garymd Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 for the first time on my system last week. While I had my digital cable installed and my receiver pulled out, I decided to go ahead and hook up the multichannel I/Cs with my 555ES. Now I understand why many of you have big heritage and tubes running all these channels. I don't think I'll ever go to the trouble to do multi-channel the right way but I now have a greater appreciation for what many of you have done with your systems to make this work well. I'm still not convinced I'd prefer multi-channel recordings over 2-channel for most recordings but on some I can certainly understand the attraction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssh Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Gary, My placement options are not ideal, but Khorns, LaS (4), & a sub fill the room with music from everywhere, in multi-channel. If the music is mixed well, multi-channel is awesome. SSH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted January 25, 2005 Author Share Posted January 25, 2005 Nevermind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Gary, The RF3's are probably not the perfect sonic match, but there should not be any sound actually missing. I think there is something else awry here (Setup issue, cabling would be initial guesses). The RF3's are, I think 98 dB sensitivity - hardly shy - you might want to try boosting the rear channel signal level a bit and see if it helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfogg Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Gary, "Those rear channels are so weak it sounds almost as if entire channels are missing." Did you go through the setup to balance all your channels to the same level? If your receiver doesn't do this for the multichannel input (not all do) you will need to use the balance controls in the player. If your player supports it did you setup the time alignment and bass management options? "and my RS3IIs just weren't up to the task." If you have it setup well the RS3IIs can handle it fine. I'm using them as well. Shawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted January 25, 2005 Author Share Posted January 25, 2005 Nevermind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted January 25, 2005 Author Share Posted January 25, 2005 Nevermind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 I'm still not convinced I'd prefer multi-channel recordings over 2-channel for most recordings but on some I can certainly understand the attraction. +++++++++++++++++++ Gary; Hi res whether it is DVD-A or SACD can be implemented with a clear advantage over Redbook CD in many detail aspects of being musical and realistic. If system performance creates a exemplary sounsdstage; multi channel is not necessary for my listening satisfaction. Too much money and confusion. My mid fi multi channel system for movies is fine. The music that system creates is just not musical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 I think you've been spoiled by really excellent ONE-channel hi fidelity recordings and are merely reacting to the inherently phony nature of the multi-channel remix. My advice is to go spin some mono vinyl through your Khorns--all will be well again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted January 25, 2005 Author Share Posted January 25, 2005 Nevermind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olorin Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 No one has yet stated the obvious. The mains timbre match each other and nothing else, the surrounds timbre match each other and nothing else, and the center timbre matches nothing else. The surrounds, which in multi-channel music ought to be point sources, are of the wide dispersion type. Your system is highly de-optimized for multichannel listening. OF COURSE two Cornwalls on tubes sounds better than the melange of speakers you have being driven by something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted January 25, 2005 Author Share Posted January 25, 2005 ---------------- On 1/25/2005 11:54:00 AM Olorin wrote: No one has yet stated the obvious. The mains timbre match each other and nothing else, the surrounds timbre match each other and nothing else, and the center timbre matches nothing else. The surrounds, which in multi-channel music ought to be point sources, are of the wide dispersion type. Your system is highly de-optimized for multichannel listening. OF COURSE two Cornwalls on tubes sounds better than the melange of speakers you have being driven by something else. ---------------- I believe that was implied from the start. I know very well that my HT is not matched. I'm a 2-channel guy with a HT I can live with. I began by stating that I understand why many of you have 5 heritage speakers for multi-channel and can see the attraction. That's all. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olorin Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Sorry, I got in a hurry and wound up a little more abrupt than I meant to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 I too would love to hear a good 5 or 7 channel system with horns. For recordings intended to be played in surround I am sure the effect would be astonishing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn_male42 Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 So you tried listening to multichannel SACD with very mismatched speakers through a rather poor Sony receiver without setting the levels properly and you wonder why it sounded bad???? With all those factors, there was no way that it was going to sound good!!! I have 3 versions of DSOTM - vinyl, CD, and multichannel SACD. The SACD version is by far the best presentation of that material. Of course, I DID bother to match the levels of my channels and my Pioneer Elite 55txi is a much better sounding receiver than anything Sony has ever made. My speakers are not exactly matched - KLF-30's mains, KLF-C7 center, RS-3's for surrounds and yet my multichannel SACD's sound very good. Of course, it helps that most of my SACD's are either of Diana Krall, or from the Verve label, or from the telarc label! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 I'm really not all that familiar with Pink Floyd, but if my memory is correct it's the type of recording that could pretty easily be make to sound good in surround--lots of studio tricks and sound effects and MANY MANY tracks layered together. I have never owned this LP so I might be totally full of crap, however! The recordings that appeal to me for the most part are direct to one track (or maybe two!) live in the studio. THAT is high fidelity to me! And I think that any attempt to mix a "surround" version of these type of recordings would be phony--that's all I was trying to say. No offense to those that enjoy 5-channel! We just listen to different stuff, that's all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfogg Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Gary, "I guess I can program one of my settings for SACD play and try again." Just go through the setup in the player and it will balance your levels. Not doing this would be like listening to 2 channel with your balance control cranked to one side and complaining about the speakers sound on the other side. If the player offers time alignment for the multi-channel output make sure you set that up too. Time aligning the speakers make a large difference in the sound quality. Olorin, " The surrounds, which in multi-channel music ought to be point sources, are of the wide dispersion type." There is no hard and fast rule for this, what works for the listener is what is right for them. Besides, his surrounds are 'point source' for more of the music then they are 'wide dispersion.' And the "wide dispersion" is really just to keep them from having a narrower dispersion in the higher frequencies from a single horn tweeter than the dispersion from the woofer. The two tweeters are run in-phase not out of phase. Shawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 I give credit to those that have assembled systems and gone through the labor of love to have multi channel set up properly. It's just one more thing to add costs to do it right. Also, more avenues for possible equipment or Operator Failure. My 2 cents because I would not be able to afford to do it as well as I do 2 channel. Purely personal. dodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted January 25, 2005 Author Share Posted January 25, 2005 I think some of you missed my point. I was trying to say that I could understand why many of you go to the trouble of matching all your speakers and getting good gear to drive your multichannel recordings because, even though it didn't sound very good the way I had mine set up, I could hear the potential and wanted to give you guys credit for setting yours up properly. I KNOW MY SYSTEM IS SET UP POORLY FOR MULTICHANNEL RECORDINGS! Unless I move, I will never have the space in my family room to do this properly. Not just speakers, but the gear required. My downstairs system is for 2-channel only and will stay that way. Thank you for all your helpful responses. BTW - I have these DSOTM recordings: Original LP MFSL LP 200 gram LP reissue Original CD 25th Anniversary CD SACD Overkill? I think I'm missing the MFSL CD if one was ever made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 You must like this LP a little bit, eh Gary? I guess I'll have to give it a go some time. I remember when the record came out and everyone seemed to be smoking A LOT of pot and listening very carefully! I didn't "get it" then but with 30 years under my belt I might have half a chance. The same crew used to love Brian Eno's "Here Come the Warm Jets" with Robert Fripp's off-the-wall guitar solos. Are you familiar with that one? I must have heard it 100 times and still have recollection of the song 'Baby's on Fire." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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