Will 5.1 channel sound abolish 2-channel sound ?

[royalanalog]

Will 5.1 channel audio replace 2 channel sound completely ?

Ever since dts and Dolby multi channel technology evolved, all DVDs have been coming with 5.1 channel surround sound output. HD-Set Top Boxes are also coming with 5.1 channel audio-out now. 5.1 channel HTs are becoming inexpensive too. So the question is : just the way Mono Sound was replaced by the Stereo (2 channel) Sound, will Stereo Sound be replaced by 5.1 channel surround sound ?

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

That is like asking if tea will abolish coffee.

In fact, it is even less logical. 5(and more).1 is aimed at the cinema crowd. For the music crowd, it remains stereo.

Stereo was a development of mono. It may still be an approximation of the live-music experience, but none of the attempts to displace it have succeeded.

 

[mnhegde]

That is like asking if tea will abolish coffee.
In fact, it is even less logical. 5(and more).1 is aimed at the cinema crowd. For the music crowd, it remains stereo.
Stereo was a development of mono. It may still be an approximation of the live-music experience, but none of the attempts to displace it have succeeded.

Agree with Thad here. Its totally two different things (5.1 and 2 channel) .

 

[micjak77]

like this name - Thad E Ginathom

 

[gobble]

That is like asking if tea will abolish coffee.

In fact, it is even less logical. 5(and more).1 is aimed at the cinema crowd. For the music crowd, it remains stereo.

Stereo was a development of mono. It may still be an approximation of the live-music experience, but none of the attempts to displace it have succeeded.

Great quip! On that note, I intend to go mono for daily listening, in the long run..


Sent from my iPod touch

 

[sqvare]

Will 5.1 channel audio replace 2 channel sound completely ?

Ever since dts and Dolby multi channel technology evolved, all DVDs have been coming with 5.1 channel surround sound output. HD-Set Top Boxes are also coming with 5.1 channel audio-out now. 5.1 channel HTs are becoming inexpensive too. So the question is : just the way Mono Sound was replaced by the Stereo (2 channel) Sound, will Stereo Sound be replaced by 5.1 channel surround sound ?

Since most music reproduction is intended to replicate an actual performance (except for "ambient" or "atmospheric" music), the soundstage that the listener experiences is always presented in front of the listening position.

It's very rare that the audience is surrounded by performers which would be the case with multi-channel music. This would probably be cool with vintage Floyd accompanied by a big old hand-rolled "helper", but not for the sober, serious audiophile!

 

[srramanujam]

5.1 will soon replace 2 Channel for casual music listening.

Many buyers are today looking at a mix of movies and music. With the drop in 5.1 system prices, it will be natural for them to pick up a Home Theatre.

Once they do that, more diligent listeners will choose the Stereo option in the receiver. Many will simply go with the default setting.

So, irrespective of whether the source music is 2 channel or 5, listening will be through home theatre.

 

[rikhav]

5.1 will soon replace 2 Channel for casual music listening.

Many buyers are today looking at a mix of movies and music. With the drop in 5.1 system prices, it will be natural for them to pick up a Home Theatre.

Once they do that, more diligent listeners will choose the Stereo option in the receiver. Many will simply go with the default setting.

So, irrespective of whether the source music is 2 channel or 5, listening will be through home theatre.

Hi Ram
Agree to what you say that people will just listen with the default settings.
But to be frank how many of these would be serious music listeners whowill buy a genuine surround sound source (DVD-A . SACD)

Converting 2 channel mp3 to sound from all 6 speakers in 5.1 setup is like adding salt to an injury

 

[sidvee]

IMO 5.1 will never replace 2.0 for music listening. In fact if one were to attend any hi-fi show in the big hi-fi markets including China (I am using the hi-fi show as the consumer preference platform) there is a plethora of 2 channel systems much more than 5.1 or 7.1 or 9.1. My own observation having a 5 channel SACD and a regular 2 channel SACD and red book Cd is that for most of my listening I prefer 2 channel, I find it real strange to have instruments playing to the side and behind of me as if I am standing on the stage with the musicians. That being said 5.1 or 7.1 is a must for movies where surround effects and listening cues are more realisitic.
Cheers
Sid

 

[shriram]

IMO, it would depend on the nature of the 5.1 channel setup. While most mass market setups are typically HTIBs that serve purpose of movies pretty well, however they fall well short of a dedicated hifi stereo setup when it comes to music. Unless the HT setup is made up of high end musical AVRs and high quality speakers they would not replace 2-channel.

