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Meek:
Thanks muchly for the info. Looks like I can drop the Dxr2 from my upgrade.
WayneHu and Xortam:
I know it is off topic but here are my reasons for preferring analog Dolby Pro-Logic over Dolby Digital/AC-3.
AUDIO/VIDEO SYSTEM
Receiver: Pioneer Pro-Logic VSX-D901S
125w/ch fronts (100w/ch surround); 55w/ch centre; 45w/ch rear.
Speakers: Fronts - Cerwin-Vega! D-9 (4-8 ohm)
1x15", 2x4", 1x1"
Sensitivity 102db
Centre - Paradigm CC-200 (6 ohm)
2x5 1/2"; 1x3/4"
Sensitivity: 92db
Rear - Cerwin-Vega! 26 (4-8 ohm)
1x12", 1x2.5"
Sensitivity: 96db
CD Player: Philips CDI 220
VCR: JVC HR-S5000U S-VHS
Television: Panasonic 33"GAOO (PC-33XF40)
2 Tuner PiP
Headphones: Koss Pro4A Plus
By far, the most important thing to me is the playing of 2 channel CD audio. I believe in listening to that in a way that gets me as close as I can to what the producer, engineers and musicians intended. 99% of that was meant to be played with plain 'ol 2 channel stereo and that is how I play it. No use of Pro-Logic nor any of the goofy-reverb DSP pseudo-surround effects as offered on my and other Surround receivers. All I do is adjust bass and treble and the attenuators on my front speakers to account for the vagaries of my listening room. Strictly 2 channel, 2 speaker listening as it was miked for, mixed for and given final approval by those who created it.
If I had a CD that was recorded for meant to be played in surround I would play it using surround.
When I last upgraded my A/V system, getting a Pro-Logic receiver didn't cause much of a compromise as I got the exact fronts I wanted, made my old speakers the rears and picked up a new centre that although not a sonic match for the other four, was known to be very good in the vocal (speech) range and made sense electronically (power handling w, OHMs and sensitivity). Though very secondary, I wanted to be able to properly hear Dolby Surround when I played movies with my VCR or watched Surround encoded TV (except for music. Whenever a band comes on Leno or Letterman for example, I always switch to plain 2 channel).
When Dolby Digital came along, I did look into it and listened too. For movies it is a different experience from Pro-Logic but for my taste and needs, not necessarily better.
I'm old enough to remember Quad. It had four-point discrete sound for music audio. Unfortunately the optimum listening position was to be in the dead-centre of a furnitureless room, preferably on a stool. It died. I think that wives/girlfriends had a lot to do with its demise
The other reason is that with four or five point discrete where all of the listeners in the room are supposed to hear all of the sound information from all four or five points in some kind of reasonable balance is a problem. You can only really do it for one pair of ears. Pro-Logic isn't as demanding as the rears are only amorphous mono ambience and the balancing only really concerns the front array.
Another aspect of DD that turned me away was that being a stickler for listening to something as was intended, I really would need to have five identical speakers and a sub-woofer. The part of my sound system that I enjoy the most is my front D9 speakers. Though many don't I love what they do but they are huge and I certainly don't have the money nor room for five of them. Many who have bought into the expense of a five identical speaker array have been disappointed when switching to 2 channel listening and realize the compromise they made by not putting all of that money into just two full range speakers as they used to. Pro-Logic allows a lot more money spent on the fronts and much less on the rears/centre. In my case, a sub-woofer would be an absolute waste. There is nothing down in sub woofer frequencies that my D9s don't easily reproduce and as loud and clean as I can stand.
All systems have flaws/ deficiencies and plusses. For my audio priorities, wallet, sound room and tastes, I choose to stay with Pro-logic at least for now. Nothing wrong with my choices or opinions, nothing wrong with yours.
If movies are the highest priority and you aren't bothered by the expense, balancing and music compromises you may face, go ahead and get DD. For movies at least it does sound very good!
If music is paramount - maybe not.
(Hope I don't get shot for posting such a long post but I suppose it does apply to Matrox DVDsoftware playability).
