Straight Audio vs. processed audio

[Reardan]

Hey guys whats up,

Im pretty new to stereo equipment and therefore I ask you to respond assuming that I have a very basic understanding of stereo equipment. Recently I bought a pair of JBL S26's and power them with a Yamaha RX- V530. I have no other channels and I have them set up in a relatively small room. I've been experimenting with sound quality and I can not decide what I prefer. As you will not be able to tell me my preference, I was wondering what should theoretically sound better: Processed sound via DSP or straight sound via the "STEREO" setting. It may be a super obvious question, but like i said, I know nothing.


Thanks for the help,
Brent
resident noob.

 

[ShaneC]

99.9% of the time, I'd say straight stereo. Very rarely, and only for trying to pick out some weird subtleties would I ever use any of the DSP's.

One exception would be "Night Mode" if your Yamaha has that.

Oh, the other exception is if something in the DSP actually makes it sound better to you...for me, I generally just don't like them.

 

[whoaru99]

It is strictly a matter of preference.

I often listen to 2-ch sources with the AnthemLogic mode of my pre/pro. This is a mode that matrixes the stereo source to 7.1 channels, but much more subtle and with different steering than say DPLIIx music mode.

Understand I don't need to do this because my main speakers image very well and create a great soundstage. I just (usually, but not always) prefer the subtle added effect of the AnthemLogic mode.

 

[Reardan]

Thanks for the posts, but I have also been wondering if my inability to establish a preference is based on the fact that I often use lower quality (128 kbs) MP3's playing out of an ipod via analog RCA cables. Should I invest in a good cd player with digital connections to truely appreciate my gig? or can I just play cd's out of my computer hooked up to my reciever via RCA cables?

 

[NicoR]

The iPod is a pretty good sound source. Some may say that you should rip music to a lossless format (as in, no audio information is lost), but that is more a matter of personal preference/convenience. The effect of DSP on your receiver will likely be much more noticeable than the compression in your MP3s.

Alot of the DSP settings work to their full potential with surround speakers, so the effect of DSP may be negligible or perhaps markedly detrimental with only 2 speakers.

Lastly, the quality of the DSP can make a big difference. For example, the DSP on my Sony receiver is just plain dts surround, which IMO (and in many other peoples' opinions) is crap. I've heard that dplII, Neo:6 (IIRC) and some other newer DSP algorithms are better than the cheesy DSP of yore.

 

[ShaneC]

I would definitely step up from 128k mp3's to start. Try a simple comparision of a high quality mp3/flac/ogg/aac or other file first (I don't recall what all can be played back via the iPod). Even just a a 256k+ MP3 of the same track that you have at 128k and see if you can tell the difference.

Eventually - you'll probably want to go the CD route, but figure out whats the most cost effective way to get to where you want to go with it.

 

[whoaru99]

For example, the DSP on my Sony receiver is just plain dts surround, which IMO (and in many other peoples' opinions) is crap. I've heard that dplII, Neo:6 (IIRC) and some other newer DSP algorithms are better than the cheesy DSP of yore.

DTS is not one of the "cheesy" DSPs of yore. Technically, it is better than Dolby Digital because it has the capability for up to about twice the bitrate. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that DTS movies or soundtracks always sound better.

When there are both DD and DTS tracks available on a movie, I always listen to a bit of both, then decide which one I prefer for that movie.

 

[NicoR]

DTS is not one of the "cheesy" DSPs of yore. Technically, it is better than Dolby Digital because it has the capability for up to about twice the bitrate. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that DTS movies or soundtracks always sound better.

When there are both DD and DTS tracks available on a movie, I always listen to a bit of both, then decide which one I prefer for that movie.

I'm sorry, I think I may have been a bit unclear in what I was referring to. I did not mean the DSP that will take a 5.1 surround track and decode it to play on speakers, but rather the DSP that will take a stereo track and expand it so it plays through a surround system. Usually, it seems they think a mix of bad equalization, along with unnecessary reverb and fluctuating channel volumes coming out of 6 speakers is better than unadulterated sound coming out of 2.

 

[whoaru99]

I'm sorry, I think I may have been a bit unclear in what I was referring to. I did not mean the DSP that will take a 5.1 surround track and decode it to play on speakers, but rather the DSP that will take a stereo track and expand it so it plays through a surround system. Usually, it seems they think a mix of bad equalization, along with unnecessary reverb and fluctuating channel volumes coming out of 6 speakers is better than unadulterated sound coming out of 2.

OK. Gotcha. :thmbsp:

I do agree with the DSPs though, some are OK, others are down right over the top with effects. Many times though, one can alter some of the parameters to fine tune them.

There are many, many possibilities on my processor, as there are on most modern processors. However, I use only a few combinations.

Dolby Digital or DTS for the basic 5.1 decoding (or 6.1 if they are DTS-ES or DD-EX versions).

Then, depending on if I like the added effect of 7.1 (doesn't seem to go well with all movies for some reason), I'll overlay DPLIIx onto DD or DTS.

Finally, for 2-ch music, I usually use AnthemLogic or straight up stereo.

So, in a nutshell, for me it's

DD or DD+DPLIIx

DTS or DTS+DPLIIx

Stereo or AnthemLogic

There must be a dozen, maybe more, different possibilites beyond this if I include the NEO modes, THX, other DPLII music modes, etc.

NOTE: DD or DTS cannot be applied to any old input/source. The incoming bitstream must be encoded as such to enable those modes. So, if you can't seem to get those settings while playing, for example, a CD, it's perfectly normal that you can't.

 

[archie2]

I listen to an FM station in Boston that I normally receive with a lot of multiplex problems. So I run my 2 main receivers each through a Hughes AK-100 in mono mode. The AK-100 gives me an exceptionally clean signal in simulated stereo and very good soundstaging without using reveb, delay, or any other DSP processing. Other than that I listen to straight stereo with my critical listening set up.