How do you play/listen to your mono Blu-rays/UHD? (1 Viewer)

[Konstantinos]

Hello. I was wondering this:
Do you listen to them from your 2 front speakers, or the center speaker alone?
I hear a difference when I choose either.
Or maybe you have to hear the 2.0 mono audio options from the 2 fronts, and the 1.0 mono option from the center one?
Don't know what to choose on my receiver.

 

[John Dirk]

Good question! My experience has been, not all mono mixes are created equally and also, different content sometimes begs different settings. For example, if it's an older, dialogue-driven title I'll stick with the standard L & R speakers. On the other hand, if there's any action or significant music I'll use all-channel stereo or one of the matrixed formats.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

My receiver is set to decode 2-channel sound through Dolby ProLogic, that way a 2-channel mono mix is steered to the center speaker, which is my preferred method of listening to mono movie mixes.

 

[JohnRice]

I always listen to mono content from the center speaker, using DPLII, same as Peter.

Some soundtracks "phase" two channel mono so that when using DPLII is creates a fake surround, but that rather annoys me. It's mono, don't mess with it or try to make believe it isn't.

In the end, it's mono. I know it's mono. Anything other than from the center speaker is annoyingly artificial to me.

 

[Todd Erwin]

I always listen to mono content from the center speaker, using DPLII, same as Peter.

Some soundtracks "phase" two channel mono so that when using DPLII is creates a fake surround, but that rather annoys me. It's mono, don't mess with it or try to make believe it isn't.

In the end, it's mono. I know it's mono. Anything other than from the center speaker is annoyingly artificial to me.

I remember several laserdiscs that had 2.0 mono soundtracks, either intentionally or not, would have one channel slightly louder than the other, causing the surround processor in the receiver to misinterpret it as a stereo surround track. Two discs that come to mind are Jaws and Into the Night.

 

[Mark-P]

I remember several laserdiscs that had 2.0 mono soundtracks, either intentionally or not, would have one channel slightly louder than the other, causing the surround processor in the receiver to misinterpret it as a stereo surround track. Two discs that come to mind are Jaws and Into the Night.

You bring back memories! I remember so many of my VHS tapes that had unbalanced stereo tracks, with one channel louder than the other which was so problematic for surround sound processors. I don’t remember having any laserdiscs with that issue.