DTS Neo 6 vs. Dolby Pro Logic II (CONSOLIDATED THREAD) (2 Viewers)

[Evan M.]

Uh oh, here we go again ......what did I tell ya . Before this happens again please review the WHOLE thread to see the discussions that already took place.

 

[LiorM]

FeisalK,

... they are currently hampered by only having 2 channel playback systems in place ...

Let's leave for the moment the debate whether the sound engineerartist are chained to the 2 ch mix.
BTW, they are not ... but as a matter of fact it does not matter at all.
What's important is that the reference they are using is 2 ch system, and playing that exact material on an utterly system will produce a distorted picture .
That simple !

 

[Shiu]

I am sitting on the fence on this one because for certain music I enjoy the effect created by PLII NEO6 etc. However, for classical music I am sticking with stereo. When I go to concert, the orchestra is in front of me. I am counting on the two channel speakers to reproduce the sounds of those instruments as faithfully as possible. If I had never been to live concerts (clssical), I could probably live with those "sound effects".

Evan, glad to see we all seem to be open minded afterall. This is a great forum!

 

[Lewis Besze]

Since most aduio cd's are mixed while using only 2 speakersI assume they intend to be played on a stereo system...
Any dsp, no matter how good or sophisticated it is,
will change ! the original intention of the artiste or the sound engineer.

That maybe so,but what ever happaned to the listener's prefference. Is that count for something?

 

[David Judah]

Any dsp, no matter how good or sophisticated it is,
will change ! the original intention of the artiste or the sound engineer

That's a slippery slope argument, IMO. After all, even when the music is played back in stereo, chances are very good that the sounstage you hear at home will be quite different from what the engineers heard in the studio.

For that reason, I'm with Feisal that on our end we should be concerned with recreating an enveloping sounstage in our playback space. I would add that it does little good to be concerned about what someone's intentions were in a different place, with different equipment who was preparing the material knowing it would be reproduced on a wide range of playback systems of varying quality.

I think some of you could make an argument by saying that the way some instruments are miked or mixed for two-channel that it could not be conducive to matrix surround decoding, but I think most proponents of using DPL II/DTS Neo for two-channel stuff would agree that positive results are material dependant. In my experience though it is a rare problem with pop/rock music.

DJ

 

[LiorM]

David Judah

but what ever happaned to the listener's prefference

Even more true and that is the point !
To me, decoding this material in DPLII or NEO6 is like plugin your acoustic guitar and combine an additional guitar track ... and adding some echoing for that track.
I know it's an extreme example but the point is that when you start changing stuff why not going to extreme ... ?

 

[Roger Dressler]

LiorM wrote:

I know it's an extreme example but the point is that when you start changing stuff why not going to extreme ... ?

Of course you may go to the extreme if you like--there is a plethora of DSP modes ready to do your bidding. But the reason why not do that, in my opinion, is to stay as close to the source as possible, just presenting the program in a surround space instead of a stereo space.

 

[Shiu]

The Orange County Performing Arts center has some very interesting accoustic properties. During a concert of Beethoven: Missa Soleimnis,I could swear I've heard some of the choral voices eminating from the back.I was actually turning around a couple of times to be sure not one of the attendant "singing along". It wasn't.

Lewis, if you place a nice set of speakers in that same arts center and play the same piece in stereo recording, I wonder if the same interesting accoustic properties could still make you turn around and check............just curious............

 

[Jonathan Dagmar]

I think some of you could make an argument by saying that the way some instruments are miked or mixed for two-channel that it could not be conducive to matrix surround decoding, but I think most proponents of using DPL II/DTS Neo for two-channel stuff would agree that positive results are material dependant. In my experience though it is a rare problem with pop/rock music.

I would agree 100%. I find that the more fuller and agressive the music is to begin with, the better it sounds in Pro Logic 2. Almost ANY rock musis qualifies. I think one of the greatest songs for PL2 is Queen's Bohemian Rapshody. Try it, it's great fun.

I also find that Big Band and Jazz sound great in PL2. The Chicago soundtrack is a lot of fun.

