Author Topic: Are DSP modes essential in HT? (Read 4955 times)

artsky · « **on:** Apr 08, 2003 at 12:42 PM »

I wonder which will sound natural, using a DSP or no enhancement at all (of course with equalization, but no sound field simulation).

Do amps with DSP sound better? Or is the audio encoding in the DVD itself enough to provide good quality surround sound?

jerix · « **Reply #1 on:** Apr 08, 2003 at 02:15 PM »

The sounds we can hear in a THEATER are specially designed to provide the viewer a feeling of being mainstreamed in the various scenes of the movie. Our RECEIVERS are designed to copy and reproduce these sounds right into our homes. Goin now to the question, my answer is YES because this is what i have paid for. Or else this should not be called HT receiver. and this is what i think guys.

There are several modes you can use depending on your taste and sometimes even your mood. Me personally, i usually play with all the sound modes of my receiver. Pero if tired of listening to these sound modes, i just put it on the standard 2 channel stereo mode. and OK pa rin sa akin---

Do sounds with DSP sounds better? --- NOT NECESSARILY. There are known bright or warm amps in the market and it all depends again kung ano ang taste mo. the goodness of SOUNDS we hear depends on how our ear interprets what it hears. or the mind interprets what my ears hear. For movies, i want the sub to be very low and BIG!! kaya i have a real big 15" 700 w sub--

pero actually local lang mga speakers ko. An amp din may actually sound this or that depende rin sa other components na gamit mo.

The sound encoding in the DVD is there but sometimes i want to play it with the sound mode of my taste. and this is processed all by the HT receiver.

greatbop · « **Reply #2 on:** Apr 08, 2003 at 05:34 PM »

Umm.. i think he's asking if those DSP modes are even worth using at all..

I personally say absolutely not. You wanna listen to the movie track the way the movie Director wanted you to listen to it... and that's how you should listen to either the DD or DTS mix, imo.

Those extra modes are practicaly worthless, imo.

johndoe · « **Reply #3 on:** Apr 08, 2003 at 05:59 PM »

agree to that..

but it can enhance sources in stereo audio only..like vcd's and vhs.

Philander · « **Reply #4 on:** Apr 09, 2003 at 11:23 AM »

Some DSPs are very necessary like:

Prologic 2.
5ch/6ch/7ch Stereo
Logic 7 for H/K

DTS Neo and DTS-Matrix(?) are DSPs also.

rtsy · « **Reply #5 on:** Apr 09, 2003 at 12:46 PM »

Quote from: johndoe on Apr 08, 2003 at 05:59 PM

agree to that.. but it can enhance sources in stereo audio only..like vcd's and vhs.

NAD's EARS or Enhanced Ambience Retrieval System is one such attempt at "enhancing" stereo that's generated quite an interest. Lexicon's Circle Surround in another.

In my case, stereo sources I prefer hearing in full stereo glory.

obey · « **Reply #6 on:** Apr 09, 2003 at 02:02 PM »

I think that DSPs are not important or essential in HT BUT they are also not useless. One can enjoy a movie by simply having Dolby Digital and DTS available. The good thing about DSPs however is that it enhances the listening experience by making you feel that you are indeed inside a particular soundfield. Some may like the idea/experience while others may not. It really all boils down to personal preference.

Personally, I am for DSPs!

slowhand · « **Reply #7 on:** Apr 09, 2003 at 04:45 PM »

What I am most curious about is the Trifield mode of Meridian, which frees one from the limitations of stereo -- indeed, brings back the sound dimensions lost in recording to stereo -- and is the only DSP that gets unanymous raves from the hardest-to-please critics. Stereo was a compromise from the start, as there were only two sides to an LP groove. The original creators of stereo actually specified at least 3 front speakers.

bunkieboy · « **Reply #8 on:** Apr 09, 2003 at 10:01 PM »

not exactly fond of using dsp modes, except when i watch old stereo sound movies. like using the "5ch/7ch stereo" mode to give the boring stereo sound a twist.

