Agree, dolby pro logic is passe....
My disillusionment with the audio orthodoxy reached the breaking point after reading yet another stereophile reviewer wax poetic about slam, pace, etc while all the time trumpeting the superiority of the last century technology (LP records). Having owned many LP's, i put up with their imperfections as that was the best sound you could get at the time.
Once i realized the high-end reviews were basically useless i started questioning the high-end assumptions.
What if multi-channel audio on DVD discs could provide a more realistic re-creation of the original recording? Has the high-end focus 2 channel analog audio held back progress?
I vowed never to pay attention to Stereofool again and decided to go my own way. The results have been satisfying, over a period of years i've managed to assemble at 'reasonable' cost an excellent system for audio (and movies).
Doing this required overturning some high-end truisms. For example, after comparing to multi-channel analog and multi-channel digital i decided to go all digital as far as possible.
And rather than spend 1/3 or 1/2 of the budget on the CD/DVD player i looked for a unit that had the best chipset at a reasonable price and had HDMI. I settled on the Oppo unit, a new unknown at the time. Now on my 3rd Oppo having upgraded as new models to get the latest chipsets.
And rather than spend huge sums on a Krell or other bling amp i went with Emotiva amps. Low cost and no cache but they amplify sound and they have XLR connectors.
I select the low-cost Integra 9.8 pre-amp as it had DTS-HD master and other multi formats, used HDMI, had XLR connectors, and good chipsets. It also has the audyessy audio equalization with mic so i could auto calibrate the speakers to the room.
The bulk of the budget with to 2 areas, the speakers and the screen.
Rather than follow the usual recommendation of having all the speakers from the same manufacturer i looked for speakers with the same characteristics and specs - figuring that at a certain price point well made traditional box speakers will sound very much alike (a point shown in the NRC work done by Dr. Floyd Toole on what listeners preferred in sound characteristics, you should read his stuff.) I also needed speakers that would work well in the intended location.
I selected the PSB titanium speakers for front left/right and the axiom vp180 for center as i liked it better than the psb offering. They mated together perfectly in a seamless front (once the minor level differences were calibrated with odyssey).
Because the front speakers had to be a bit too close to the corners than was optimal i added a paradigm 15" active servo sub which gives bass without boom. Finally for the 4 surround channels i used mirage omnipolars. I find their driver arrangement excellent for surround effects with great dispersion.
For a screen I choose the best panasonic plasma (non 3D, non smart, no speakers, crap tuner) as it had very good black level and once calibrated the screen is very realistic. Would have preferred a Kuro but they are hard to come by on the used market in my area. Also built an XBMC htpc unit to provide youtube, streaming video and audio etc for non-critical use.
The whole project took a couple of years to put together but the result is excellent. The problem now is in finding content!
Of course, no technology stands still so the next set of upgrades is to add front left high/wide and front right high/wide channels which means replacing the integra 9.8 and adding 4 more amps. At least i already have the extra 4 mirage units...bulk buy when on sale!
anyway - thanks for reading this long rant, i guess what i have learned is to ignore the high-end audio press and do your own research and listening and figure out what you want and what works for you. Put your money where it counts and where it will pay off, not in esoteric power cords, tube designs from the 30's or "cryogenically frozen reverse polarity oxygen free" cables...
happy listening
gord
