Powered speakers show audiophiles are confused

@brianlucey 

Oops I guess you didn't work with Pink Floyd I misread your post. Their team to me may be some of the greatest music mixers ever. 

You definitely need lots of speaker to mix Dolby Atmos you can do 5.1 but 7.1.4 is probably best. It is only a matter of time before 2 channel systems are changed to surround systems for music, it's already happening. At an AES convention a few years ago there was a vendor with software that let you use however many speakers you wanted in a surround configuration there was no limit because the outcome is object based and speakers equal resolution In that case. In real life all sounds are point sources but we hear nearly as much information from the first reflections as the original point source this is why acoustic is more important than most people think. 

@donavabdear I’m happy to see that you’re excited about the new format, I work in every week.I have a very high-end atmos and stereo room, and the only analog hardware focused, mastering Atmos room in the world at the moment.

Going back to your point it just doesn’t make any sense, the speakers you’re using are not anything special. If you think those are amazing, you’re not in any position to criticize any audiophiles for doing anything. I’m certainly not criticizing your speakers I’m saying that our evolution with understanding what’s possible or desired from a speaker is very personal and we always think we know everything at the moment we are in, and then things evolve.

Atmos doesn’t need special speakers what it needs most is cohesion. That can come from a balance of measurements and DSP, all depending on the hardware you’re using to run the system. And it needs good headphones. The beauty of Atmos is that it is the evolution of headphones. Atmos done well is superior to stereo and headphones, it’s a very rare bird right now, but overtime there will be more and more of it. The speaker component is fun and exciting and it’s a bonus, but it’s not the main benefit to Atmos, that would be headphones.

Am headed back into the studio right now to work on the biggest song of one of the decades last century :) ... enjoy your speakers, but try not to put people down, it really doesn’t make sense at all.

@kota1 you seem like someone who’s not in the music making profession, but someone who is very passionate and I appreciate your passion. A few things that you need to understand. 1. posting pictures of studios means nothing. Everything is done in the commercial world on a budget. Yamaha NS-10 mixed much of the best music of past decades 2. As I said to you in a private message, just now, Atmos needs cohesion ... more than it needs high-quality speakers. When I mentioned, DSP previously, that’s what I was talking about.

Those Genis are good not great speakers.  Yet.  Anything set up well can do atmos well. It’s easy to get so excited about the emotions from the format that we lose track of what makes a great speaker. The best speaker test is in stereo. Dynamics, phase distortion, amplitude, group delay, imaging, excursion, etc. Then when applied to atmos it’s even more amazing

As far as my credentials they are numerous, but for now let’s say I mastered 4 records this year nominated for a Grammy, and I have the only analog Atmos mastering room in the world at the moment. I’ve sent you a longer reply in private, so that if you want to fight with me, we can keep that off of the board.

here’s a link to an article about my room:

brianlucey Thanks for the article I really enjoyed it. As I was reading your equipment list I thought wow how can you time align all those eclectic parts then you mentioned the Trinnov, very good choice. Interesting to hear you are combining tube amps in your system. My question is are you making your system sound flat or sound good?

I would like to hear your thoughts this question, my system is as simple as possible Protools, S4, HDX, MTRX Studio and the powered Genelecs I did this because anyone even me can mix on it and there are no surprises everything is industry standard, I understand your clients can take in the cool equipment and speakers but are you adding extra flavor to your system that is dangerous in a mastering studio. Real question I really don't want to sound mean or put anyone down that is the last thing I want to do, honest question. Also in my time in the movie industry I did have some very special equipment that was eye and ear candy and made producers appreciate my rig it definitely helped my career, do you feel the same way?

@brianlucey , if you go back and look at your first post in this thread I think my reply was in a similar spirit. You have the OP who posted not one, but two systems. His work rig and his home rig. I look at your profile before I posted anything and I see nada. In this context your post seemed like a rant about the OP. Calling his gear midfi??? IDK what your definition of hifi is but those Paradigms are their flagship speaker and his electronics are PS Audio and I have never seen anyone call their signature BHK line midfi. Those comments came with nothing to back up your opinion.

Now, if you say you need 3 pairs of speakers fine. YOU need 3 pairs, don’t make it like everyone can do what you do with the same 3 pairs. You also never provided any kind of substance for your claim in your post so in my view it was misinformation. As for posting pics of studios it was meant to support my claim that many recognized professionals use about the same number of speakers as the OP (including myself),

Now that you have established some creds fine. In the future maybe lead with that before you start insulting someones gear (crappy amps, midfi, etc). You did NOT need to go there, especially with a new member coming out swinging in his first thread for this community. I like the topic of the thread, there was good back and forth, and then you come in like throwing mud at the OP? No, you didn’t need to do that and I simply responded.

I started two thread here on atmos, one on atmos music and one on how to setup your room in atmos. It would be nice to continue a discussion re: atmos in either thread but let’s focus here on the topic at hand, powered/active speakers.

So, do you prefer active or passive speakers? Why?