Home Cinema or Stereo

[Soren Schjodt]

Hey, I wanna ask if you guys have experiences switching from
Surround to Stereo and did you regret it after doing it. I have a yahama advantage 850 and Monitor Bx the old series set up in a 7.2 system. I'm a bit tired of all those speakers so im thinking of chance to Stereo.

 

[markw]

You can run only two speakers from what you have now and see for yourself if you like it.

 

[lovinthehd]

That's an advantage of a multi-ch receiver, it can do stereo as well....I have dedicated 2ch gear in a spare bedroom to play around with, but prefer more options with my main setup (9.4 at the moment).

 

[KenM10759]

I have an NAD T758 7-channel receiver. I use it over 95% of the time in it's stereo (2.1 channel) mode and it sounds good. The rest of the time, like when I watched Tron Legacy today, I've got it in a 5,1 surround mode. It takes a single button push to change it's mode, I don't know what could be easier. The center and surround speakers are not in the way of anything when they're not being used.

Of course it's probable I could have higher sound quality with a high end integrated amp or pre-amp and amplifier combination, but spending money on room treatments would be the bigger improvement for the money spent.

What do you use your system for and why would you wish to change? The system in your photo doesn't look bad at all, but you're the one who has to look at it.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

You could downsize from 7.2 to 5.2 and not lose all that much, from a surround-sound perspective.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[herbu]

Hey i wana ask if you guys have experinces swithing from Surround to Stereo

Absolutely. I do it every day. Often more than once. My Front Left/Right speakers are much better than my surround speakers. They make surround TV/Movies better, and stereo music great.

If you want to know whether you'd miss surround, just watch TV/movies in stereo for a while with the system you have. Personally, I would quickly miss it.

 

[JOHN FICKEL]

Yea, a properly set up stereo system, will do both (stereo) and surround. I know many systems that have, just like you, mains, and subs.... With that being said, it all depends on your listening taste. I would also recommend (experiment) for a while . It all depends on your ears. And if you're happy that's all that matters. Surroundsound done properly is awesome though. It's just that many piece meal them together, with all sorts of unmatching speakers. And not being set up properly.

 

[KenM10759]

I rarely have the attention span it takes to sit through a whole movie with my 5.1 system. On Saturday I had stopped by the two record stores near me that sit side by side, and walked away with 3 BluRay movies and 4 CD's. That night I watched Gone Baby Gone at subdued levels and it was OK, soundwise.

Yesterday I was determined to (for once) see what my system could actually do with 5.1 so I played Tron Legacy at a much higher volume. It was a revelation. For the first time I got all of what my modest sub could do, and all of what my very good matching speakers could do when driven by my NAD T758 receiver. I was VERY happy with the outcome!

My point is that it took little more than a few button pushes (mostly on the BluRay player) to go from the 2.1 channel stereo that I use almost all the time and go to glorious surround sound. Perhaps my receiver is more oriented to music than others, but that should make it harder to work. It didn't. I would completely lose that movie joy if I were to have anything less.

As Wayne said you could lose two speakers and not suffer too much, but lose the whole thing to stereo only? I know I just couldn't.

 

[JOHN FICKEL]

True. There are so many good surround sound receivers / pre-amp processors that can do multiple things phenomenally. But then again it all depends on the person or persons setting it up. It's like a race car, You can give somebody the fastest car in the world, doesn't mean they can win a race. Depends on who is in the driver seat. ( Same goes for home theater or stereo set ups.) just because you have great equipment doesn't mean great sound.. My suggestion to anybody, who is just into stereo, is buy the best ( main speakers) that you love, The absolute best you can afford.. (And down the road you can always buy the matching center and matching surrounds ). The key is (matching ). And down the road if you decide surround is not for you, Still end up with a phenomenal left and right main speaker .

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I'd suggest to start playing with speaker locations, especially ones in the front:
1) Move the center to forward edge of table. Table surface will create unwanted sound reflections - this is must do in any case.
2) move fronts forward as well to match new location of center and also try to play with toe-in
3) subs - having them in the front may not be ideal location - read on main site on how to position subs in the room
4) after all these changes done - re-run YPAO auto calibration.

 

[JOHN FICKEL]

Absolutely!! I just moved my center channel forward quite a bit lol. You're absolutely right, speaker location is everything especially room acoustics. Awesome post

 

[KenM10759]

Could also try moving the right hand sub to the right rear of the room, allowing the right front speaker to be moved away from the corner it's in.

 

[JOHN FICKEL]

Yea very true. my subs sound best in opposing corners.

 

[Don G.]

Hey, I wanna ask if you guys have experiences switching from
Surround to Stereo and did you regret it after doing it. I have a yahama advantage 850 and Monitor Bx the old series set up in a 7.2 system. I'm a bit tired of all those speakers so im thinking of chance to Stereo.

I went from 7.1 with very large speakers in every position to a 5.1 with satellite speakers and a sub. Then I got rid of all of it and invested in a high quality 2.1 system. I don't miss the surround at all. Not even a little bit.

 

[KenM10759]

I wouldn't miss it one bit either...if I had a music listening space to myself and never ever wanted to watch the Superbowl in all it's glory...or a movie.

That room is coming, someday.

One compromise I would definitely consider if the budget was available would be the Linn Exakt & Magik speaker system I recently heard. In my life I had never before heard a 2-channel system deliver such true-to-life surround sound. It was otherworldly good.

 

[JOHN FICKEL]

I wouldn't miss it one bit either...if I had a music listening space to myself and never ever wanted to watch the Superbowl in all it's glory...or a movie.

That room is coming, someday.

One compromise I would definitely consider if the budget was available would be the Linn Exakt & Magik speaker system I recently heard. In my life I had never before heard a 2-channel system deliver such true-to-life surround sound. It was otherworldly good.

I wish there was someway I could hear those speakers, How did it sound in just 2 channel ? I personally think this Dolby Atmos is getting a bit ridiculous! Who the hell wants to put speakers in the ceiling .

 

[KenM10759]

John,

In straight 2-channel it also sounded amazing. The reason is because the Linn Majik Exaktbox-1 is a digital crossover and integrated amp that Linn had tailored specifically to their Linn Magik 140 speakers that I was listening to. The speakers are designed in such a way that their internal crossover is built onto (attached to) the rear binding post plate and when that plate is removed the 4 drivers of the speaker can be connected directly to the (8 of) 10 channels coming from the Linn Majik Exaktbox-1 unit. With the Exaktbox in total control, you can actually tailor the output in a very precise, equalized way. I can say unequivocally that that system made a pair of $3000 speakers sound far better than many $15,000 per pair speakers I've heard.

The fly in the ointment? It's the nearly $10,000 worth of Linn electronics it takes to do that. Linn has partnered with B&W to fit the system to their 800D3 and 802D3, and with KEF to fit it to the KEF Reference 5. I hope to see it trickle down to other speakers, Linn says it will happen. I heard that direct from the Linn rep for North America at a local dealer event.

 

[JOHN FICKEL]

Thanks for the reply. I am extremely happy with my system right now. But Always trying to find ways to improve upon.