Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Identical speakers for multichannel music

http://www.soundstage.com/surrounded/surrounded200312.htm

The ITU standard (International Telecommunications Union ITU-R BS.775-1) for multichannel music calls for identical speakers arranged in a specifically designed circular-shaped pattern (the mains are 30 degrees from the center-channel, while the surrounds are 110 degrees from the center speaker). This configuration was widely adopted by recording engineers as the gold standard for surround music and is, in fact, the system most used in the production of the new music you hear on multichannel SACDs and DVD-As. It stands to reason that to experience what the artist/engineer originally intended, an arrangement similar to that used in the mastering process should be duplicated in your home.

Since I am much more into music than movies, it appears that a system of identical speakers arranged in a circular pattern should be my goal.

Sure, if all you care about is music, than 5 M80's or M60's all around would be ideal. However, I have all different speakers around and DVD-Audio discs sound amazing. The trade off between the quality of music and the price would probably not be worth it, but if you have the money and do not care about HT at all, then go for the towers all around. It will sound awesome if you place the speakers right in your room with minimal accoustic problems.

You would also need a sub to go with it since 5.1 music also has a sub channel.

JB, for a somewhat different view on the surround sound question, note the new review of M60s, etc. in Questions. If you're considering only 5 channel DVD-As or SACDs in which performers are discretely placed in the surround channels, then direct radiating speakers all-around are best. However, for example, I listen to classical only, and the surround channels are nearly always used for ambience alone, rather than placing instruments from the orchestra around you(raising the question as to whether they show significant advantage over a stereo CD using DPLII or Logic 7 for ambience extraction). In these types of recordings the more diffuse pattern of a di-polar or bi-polar surround has an advantage and the bi-polar in particular can also do a reasonably good job with discrete material. Also note that unless the identical speakers have fully-adequate bass, the problems of bass management to subwoofers which complicate DVD-A and SACD play at this time would arise.

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Also note that unless the identical speakers have fully-adequate bass, the problems of bass management to subwoofers which complicate DVD-A and SACD play at this time would arise.

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Just to echo this, unless the surrounds in an HT system can be crossed as the same as the mains, you would experience a "bass hole". So if multi-channel is of importance, this is something to definitely consider when choosing the speakers.