for music i dont seem to enjoy using the dsp modes. i think dsp modes make music sound funny

dexterc · « **Reply #9 on:** Apr 10, 2003 at 10:40 AM »

Quote from: bunkieboy on Apr 09, 2003 at 10:01 PM

not exactly fond of using dsp modes, except when i watch old stereo sound movies. like using the "5ch/7ch stereo" mode to give the boring stereo sound a twist.

for music i dont seem to enjoy using the dsp modes. i think dsp modes make music sound funny

I agree

DSP are essential only in Movies

sgc_wdi · « **Reply #10 on:** Apr 10, 2003 at 11:04 AM »

I guess you can also use them on music, to recreate for example the feeling of being on a concert hall?

It has its uses in the sense that we all have different rooms, and different room characteristics, some rooms are live while some are dead, so DSPs can be used to adjust and enhance the listening experience...

bunkieboy · « **Reply #11 on:** Apr 10, 2003 at 01:54 PM »

one characteristic of dsp modes i dont like is that it adds this artificial echo to audio. still really depends i guess if what sound character suits your taste. if you like the mix that dsps add, then i guess they are useful then. if you are into purer sound then no need IMHO

nerveblocker · « **Reply #12 on:** Apr 11, 2003 at 12:29 AM »

I have tried and used 3 receivers already and I never did like using the DSPs.

These are the most common I use:

2- channel stereo
DD/DTS
DD-EX/DTS-es
Dolby Prologic 2

That's it!

bunkieboy · « **Reply #13 on:** Apr 11, 2003 at 01:08 AM »

Quote from: nirvblakr on Apr 11, 2003 at 12:29 AM

I have tried and used 3 receivers already and I never did like using the DSPs.

These are the most common I use:

2- channel stereo
DD/DTS
DD-EX/DTS-es
Dolby Prologic 2

That's it!

basically the only things i also use + 5ch/7ch stereo

nerveblocker · « **Reply #14 on:** Apr 11, 2003 at 08:14 AM »

When using multiple channels for stereo, i am very much satisfied with 5 channel stereo. Having more speakers reproducing stereo sound tends to be less appealing to me though. $:-\$

Courage · « **Reply #15 on:** Apr 11, 2003 at 08:29 AM »

Ako din pangatlo ko nang ampli yung NAD and di rin ako gamit nang DSP.

Although NAD's dsp's are cool sa music (EARS,Enhance Stereo 1 & 2)

av_phile · « **Reply #16 on:** Apr 14, 2003 at 01:48 PM »

IMHO, in a proper 5.1 set-up, DD and DTS modes reproduce the movie sound exactly how it was intended to by the sound engineers/directors of the movies. That's all I use for movie watching. I read somewhere that those DSP modes were really meant to enhance or simulate multi-channel sound for stereo/mono sources (music) just to optimize the 4 or 5 channels of a receiver. Most serious audiophiles I've read about prefer to simplify the path through which their music goes through and adding a DSP chip along that path, converting analogue to digital and then back, does not contribute to their search for musical purity/fidelity.

Dolby Prologic is one of only two modes I use to enhance stereo music. (I don't have prologic 2 though I heard it is better.) The other is 5 channel stereo which is only good if you have direct-firing rear speakers that are identical with the fronts in timbre. It literally doubles the sound pressure levels as the rears reproduce the same frequencies as the fronts. Just my 2 cents.

john5479 · « **Reply #17 on:** Apr 14, 2003 at 10:30 PM »

If the DSP is implemented well than its a great enhancement...but not a necessity

Mo®pHeOu$ · « **Reply #18 on:** Apr 15, 2003 at 06:34 PM »

what brand of receivers have the DSP capabilities? I know yamaha is one.

thanks.

bunkieboy · « **Reply #19 on:** Apr 16, 2003 at 02:46 AM »

Quote from: M°RpHeÖuS on Apr 15, 2003 at 06:34 PM

what brand of receivers have the DSP capabilities? I know yamaha is one.

thanks.

most i think do, but yamaha boasts to have the most

greatbop · « **Reply #20 on:** Apr 16, 2003 at 10:44 AM »

Yeah. Yamaha even has 8.1 or something like that. Lol.. which are pretty much next to worthless.

