Re: GG: Super Audio CD, CDs

[Pablo Fagoaga <faguss@yahoo.com>]

Sven wrote:
> When I went shopping for a new Hifi, I was told that most 'surround' or
> '5.1' systems are aimed at home-cinema use, so they often sound much
> worse when playing music than a traditional stereo system of the same
> price or even less. And somehow that sounds logical to me, as for a
> traditional stereo you'll only need two amplifiers, while for a surround
> system you need 5 or 6 plus a lot of fancy electronics, so in the
> traditional stereo amplifier each component should be much better if
> they're both the same price.

They told you the truth.
Stereo Amplifiers have significantly better components, just because you
have more budget for each.
Although there are some multi-channel amps with superb technology aplied to
each channel, prices can reach insane levels!!! So usually, most of us have
to make a choice.
But you can solve the problem with elegance, and not encesarily a fortune.
In my case, I have an stereo amplifier for audio, AND to reproduce front
left and right in home cinema.
The rest of the 5.1 channels for movies, I feed them to an extra multi
channel amp. It means paying for two amps, but I made my maths, and I can
assure you it's not as expensive as top of the line multi channels, and it
let's me enjoy optimal quality music, and movie effects.


> Apart from the technical aspect, I can't really see how having 'surround'
> sound improves your listening to music. At least my idea of music is that
> it is performed in front of me, so there's no need for 'back' speakers
> and stereo should be enough. And for piano-only pieces, I suppose even
> mono would do. For watching films or playing games, however, I can imagin
> more speakers giving a more realistic illusion.

At least to me, this is 100% true... but I insist: SACD and DVD Audio's
potential is the Enhanced Stereo performance. I can add one more argument:
multi channel encoding systems (such as Dolby 5.1 and DTS), use a bit sound
compression schemes, so sound quality of each channel is not optimal. It is
said that DTS uses less compression, therefore delivers better sound quality
than Dolby Digital. But to be honest, I didn't notice the difference between
them.
On the other hand, sound quality differences between Enhanced Stereo and 5.1
and the like, is clear.


> But then, at least in pop music, I have the impression that many bands
> feel obliged to actually fill all of the CD - and often 35 minute CDs are
> much better than 65 minute ones.

Amen..

> >Anyway-- what compositions would sound good or interesting if fully
> >expored in super audio?  If GG were recording for the medium what would
he
> >record?  Would we have another Goldberg Variations? What would he do with
> >the radio programs if he had access to this format?

Well, in fact, multi channel recordings EXISTED in times of Glenn Gould, and
he obviously wasn't seduced at all.
Yes, although multi channel movies and music are popular and relatively
massive since, say, 5 years, it is not because of it's recent invention.
The thing is that nowadays this kind of equipment, while still expensive, is
MUCH, MUCH more accesible than Quaraphonic systems (remember?? Led
Zeppelin's "The Song Remains The Same" was recorded on quadraphonic). Those
were systems that could reproduce 4 channels (not so different form 5.1!!).
And it was the '70s !!!
It was extemely expensive (may be like today's high end systems).
Today, technology improved, and got cheaper. But the concept of multi
channel audio is relatively old.
In fact, stereo systems ARE multi channel systems, that eventually succedded
over mono systems.


Sven: I don't aree with you when it comes to piano recordings.
Even though I agree when you say that 5.1 channels clearly seem excesive,
mono reproduction doens't seem to be optimal, because  while it is true that
the sound source is just one instrument, stereo recordings provide the sense
of environment, it "places" the piano on a spatial dimension, and reproduces
the actual effect that you would get if you listened to a live piano, placed
in a real room. We have to remember that we don't hear just the sound emited
from the instrument, but also reflections, and the acoustic effect of that
sound in the environment around. This is called "stereo image".

Regards,
Pablo



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