Hi-Rez Highway

Posted by Robertc88 (A) on April 27, 2007 at 05:56:05

In Reply to: I have the SACD and have played it.... posted by Pacman on April 26, 2007 at 09:39:13:

Well it wasn't my connections nor a problem with the center channel speaker per se. The center is basically inaudible on some tracks unless I boost it considerably.

Try listening to track 7 with the center and without it and also disable the fronts and listen to that track only with the center. I'm sure you are going to notice without the center you are going to lose some musicians playing on that track. Unless I have a problem with my equipment which I don't think I do, it is the recording technique.

OTOH, some of thse tracks come through beautifully after I boost the center, especially #6. What an ear opener and example of high quality multichannel!

• Re: MCH Track - I Welcome All To Try It - Ted Smith 12:33:06 04/27/07 (4)
  In Reply to: MCH Track - I Welcome All To Try It posted by Robertc88 on April 27, 2007 at 05:56:05:

  Howdy

  I'll go out on a limb here. Have you taken a pink noise source and set the levels of your speakers using a meter?

  I purposely chose speakers with identical tweeters, identical midrange tho they had varying bass drivers. When I compared the differences I got when using a Radio Shack SPL meter to those I got using the Phonic PAA3 I was surprised. With the PAA3 I can get the highs to identical levels and not be confused by the differing bass responses. After having done this I never have the feeling of too little or too much center. What ever the people mastered is what I get.

  If your system is set up right, you are in the sweet spot and you aren't pushing the limits of your system it shouldn't matter much at all if the source was mixed to use the center a little or a lot.

  -Ted
  
  

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  • Unless We Speak About Specific Recordings... - Robertc88 09:03:32 04/28/07 (3)
    In Reply to: Re: MCH Track - I Welcome All To Try It posted by Ted Smith on April 27, 2007 at 12:33:06:

    What levels works for one doesn't necessarily work for another.

    I think the reason folks cannot hear the use of the center or rear speakers on recordings is because they really aren't utilized, even if just for ambience. It more like reverb is occuring for lack of a better description. It's basically inaudible for those extra speakers a good number of times I'm finding out, lots more than you folks may think. I have brought out in the past recordings recordings that basically don't use the center. Specifically, Telarc's Zander Mahler 5th is one of those. I don't profess to have superman's hearing but I can tell when one recording does and others don't. :) The lack of the use of it I hold those recordings in much lesser esteem from the best MCH ones. I still search today for an audiophile Mahler 5th.

    With classical music it's for ambience for the most part, the way it should be. When one starts losing musicians with jazz recordings because the level of the surrounds and center is too low, that isn't a good think. And believe me, there is specific musician's instruments coming from the center and surrounds on some jazz recordings and it just isn't ambience.

    Listen to the specific recording on this post. It isn't on all tracks but it is easily distinguishable. #7 is the best example.
    
    

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    • We'll just have to agree to disagree - Ted Smith 09:55:42 04/28/07 (2)
      In Reply to: Unless We Speak About Specific Recordings... posted by Robertc88 on April 28, 2007 at 09:03:32:

      Howdy

      I grant you that some recordings have more bass than others or more highs, etc. and that some feel a need to use a graphic equalizer to get each recording just right... Even tho I have a few discs I'd like to take the edge off of, I have no recordings that I want to raise the level of the rear vs. front or center vs. fronts, etc. In fact I'll go a little further, if you can hear whether the center is used or not on a disc without muting some channels, etc. then something is wrong with your setup (with the usual caveats: you are in the sweet spot, your system isn't being stressed, etc.)

      -Ted
      
      

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      • Until I Hear From More Folks About A Specific Recording - Robertc88 05:52:16 04/30/07 (1)
        In Reply to: We'll just have to agree to disagree posted by Ted Smith on April 28, 2007 at 09:55:42:

        I will not make a conclusion that it is my system. Lots of these multichannel recordings may be quirky (ie, mch not done right and no one can tell me they are all done right) but it isn't really going to matter as I'm going back to two channel for the duration of my listening to SACD.
        
        

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        • I can't comment on the center channel sound... - Pacman 09:27:00 04/30/07 (0)
          In Reply to: Until I Hear From More Folks About A Specific Recording posted by Robertc88 on April 30, 2007 at 05:52:16:

          for Lush Life since I went to a "phantom" center channel a couple of years ago. But I can say that I have a few hundred MCH discs and I always listen in MCH. I do make adjustments on the rear channel volume for some discs but the improvement in sound from 2CH to MCH is definately worth the few seconds it takes to adjust the volume of the rears. The vast majority take no adjustment whatsoever and I already know the settings of the few that I listen to regularly that need adjustment. I just set the rear volume before I listen. When I get to the point that I can't keep track, I'll just write the settings down on the album cover.

          Admittedly, getting the center channel perfectly dialed may take a bit more time. But the center can have a huge positive effect on the sound quality. Eventually, when I can afford a center speaker that is matched with my front mains, I will go back to an active center channel. If I have to tweak the settings a bit for a few discs - no problem!

          No one else has had the problems you had had with Lush Life so I suspect you got a lemon. Even if you did not, I suggest that you don't give up on MCH. The improvement in the sound with MCH is huge and it is definately worth a bit of tweaking with the volume controls.
          
          

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