Floyd Toole's Multichannel Audio Chapter in His Book

[jtalden]

Quick question, Griesinger recommends surround speakers to go down to 40hz to increase envelopment. But if the front wides are just encoding to provide reflections are big speakers necessary? Obviously I will match the timbre of the rest just curious how small I can go? I DIY speakers to no probs in making what I want.

Well, Griesinger is the expert and I haven't seen the context of that statement. That just opens up more questions for me. Possibly he was referring to the effectiveness of surround speakers in general without bass management? In that case that would make sense. Most all of us are now redirecting bass from all the surround channels to SWs anyway so they go below 40 Hz.

My take on the 2 studies you referred to in Toole is that they are primarily considering the augmenting of stereo music for the effective sensation of envelopment. My understanding is the IACC effect (envelopment sensation) is above the bass range as a result of our head size. When instead discussing multichannel and particularly directed movie effects a more capable surround speaker is needed. In that case, if we want the aircraft overhead, we best put a speaker there, but it is still not clear to me that it would need to be 40 Hz capable if we use bass management.

 

[Sonnie]

From his own words... I concluded that there was no single speaker arrangement that can perfectly satisfy all playback modes, so this is a compromise, a Trinnov suggestion.

I believe he has a nice setup for movies and surround, but I'm not so sure it's the best for critical two-channel music, which is the format most prevalent at this point in time for music. It appears he has two chairs for center, but not one dead center. My thinking is if he were mainly a music guy, his setup would be different... just my thinking out loud, as I obviously don't know the man's mind-set.

Then again, perhaps he moves the center chair for two-channel... Room: 19 x 22.5 x 8-11 ft high. Listening distance 11 ft for stereo and for ideal immersive movie viewing

Ironic that his room is almost the same dimensions as my room... 19.5 x 23.5 x 8.5... with the exception my listening position is 9.5ft from the speakers (assuming he is referring to distance to speakers for his "Listening distance 11 ft").

I am very curious about depth acuity during two-channel listening with his speakers right up next to the wall. I've never been able to get that to work for me with any speakers I've had in my room. I've always modeled my two-channel setup to resemble what Cardas does here: http://www.cardas.com/room_setup_rectangular_room.php

Of course he fit the system to the room, which is why he has some compromises... understandable.

 

[Sonnie]

I've got it dialed in pretty good right now, but I want to do it with Audiolense and not Dirac, which I'll work on after I get my listening position down for these new speakers. Don't get me wrong, it sounds great, but I think it can still improve a little, although I need some flexibility in my listening position, which I don't have... yet... it's coming.

 

[Sonnie]

Do the Martin Logan's have ARC built in?

Yes they do... and it certainly helps for the low end.

 

[Sittler27]

How would this tool help me get bette rsound in my HT?

 

[Sonnie]

I guess I waited too late... $86 is a bit much, even if it's really good.

I was able to download this on Kaleidescape for $14.99 and I watched it last night in Atmos. So... it was good, very different, but good. Perhaps a bit over the top with the war stuff, but that's just Roger being Roger.. Atmos doesn't replace two-channel by any means. I see it as a different way to listen. I don't think The Wall (this recording) would sound better on two-channel, but at the same time, it wasn't made for two-channel. There are some of the songs that I personally think sound better on my two-channel setup when played from the two-channel source. For what I've heard thus far, Atmos is simply another option for enjoyable listening, but it won't ever replace my two-channel listening.

 

[pratul]

Watched this on Amazon Prime the other day. It is in 5.1 and sounded great. I enjoyed it.

 

[Sonnie]

Watched this on Amazon Prime the other day. It is in 5.1 and sounded great. I enjoyed it.

View attachment 41249

I have this on DVD and it is indeed good.