I would also add that the format of the source makes a difference. Most CDs sound great in PL2, but I have found that when PL2 is applied to nearly any MP3 file it only serves to amplify it's shortcomings.

 

[Lewis Besze]

Even more true and that is the point !To me, decoding this material in DPLII or NEO6 is like plugin your acoustic guitar and combine an additional guitar track ... and adding some echoing for that track.

Technically you're completelly wrong,but let's put that aside. Others look this differently[ in theory] which is why it's their prefference.They couldn't care less about artist/engenieer's intent,they care about what they like to hear,what's wrong with that?

 

[WilliamMc]

And then there are those of us that have become a little bored with music over the years. Using PL2 has renewed my interest in listening to many of my farvorites again, but with a new twist.

To change gears, I recently downloaded a 5.1 dolby wav of a live jazz proformance. The track was recorded and encoded by the performer himself. WOW! I have been coverted! In the past I have owned much better highend gear than the avr I'm using now, but this was the most impressive musical presentatation I have ever heard. No Dark side of the moon effects here with instruments out of every channel, but rather a recreation of the room and performers! I was there, I was in the audience, and I was digging it! No live performance should ever, ever be recorded in 2 channels again.

P.S Where can I find more properly encoded 5.1 dd wavs on the net?

 

[Vader]

Real general (and probably naive) question....

I understand that NEO:6 is the DTS answer to Pro-Logic II, but can NEO be used on a Dolby Surround track. Or, should NEO be used only on a DTS 2.0 track (is there such a thing?), and DPLII only on Dolby 2.0 Surround tracks?

 

[Phil Iturralde]

... and DPLII only on Dolby 2.0 Surround tracks?

Again, like DTS Neo 6, any DPL or 2-channel stereo source.

Sometimes, your AV Recevier Manual will have an explaination about these options.

Hope this helps,
Phil

 

[Vader]

Thanks, Phil!

 

[JeremyErwin]

FWIW, the designer of Pro Logic II, (Jim Fosgate) was a big quadraphonic fan, and uses his invention almost exclusively for listening to music.
Jim Fosgate: Of (Surround) Sound Mind

 

[DJ Techmaster D]

I personally prefer the Neo:6 processor. I have an "Onkyo HT-R530" Receiver that has both processors and many more. Also, I have all 7 speakers installed in my room, so there is already a difference between the two off the bat, basically because the Neo:6 processor gives you an overall sound that comes from all 7 speakers, versus just 5 speakers. The Pro Logic II is good and clear as well, but It is confined to the 5 speakers, and most of the music runs through the center/ front speakers. It can be adjusted, but some people prefer audio-ready processors, versus the ones that you have to adjust in order for it to sound its best. So, if you were to have some audio that wasn't mastered right, or in poor quality, then it would just run through the center speaker and maybe the front speakers. In the Neo:6, the audio is already separated through all of the speakers, so it can take poor or unmastered audio and make it sound better than what is really is. Both processors are amazing, and they are both more than qualified for music, movies, and games! It's just your preference. -DJ Techmaster D -DJ and Sound Services

 

[DJ Techmaster D]

To Johnathan,

I would agree 100%. I find that the more fuller and agressive the music is to begin with, the better it sounds in Pro Logic 2. Almost ANY rock musis qualifies. I think one of the greatest songs for PL2 is Queen's Bohemian Rapshody. Try it, it's great fun. I also find that Big Band and Jazz sound great in PL2. The Chicago soundtrack is a lot of fun. I would also add that the format of the source makes a difference. Most CDs sound great in PL2, but I have found that when PL2 is applied to nearly any MP3 file it only serves to amplify it's shortcomings.

Yea, that could be true. On the other hand, If you play genres like Dubstep, Techno, Pop, and Hip- Hop on the Neo:6 processor, then they sound great as well. Especially with the songs that have complicated and deep instrumental backgrounds. With the Neo:6, you can hear basically every instrument/ effect that is used in the song. But yes, DPL II sounds good with those genres that you mentioned as well.