2. amps-preamps
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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

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mdalton
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Interesting interview of Bon Ludwig in Stereophile.

 https://www.stereophile.com/content/bob-ludwig151the-mastering-master-bids-farewell-part-2 

Not an Atmos fan:

”What is it about Atmos—Apple's version at least—that Bob doesn't like? First there's the fact that it is a lossy-compressed format, akin to (though more sophisticated than) MP3 or ACC. "With Atmos, we're going back to a lossy world. ... It screws up the sound in so many strange ways."

Also, "There is no way to remotely guarantee how the listener is going to listen to it." That's a big part of the point of Apple's Atmos. It could be via a pair of Apple's Atmos-supporting earbuds, or a smart-speaker gadget that throws sound around a room, or a real-deal immersive listening space with speakers around the room and on the ceiling. "When it's done really right in a great system, it's impressive. It’s still not lossless high-res, but it can be impressive. But, that is few and far between."

In the case of a hybrid SACD, there is usually a 2-channel stereo layer with its own discrete stereo mix. No such layer exists in the "immersive" formats, including Atmos. Instead, a "binaural" version is "folded down," derived from the multi-channel mix.”

For me, it doesn’t really matter.  I listen to vinyl about 95% when critical listening.  I find that the optimal amount of single malt scotch - not too much, not too little - maximizes the immersive experience!

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