Comparing Surround sound and Binaural Recording

[Jimbo]

Regarding the current thread on XYtri, surround sound recording it was mentioned that a good surround sound recording is more "enveloping" than a good stereo recording.

I don't have a surround sound system, so I can't try this, but does surround sound over a 5.1 speaker system envelope the listener like binaural recordings over headphones?

Does surround sound over 5.1 headphones have any advantages over binaural over stereo headphones?

Thanks in advance!

[soypancho]

One advantage of binaural is height perception. Binaural recordings can make it sound like something is going on above or below while a 5.1 system cannot. The huge advantage of a 5.1 system is that you're listening to speakers and personally I'll take a good set of speakers of the best of headphones. 5.1 can absolutely "envelope" the listener just as well with proper speaker placement. If you blow off placement, 5.1 can quickly turn into a phase nightmare.

[boojum]

To my taste, well done binaural tops it all. But the recording need be excellent and the things you hang over your ears the same. However, KQED in SFO used to have one or two binaural broadcasts a year and they did one of an air show and when that jet flew overhead, I looked up. And I was lying in bed listening on an old (ca 1982) SONY Walkman FM. With the SONY Walkman earphones. When the material is recorded right it is the best, to my taste. I wish the catalog of binaural were larger.

That and a few other things. LOL