Video in a Two-Channel World

[Moosbrugger]

Sorry, I may have asked about this in the past.

 

I've got a Peachtree Nova integrated amp through which I run my turntable, Apple TV, Tivo, and PS3. I understand the lack of a center speaker limits my sound when watching tv/movies (and, I assume, games on the PS3). I also notice that most of the amps I look at today don't seem to have enough inputs to accept a Tivo/DVR and game console along with a blue ray, turntable etc.

 

Do most people have a separate 5.1 (or 7.1) home theater system in addition to a two-channel setup?

[DaQi]

I have a Rotel RSP-1570 that I use for the home theater with 5.1 speakers. The front L and R are my main audio speakers. This processor can be configured to allow stereo source to pass through unmolested so that is what I use for 2-channel audio. In that sense it functions like a pre-amp only and doesn't "process" the sounds. Whereas, my 5.1 video source stuff gets processed accordingly.

[jcbenten]

I have a 2.1 Linn system downstairs and 2.0 system upstairs (will get a sub eventually) around a TV. I do not feel like I am missing anything as I mostly watch sports and PBS. Most of the movies I watch are on the iPad with earphones (Netflix) when I travel.

 

It all depends on what you watch.

[Moosbrugger]

I have a Rotel RSP-1570 that I use for the home theater with 5.1 speakers. The front L and R are my main audio speakers. This processor can be configured to allow stereo source to pass through unmolested so that is what I use for 2-channel audio. In that sense it functions like a pre-amp only and doesn't "process" the sounds. Whereas, my 5.1 video source stuff gets processed accordingly.

 

You have another pre-amp that processes the audio and then passes through the RSP-1570? (I guess that's a "home theater bypass"?)

[bdiament]

Sorry, I may have asked about this in the past.

 

I've got a Peachtree Nova integrated amp through which I run my turntable, Apple TV, Tivo, and PS3. I understand the lack of a center speaker limits my sound when watching tv/movies (and, I assume, games on the PS3). I also notice that most of the amps I look at today don't seem to have enough inputs to accept a Tivo/DVR and game console along with a blue ray, turntable etc.

 

Do most people have a separate 5.1 (or 7.1) home theater system in addition to a two-channel setup?

 

 

Hi Moosbrugger,

 

I was never a fan of "mono in the middle" but can see how it would be useful if the main pair are placed too far apart.

Outside of that, I've always said "I'd rather have two really good ones than five not-so-good ones." ;-}

I love watching movies (and concerts) projected between the Maggies.

 

Best regards,

Barry

Soundkeeper Recordings

The Soundkeeper | Audio, Music, Recording, Playback

Barry Diament Audio

[Audio_ELF]

I love watching movies (and concerts) projected between the Maggies.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12403[/ATTACH]

Lucky dog :-)

[jtm]

Do most people have a separate 5.1 (or 7.1) home theater system in addition to a two-channel setup?

 

Don't know about the majority of folks here at CA, but yes, I do have a separate multi-channel setup for homecinema, with dedicated AV-amp, Blu-ray Player, Satellite-Receiver, Front-Projector and screen, all backed up by a 7.1 speaker system.

 

Like Barry mentioned ... always good to stay with the specialists ...

[bdiament]

Lucky dog :-)

 

Hi Eloise,

 

Ever since the new cables arrived, Rosie has taken to sitting between the speakers, facing them. (She used to sit closer to one speaker or the other and not facing any particular direction.)

 

She also seems to favor certain artists more than others. (She wags her tail for Gershwin, and watches Richard Thompson and Los Lobos but some others will cause her to leave the studio.)

 

Dan the cat enjoys a good concert too.

 

Best regards,

Barry

Soundkeeper Recordings

The Soundkeeper | Audio, Music, Recording, Playback

Barry Diament Audio

[Audio_ELF]

Mine just has too much water in her ears...

[speavler]

I'm doing 2 separate systems right now in my family room - A 5.2 solid state system and a tubed stereo system. This only works for me because the 5.2 system is all on-wall speakers, and the subwoofers are built into the crawlspace (infinite baffle setup). Otherwise it'd be too cluttered for my tastes. Before the separate tube setup, I had a Krell preamp with theater bypass that integrated well with my AVR.

[DaQi]

Clarification... I pass the audio-out from my dac to an audio in on the RSP-1570. There is a setting that sends that input directly to the pre-amp portion of the RSP-1570 and then out to my power-amp (Rotel RMB-1075) as "by pass". So I use the the RSP-1570 to control volume and just have the DAC set at maximum. I actually started the system as a 2-channel system and choose my speakers based on listening to 2-channel music (actually a much longer story there that goes back many years and many upgrades). I have since expanded it to a 5.1 channel system. It is not the best home theater system and I notice a big difference in the audio quality when I switch from the digital inputs to the pass-through input. I actually use the same computer via an HDMI connection tot he RSP-1570 as video server.

 

I have built the system up piece by piece and have always enjoyed each incremental step up.

[mav52]

Don't know about the majority of folks here at CA, but yes, I do have a separate multi-channel setup for homecinema, with dedicated AV-amp, Blu-ray Player, Satellite-Receiver, Front-Projector and screen, all backed up by a 7.1 speaker system.

 

Like Barry mentioned ... always good to stay with the specialists ...

. Same here. I keep my 2chl separate from my dedicated HT which resides in another room.

[crisnee]

I don't miss a center speaker at all.

 

I use my stereo system for concert dvds and the like. However I use two Audioengine 2's as my daily tv speakers (powered by the tv's audio out). They are placed on the floor only a few feet from where I sit and about 5' apart, pointing up at the couch (they're at the base of the stands of my audio system's speakers). Lo and behold but the sound seems to come right from the tv which is much further back against the wall. The sound couldn't be centered better.

 

Chris

[Moosbrugger]

I also notice that a lot of integrated amps don't have enough (or the proper) inputs for, say, a TIVO/DVR, PS3/Xbox, AppleTv/Roku, Media Server. They seem to have a bunch of coax inputs, but I don't think I've ever owned a gizmo with a coax output.

[Jawaburger]

If I recall correctly, the center channel was introduced to help anchor the audio to the display so people sitting off axis, not in the sweet spot, would still have sound seemingly coming from the action being shown on the TV rather than just from the speaker sitting closest to them. If you are in the sweet spot, the center channel really doesn't do as much for a lot of material.

 

I personally only have the room and the money for one system, so I have spent some effort in trying to make the best of both worlds with one system for both surround sound and for two channel stereo. If I win the lottery, you bet I will have two systems though.

[DaQi]

That has been my rationale as well. The system is mainly built around an emphasis on the audio portion although I do enjoy the video as well.