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Surround Sound – It’s for More than Movies
Surround Sound – It’s for More than Movies
You know that surround sound makes movies a more immersive experience. Whether you’re at the theater or at home, surround sound is part of what makes you feel like you are part of the action, just as much as the great visuals.
Some people, unsurprisingly, only turn on their surround audio system for movie watching. They may use TV audio for shows other than movies. If the surround system is in a family room that is used for something other than movies (unlike a more dedicated theater or media room), this is not uncommon.
If you have a surround system, we think you should always use it. One good reason is that a large amount of content is delivered in surround formats.
If you listen on the TV speaker only, or a stereo soundbar, you’re missing out on some ambient parts of the soundtrack. For example, all over-the-air broadcast TV is delivered in Dolby Digital format. The quality of the surround mix may vary by the show – just as it does in movies – but Dolby Digital will always sound better than regular stereo when played through the right equipment.
Admittedly, in this age of streaming video, cable, and satellite, over-the-air reception is less used. So, what else can take advantage of your investment in surround sound in Eden Prairie? Read on to find out.
See Also: Is Your Home Theater Optimized for Multi-Use Entertainment?
A SURROUND SOUND REVIVAL FOR MUSIC
The history of surround sound for music is long – and rather tortured. The original surround sound for music started long before the age of digital audio in the 1970s with Quadraphonic sound, which you can consider as 4.0 (four channels, no subwoofers) sound in current terms. It was available, believe it or not, in open reel tape, 8-track tape, and vinyl formats. Suffice it to say that it never took off in a meaningful way, and traditional stereo endured.
A couple of other formats, however, did make a dent in the hegemony of stereophonic sound. In 1999, SACD (Super Audio CD) was introduced, backed by Sony and Philips, the original inventors of the CD format, and others in the consumer electronics industry. In 2000, DVD Audio was introduced, which incorporated key technology from our high-end audio partner Meridian Audio. Both SACD and DVD Audio were excellent, high-resolution surround formats for music, and many audiophiles invested in remixes of favorite music as well as concert recordings in these new formats.
The problem was that SACD and DVD-Audio were in a format war, and neither won. The internet did, as digital music moved to distribution over the internet, and the iPod, iTunes, and music streaming won the war for the general listener.
Why all this history? Because high-end audio enthusiasts know about these and sometimes lament that music has not taken advantage of new technology, like the latest high-resolution formats from Dolby and DTS.
But that’s changing, with artists re-releasing albums in modern surround formats. With advanced digital processing technology making high-quality surround accessible in soundbars and even headphones, there’s a renewed interest in leveraging surround for music. Moreover, the older multichannel recordings have taken new life at sites like HDTracks, which offer high-resolution audio downloads.
Most of today’s newer equipment, from AV receivers to high-end components from Meridian support these high resolution formats and encoding. So you can enjoy a variety of music, from classical to classics like Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon in glorious 5.1 surround.
But there’s more. If you enjoy concerts, you’ll enjoy listening to them more in expertly mixed surround sound. Blu-ray, unlike DVD-Audio and SACD, has an extensive library of content, made to optimize both audio and video. Your surround sound home theater or media room is perfect for listening to concert discs from the likes of K.D Lang to John Mayer to Rush. Blu-ray packs high- resolution 24bit/192hz audio soundtracks with Dolby TrueHD, and this is a sound difference you can hear over regular two-channel stereo.
STREAMING VIDEO IS STEPPING UP SURROUND SOUND
Beyond music, streaming services like Netflix and Amazon have been stepping up their game in sound quality. Many original Netflix and Amazon Prime shows are available in Dolby Atmos immersive surround. Yes, it is video of course, but many of these are series that don’t require you to sit through a two-hour feature-length film. But you will enjoy the immersive audio with both action and music soundtracks coming through with higher clarity and enhanced ambiance.
If you haven’t stepped up to surround sound or need an upgrade to take advantage of the latest content, Lelch Audio-Video can help. Call or reach out to our team today or click below to connect with us immediately.