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Do NOT Blow Your Entire Budget on Two Channel Audio

Yes, two channel audio is here, and is not going away. However, object based audio is delightful, widely available on Tidal and Apple Music, and should be in the listening room of every music lover on the planet, not just "audiophiles. If you plan to be a music fan a year from now start building your object based audio system today. You will need:

1) A receiver/processor capable of Dolby Atmos.

2) A subscription to Tidal or Apple music.

3) A Firestick, ATV, or Nvidia Shield.

4) A minimum of 7 timber matched speakers and a subwoofer.

Once you experienced stereo would you ever go back to only mono? No, you would build a system capable of either mono or stereo. Now that object based audio has arrived do the same thing. Build a system capable of mono, stereo, AND object based audio. When Elton John heard Rocket Man in an object based format for the first time why did he demand to convert his entire catalog to Atmos? If you don’t know, then you need to go listen to Rocket Man in a good Atmos setup ASAP.

So, take your budget, DIVERSIFY, and get a good Atmos capable receiver or processor. Object based audio is NOT last decades surround sound or home theater. It is for MUSIC first, if you need a recommendation on how to allocate your budget feel free to post a question. Most importantly, you don’t NEED two systems, one for music and one for movies. A good object based audio system can play two channel music just fine. A two channel system on the other hand can’t play object based audio without a proper processor or receiver.

Greg Penny talks mixing Rocket Man in Atmos.

https://youtu.be/ggzfcUKDqdo?feature=shared

 

kota1

Showing 2 responses by james633

james633
919 posts
 

So I am in the very small minority with a duel music/movie room. It is all the room is used for, fully treated and painted black with felt walls. It is used for 99% two channel music (I play video games often when listening) and watch probably 5 movies a year in the room (music everyday).

Anyway I am not sure I can be bothered. Ceiling speakers sound like crap. They are too small and well in the ceiling. My rears don’t match my front either. Honestly if I wanted to listen to multi channel music I would want all channels to be the same which is a huge waist of money.

the other problem is the walled garden of apple. You can’t get an Apple TV or computer to a good DAC as it requires HDMI for atmos which is 99% just home theater processors right now.

I believe kids with headphones will drive this market. If some of us use it, we will be in the extreme minority. My system is fully ready and capable and I can’t say I care. Music is played on a stage in front my us. Not behind us or over head. 

james633
919 posts
 

I think my real issue with multi channel music is the preamp. You are stuck with a home theater receiver or so super expensive processor (trinnov, etc). 
 

what are people using as a front end? My experience with surround processor as preamps for music is not positive. Not terrible but not amazing either.

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