Happy trails,
Thanks muchly for the info. Looks like I can drop the Dxr2 from my upgrade.
WayneHu and Xortam:
I know it is off topic but here are my reasons for preferring analog Dolby Pro-Logic over Dolby Digital/AC-3.
AUDIO/VIDEO SYSTEM
Receiver: Pioneer Pro-Logic VSX-D901S
125w/ch fronts (100w/ch surround); 55w/ch centre; 45w/ch rear.
Speakers: Fronts - Cerwin-Vega! D-9 (4-8 ohm)
1x15", 2x4", 1x1"
Sensitivity 102db
Centre - Paradigm CC-200 (6 ohm)
2x5 1/2"; 1x3/4"
Sensitivity: 92db
Rear - Cerwin-Vega! 26 (4-8 ohm)
1x12", 1x2.5"
Sensitivity: 96db
CD Player: Philips CDI 220
VCR: JVC HR-S5000U S-VHS
Television: Panasonic 33"GAOO (PC-33XF40)
2 Tuner PiP
Headphones: Koss Pro4A Plus
By far, the most important thing to me is the playing of 2 channel CD audio. I believe in listening to that in a way that gets me as close as I can to what the producer, engineers and musicians intended. 99% of that was meant to be played with plain 'ol 2 channel stereo and that is how I play it. No use of Pro-Logic nor any of the goofy-reverb DSP pseudo-surround effects as offered on my and other Surround receivers. All I do is adjust bass and treble and the attenuators on my front speakers to account for the vagaries of my listening room. Strictly 2 channel, 2 speaker listening as it was miked for, mixed for and given final approval by those who created it.
If I had a CD that was recorded for meant to be played in surround I would play it using surround.
When I last upgraded my A/V system, getting a Pro-Logic receiver didn't cause much of a compromise as I got the exact fronts I wanted, made my old speakers the rears and picked up a new centre that although not a sonic match for the other four, was known to be very good in the vocal (speech) range and made sense electronically (power handling w, OHMs and sensitivity). Though very secondary, I wanted to be able to properly hear Dolby Surround when I played movies with my VCR or watched Surround encoded TV (except for music. Whenever a band comes on Leno or Letterman for example, I always switch to plain 2 channel).
When Dolby Digital came along, I did look into it and listened too. For movies it is a different experience from Pro-Logic but for my taste and needs, not necessarily better.
I'm old enough to remember Quad. It had four-point discrete sound for music audio. Unfortunately the optimum listening position was to be in the dead-centre of a furnitureless room, preferably on a stool. It died. I think that wives/girlfriends had a lot to do with its demise
The other reason is that with four or five point discrete where all of the listeners in the room are supposed to hear all of the sound information from all four or five points in some kind of reasonable balance is a problem. You can only really do it for one pair of ears. Pro-Logic isn't as demanding as the rears are only amorphous mono ambience and the balancing only really concerns the front array.Another aspect of DD that turned me away was that being a stickler for listening to something as was intended, I really would need to have five identical speakers and a sub-woofer. The part of my sound system that I enjoy the most is my front D9 speakers. Though many don't I love what they do but they are huge and I certainly don't have the money nor room for five of them. Many who have bought into the expense of a five identical speaker array have been disappointed when switching to 2 channel listening and realize the compromise they made by not putting all of that money into just two full range speakers as they used to. Pro-Logic allows a lot more money spent on the fronts and much less on the rears/centre. In my case, a sub-woofer would be an absolute waste. There is nothing down in sub woofer frequencies that my D9s don't easily reproduce and as loud and clean as I can stand.
All systems have flaws/ deficiencies and plusses. For my audio priorities, wallet, sound room and tastes, I choose to stay with Pro-logic at least for now. Nothing wrong with my choices or opinions, nothing wrong with yours.
If movies are the highest priority and you aren't bothered by the expense, balancing and music compromises you may face, go ahead and get DD. For movies at least it does sound very good!
If music is paramount - maybe not.
(Hope I don't get shot for posting such a long post but I suppose it does apply to Matrox DVDsoftware playability).
Happy trails,
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