I myself own a JBL HTIB paired with an Onkyo AVR which is in a state of considerable disuse. I find myself listening more to music at home, prefering cinema halls to my HT setup for the occasional movie watching...

Shriram
_________________________
Marantz PM7001 | Marantz CD5001 | Monitor Audio BR2 | Onkyo TX-SR501 | JBL SCS135SI | Wharfedale Diamond 9.5 | LG 32in LCD TV | Sony DVD Player

 

[srramanujam]

MP3s have replaced CDs for practically all casual listening. If we apply logic it should not have. There was a time when compressed MP3s were convenient to listen to in a 1 gb player. Storage is no longer a constraint. You can load large cards in most cellphones. Still MP3 rules for all casual listening.

IPOD should not have become market leader by any logic of sound quality. But it is, by leaps and bounds.

So, the 2 channel market will remain what it is, a niche, with high margins and low volumes. But certainly an erstwhile 2 in one buyer graduated to Philips Powerhouse and then an Akai multi CD changer. Home theatre is his next purchase and it will be difficult to get him back to 2 channel. The only mass market proliferation of 2 channel is in computer audio.

 

[sam9s]

Great quip! On that note, I intend to go mono for daily listening, in the long run..
Sent from my iPod touch

lol .... make sure you go with earphone in one ear for better balance ..

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

IPOD should not have become market leader by any logic of sound quality. But it is, by leaps and bounds.

There have always been people, perhaps even the majority of people, for whom the quality of the sound is not the primary issue. Is MP3 any worse than some of the cassettes we used to carry around with us? How much music is still heard on cheap radios? When she is cooking in the kitchen, my wife still uses a little plastic thing she must have had for nearly 20 years; it makes a sound like somebody scratching a box. Even quite expensive televisions can have extremely small and poor speakers, and most do not sound good to the hifi ear. Same with the one-piece and portable "music systems" that are designed for price and looks, not sound.

Logic of sound quality does does not determine the mass market. For casual home listening, yes, 5.1 might be the thing. It will be cheap (all those speakers for the same price, or less, than two) and it won't be good, and the people listening won't care.

But those of us who listen to music, anywhere in the wide range of price/quality that can be called anything like hifi, even those who have home theatre equipment, will probably be listening to music coming out of two (.1) speakers.

 

[psychotropic]

not for music never. like thad said, consumer adoption depends on convenience. 5.1 setups are still a pain in the ****. It's way simpler to have some kind of 2 channel setup (whether it is a boombox, a sony/philips "hi fi", or an ipod). 5.1 will of course penetrate the movie lovers market a fair bit, but there's no way it's going to 'displace' stereo in anything like the way stereo did to mono.

 

[spirovious]

many of us prefer music more than movies.So stereo setup will be there for long.
DVD-aud,Dts music disc are in market,still CD has hold on crowd.
For better price,availability.

 

[royalanalog]

Folks, I agree and disagree with you...

As far as Home Theater and HD-STBs are concerned, I'm sure 5.1 is set to dethrone 2-channel sound. That's possible in music too.

But there is one field where stereo can't be dethroned : it's walkman. Man has two ears not 5.1 :lol:

Keep Sharing ...

 

[shailenderb]

I think we are discussing this keeping in mind the currently available formats - uncompressed LPCM in 2 channels for stereo and highly compressed AC3 or DD or even DTS streams for 5.1. What if, tomorrow, they start releasing 7.1 channel audio in uncompressed LPCM at 196/24? I am talking of pure music discs on BDs (BD-Audio?) not the movie BDs. Will it catch up with the masses (assuming the prices will crash like they did with DVD players some years ago)?

Regds / Shailender

 

[goose]

shailenderb: you've got a point there, no denying that! I was (and still am) strongly of the opinion that 2-ch stereo is something that will stay on for a long time to come, however your views have a strong argument base. Hmm, never thought of 7.1Ch music only discs...possible!

 

[square_wave]

Will 5.1 replace 2.0 ? There is no universal answer to this question.

For some kind of people; yes. !

For the discerning hobbyists; never!

There is a separate market share for both the above categories; hence products catering to both will remain.

The casual user does not shape the market for specialty products.

 

[deba]

Stereo is sweet..........)