electronic decoder circuit).

The current SRS Circle Surround II processors are still aimed at surround sound home cinemas.

Re: Is it worth getting BL3 for my existing setup?

timhanna — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:39:00 GMT

"While SACD and DVD-Audio are vying to be the replacement for the traditional CD, the CD may be fighting back with a new twist: SRS Circle Surround Sound. Basically, while SACD and DVD-Audio have sonic advantages over traditional CDs and offer surround sound music playback, they require specifically equipped players and AV receivers. SRS Labs, however, has developed its Circle Surround to be encodable on standard CDs and still maintain complete compatibility standard CD players, whether connected to a stereo or surround sound receiver. In essence, if you play a Circle Surround encoded CD through a standard stereo receiver, you will get the standard stereo playback. However, if you play the Circle Surround encoded CD through a basic surround sound receiver, you can get a full 5.1 channel surround musical experience, depending on the receiver's decoding capabilities. For additional details on how this may affect the music landscape, check out the report from Stereophile Magazine." -- http://hometheater.about.com/b/2004/07/01/cd-surround-sound.htm

Interesting!

Re: Is it worth getting BL3 for my existing setup?

timhanna — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:34:21 GMT

nmartin771:

Yes, as far as I know.

By default it always switch speakers2 for audio source.

Ewww. So basically in my eyes, adding anything more than 1 pair of speakers and a sub is a waste of money! I do watch movies, but the main priority is sound!

So its probably best I just kept the BL74 and BL2 combination until i have enough money for BL9/5...

and if i then wanted surround sound, use some used BL6000 in the rear

Re: Is it worth getting BL3 for my existing setup?

nmartin771 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:09:18 GMT

Yes, as far as I know.

By default it always switch speakers2 for audio source.

Re: Is it worth getting BL3 for my existing setup?

timhanna — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:42:42 GMT

Thanks all.

Another question is what would happen if i installed rear speakers too? would the BS3 switch to speaker 2 still for CD audio?

Re: Is it worth getting BL3 for my existing setup?

Puncher — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:09:07 GMT

timhanna:

Thanks guys for the very useful info... is there a format that is encoded for surround sound music?

SACD and DVD-Audio were the "high def" surround sound format contenders, SACD's are still available although the take up has been poor and in truth it's all but a dead format for the masses although there is still some following among the classical, jazz and audiophile communities. What is apparent is that the majority of music now is bought by the iPod generation and they are happy with the generally poor quality of MP3 based music. The promise of better than CD quality surround sound didn't excite very many purchasers, that together with the fact that SACD's require a different playback machine, meant only a small number of enthusiasts took it up.

There's also an Audio-only profile among the Blueray specifications, meaning Blueray audio-only discs are possible (with the advantage that there will already be players out there capable of decoding the discs) but the marketing issues remain the same - will folk pay more for HD audio content or continue to buy cheap (or in the majority of cases free) low quality MP3-type content.

Re: Is it worth getting BL3 for my existing setup?

nmartin771 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:55:27 GMT

rayfenwick:

timhanna:

I see. The way I would love for it to work is so that the BL74 would kick in for high frequencies (voice?) the BL3 as a mid and the BL2 obviously for the sub...

I think that would get rather sonically confusing when playing back stereo sources, and sounds would be coming from all over the place, destroying the soundstage in the process...

Whilst I can agree it is sometimes, err, interesting to listen to stereo sources in a surround mode, I think L+R+ a centre channel that only has the "voice-pitch" sounds would somewhat ruin things for me....

Still, if you like it, that's all that counts...

I agree !

I have similar set up as I mention above, and listening CD from L-C-R really harm music .... Sound is more soft and some information is lost during this process.

BTW do someone knows how to change default setup for speakers on BC1 ?

Re: Is it worth getting BL3 for my existing setup?

timhanna — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:54:20 GMT

Thanks guys for the very useful info... is there a format that is encoded for surround sound music?

Re: Is it worth getting BL3 for my existing setup?

Puncher — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:49:58 GMT

Middle-Side does have it's place (although it is more common as a microphone recording technique than playback) - what it does give you is a true "mono" channel i.e. what you would hear on a mono radio.

My advice would remain, listen and enjoy stereo recordings on a conventional stereo speaker set-up, certainly don't listen to them with a 3-way speaker setup without proper decoding, it will certainly muddy the stereo image.

Re: Is it worth getting BL3 for my existing setup?

Alex — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:33:50 GMT

There are already crossovers in the system, but this is different.

What you're referring to is the splitting of high-frequencies (treble) off to the treble speakers, and lower frequencies/middle-frequencies (low/mids) to the woofer/midrage speaker.

In the case of your centre speaker, we're talking about assigning each speaker it's own channel of sound. On a CD, there are two channels of sound (left and right). The recording engineer/producer can choose to have an instrument coming out of either the left, the right or any mixture of both channels. When he/she does that, you get a 'stereo image' - a 'fake-band' or wall of sound appearing between the two main loudspeakers.

For this to happen, the left hand channel of audio must be played through the left hand speaker, and the right hand channel must be played through the right-hand speaker. What about the centre channel though? There is no 'centre-channel' of audio on a CD, only left and right. For this reason, you will always end up with better fidelity when playing the CD as it was intended - through two speakers, not through three.

Re: Is it worth getting BL3 for my existing setup?

timhanna — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:01:00 GMT

But how do things like car speakers work? They use cross-overs that assign particular frequencies to a particular driver... shouldnt the same idea be used in this case?

Re: Is it worth getting BL3 for my existing setup?

rayfenwick — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:56:27 GMT

timhanna:

I see. The way I would love for it to work is so that the BL74 would kick in for high frequencies (voice?) the BL3 as a mid and the BL2 obviously for the sub...

I think that would get rather sonically confusing when playing back stereo sources, and sounds would be coming from all over the place, destroying the soundstage in the process...

Whilst I can agree it is sometimes, err, interesting to listen to stereo sources in a surround mode, I think L+R+ a centre channel that only has the "voice-pitch" sounds would somewhat ruin things for me....

Still, if you like it, that's all that counts...

Re: Is it worth getting BL3 for my existing setup?

timhanna — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:37:45 GMT

I see. The way I would love for it to work is so that the BL74 would kick in for high frequencies (voice?) the BL3 as a mid and the BL2 obviously for the sub...