[Roland]

Originally Posted by andy_simpson

As I have said elsewhere, my problem with surround sound is that it is fundamentally flawed.

It is sad that so many people use their valuable research work to explore this impossible illusion. 10,000 speakers will not do much better, nor 1,000,000.

The major flaw in this concept - which permeates further than it might at first seem - is that in 'panning' from front-to-back, there is no sensation of an interpolated phantom image.

This is not the same as panning left-to-right.

Aside from this fundamental and completely fatal problem....

In my experience, those in pursuit of the surround concept have often never had the epiphany of hearing a good high-efficiency horn-loaded set of speakers. It's all in the time-domain response - spatial imaging, presence & 'life' not least.

5.1 of ANY direct-radiator monitor is far less realistic than a stereo pair of great horn-loaded monitors (K&H, Strauss, etc) - or even those horn-loaded monitors found in a THX cinema theatre.

....but, having said that, a 5.1 of K&H sounds great and I would agree that the overall effect is marginally greater immersion.

Andy

With the greatest respect Andy, I think thats a load of cobblers! Horn loudspeakers are far from accurate and there is no science that I can think of to suggest that they produce better time domain response than a direct radiating system. That you may enjoy listening too them is a personal view that I know not everyone will share. My personal experience with 5.1 is if done well switching to stereo removes the level of "immersion". Perhaps you would enjoy a 5.1 horn system?

Regards


Roland