Sony's got their 'Cinema DSP modes" which is 'designed to simulate' the sound from a few studios. LoL.

They're all gimicks. Plus the higher end you go, the less DSP modes you get. Pre/ Processors don't even have any DSP modes. it's straight up DD or dts. and DPLII, ofcourse.. and 7 ch stereo. and yung lang.

av_phile · « **Reply #21 on:** Apr 16, 2003 at 12:29 PM »

Quote from: greatbop on Apr 16, 2003 at 10:44 AM

Yeah. Yamaha even has 8.1 or something like that. Lol.. which are pretty much next to worthless.

Sony's got their 'Cinema DSP modes" which is 'designed to simulate' the sound from a few studios. LoL.

They're all gimicks. Plus the higher end you go, the less DSP modes you get. Pre/ Processors don't even have any DSP modes. it's straight up DD or dts. and DPLII, ofcourse.. and 7 ch stereo. and yung lang.

My sentiments as well. Maybe we can take a hint from what features those high-end products have or not have compared with what the mass products proclaim.

johndoe · « **Reply #22 on:** Apr 16, 2003 at 07:00 PM »

Harman and Kardon's logic7 is one of those DSP's...but it enhances tlaga the stereo sources like vcds,vhs,and etc..ive hard it already..my friend has one good reciever..

lazeeb0y · « **Reply #23 on:** Apr 19, 2003 at 12:23 AM »

i have a yamaha rx-v430. i'm not much of an audiophile, but in my humble opinion, what works best in a 5.1 setup are dd, dts, and pro-logicII.

i use other dsp modes when in a 2.1 setup, thereby creating a "virtual surround" effect. not nearly as good as 5.1, but a heck of a lot better than in stereo mode.

john5479 · « **Reply #24 on:** Apr 19, 2003 at 01:47 AM »

yamaha's dsp 8.1 reputedly is their answer to thx processing, can't tell which is better since my receiver does not have those functions or auditioned a thx receiver.

Knightro · « **Reply #25 on:** Dec 09, 2009 at 05:29 PM »

I also wanted to ask the same inquiry until I found this thread. Thanks anyway.

accastil · « **Reply #26 on:** Dec 11, 2009 at 12:32 PM »

....only if you are "playful"
if good sound is what you want, leave it "flat" and make adjustments on physical settings (speaker position, height, distance, etc)

av_phile1 · « **Reply #27 on:** Dec 11, 2009 at 01:37 PM »

To answer the question more bluntly...in a word, NO.

If DSP means those church, jazz pub and arena sound field modes that are simply reverb and equalizing functons, it's not necessary. In fact, they should be avoided at all cost when watching on your HT. But for sound-only stereo sources, they can impart some novelty to the listening experience, although I also prefer unadulterated pass-throughs.

But these days, DSP can be your entire AVreceiver already, after the decoder chip, especially if you invoke such features as Audessy which equalizes the LPCM data across all your speakers depending on your room accoustics or when converting stereo to Prologic. DSP, afterall, stands for Digital Sound Processing. So that any kind of manipulation on the digital audio stream (LPCM) prior to D/A conversion can be called DSP.

markcrenz · « **Reply #28 on:** Dec 11, 2009 at 05:18 PM »

Quote from: av_phile1 on Dec 11, 2009 at 01:37 PM

DSP, afterall, stands for Digital Sound Processing.

Signal...

2fast2furious · « **Reply #29 on:** Dec 11, 2009 at 05:25 PM »

Quote from: jerix on Apr 08, 2003 at 02:15 PM

The sounds we can hear in a THEATER are specially designed to provide the viewer a feeling of being mainstreamed in the various scenes of the movie. Our RECEIVERS are designed to copy and reproduce these sounds right into our homes. Goin now to the question, my answer is YES because this is what i have paid for. Or else this should not be called HT receiver. and this is what i think guys.

+1

Author Topic: Are DSP modes essential in HT? (Read 4955 times)

rtsy