Do You Use Your Audio System More for Movies or Music?

[OPCAR]

I listen to the music and the movies about equally.
I have a very good main system, with 7.1 speakers. It is optimised for music, including surround music. Consequently it is very good for 2 channel music as well. The rear speakers are not in the best 7.1 movie surround position (they are all floorstanders, including center speaker) but still do a great job with movies. I agree that a good system can reproduce both music and movies well. I suspect a system optimised for music copes with movies very well too. A system optimised for movies may make compromises that affect music, particularly in terms of bass reproduction and multichannel playback (too difused sounds from the rear speakers).

Danijel

[mykyll2727]

On 2012-05-04 20:50, OPCAR wrote:
I listen to the music and the movies about equally.
I have a very good main system, with 7.1 speakers. It is optimised for music, including surround music. Consequently it is very good for 2 channel music as well. The rear speakers are not in the best 7.1 movie surround position (they are all floorstanders, including center speaker) but still do a great job with movies. I agree that a good system can reproduce both music and movies well. I suspect a system optimised for music copes with movies very well too. A system optimised for movies may make compromises that affect music, particularly in terms of bass reproduction and multichannel playback (too difused sounds from the rear speakers).

Danijel

Danijel_I'd love to hear your system with all of those wonderful XxxED series speakers. It must sound awesome!

I have direct experience with MCH systems. For awhile my system was anchored by my STR-DA9000ES and I used nine SS-K90EDs floorstanders at all speaker positions. The DA9kES has a setting for A+B surround speakers. Sony says this better mimicks a small dubbing studio. It was optimised for MCH SACD at that time and identical floorstanders provide the best MCH SACD sound. I've also tried various other options including using bookshelves and dipoles for various surround postions. You're right in your assessments. A system optimised for music will also do a tremendous job on movies but not necessarily the other way around and for the exact reasons you give. IMO it's easier to create a great surround experience for movies than for music. MCH SACD is designed for it's best performance to come from using identical full-range speakers at every position. It can be quite a challenge to get that setup right in your typical room in a home. IMO room acoustics in that arrangement are even more crucial than with stereo or movies. But when you get it right does it ever sound glorious._mykl