Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater receiver and surround format ?

first of all let me say im new to the home theatre thing so if my ?'s sound basic and stupid, sorry. im looking to get the onkyo txsr701 for my axioms (m60's,vp160,qs8's(3)) 6.1 setup that will be coming soon. ive seen so many different fomats for surround shopping for receivers could someone tell me what they all are, the difference between them all (dolby digital, pro logic, etc...) particularly the formats the 701 receiver have. it says thx ex, are there different types of thx surrounds?

also, ive heard alot of talk about sacd's and dvd-a. dvd-audio is just a cd on a dvd that will play in any dvd player right? do you need a special cd player for sacd's or will they play in any cd player? im a huge pink floyd fan and cant wait to hear some cd's on the new system.
thanks in advance.

I hope you'll forgive me for not directly answering your question. It would take a lot of typing to answer it.

Try CNET's Quick Guide to surround formats

or Home Theater 101 - Sound Formats

Either, or both, should answer your questions. The CNET tutorial has info on SACD and DVD-A.

P.S. You don't sound stupid at all. Asking is the right thing to do.

Hope this helps.

thats exactly what im looking for ajax, thanks alot. i would also like some real world opinions on the formats. people who have heard them all, there pref. and why?

Very nice links Ajax! Much appreciated. Sometimes that's all us newbies need is a point (or kick) in the right direction.

Jack - you are a constant source of surprise. Thanks for those links.

I didn't realize my favorite character actor from Police Acadamy was also an audio enthusiast.

(Check out th eauthor's name...)

In reply to:

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i would also like some real world opinions on the formats. people who have heard them all, there pref. and why?

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I have a fair amount of experience with DVD-A and SACD. I think they are both amazing formats, and I hope they both survive.

If you are as big a Pink Floyd fan as I am, then you will not be able to live in a world where "Dark Side of the Moon" exists in a format you can not play. I also have some DVD-A's by Mike Oldfield, Alan Parsons, Fleetwood Mac, Santana and others. For densely layered music such as this, the 5.1 format allows for some interesting effects.

Most DVD-A's have a DTS soundtrack that can be played in standard DVD players, and most SACD's are dual layer and can be played in standard CD players. In order to play the high resolution multichannel mix, however, you will have to have a player specifically designed to play DVD-A's or SACD's. You can, however, buy DVD-A's and get a taste of what it is like by playing the DTS soundtrack.

In order to take full advantage of these formats, you will need several things;

1) A universal DVD/DVD-A/SACD player. Pioneer makes one, the 563a, which retails for as little as $140. Some people have reported problems with this unit playing certain discs, but I had one for 5 months and never had a problem. If you are patient, you may find some Denon universal players (widely regarded as some of the best on the market) on e-cost.com or Dakmart.com at good prices. Also, some reasonably priced universal players are on the horizon.

2) A receiver which has a set of 5.1 inputs. DVD-A and SACD data cannot be transmitted via a digital loink...the player must decode the signal and send it to your receiver via 6 analog connections.

3) 6 good quality RCA connectors

Additionally, DVD-A's and SACD's are mastered using direct radiating speakers to the rear of the listener. Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 soundtracks are intended to have surround information coming from the sides. Therefore, to take advantage of both movies and multichannel music, a 7.1 system using surround speakers to the sides and direct radiating rear speakers is ideal. This is what I have, and I think it is better for DVD-A and SACD then a 5.1 system, and I've tried it both ways. Others have had good results using a 5.1 system for both movies and DVD-A/SACD.

I have no preference between the formats. They both have advantages...DVD-A's have some video content, including menus, and SACD's have the advantage of mostly being compatable with regular CD players.

Mark

Whoa, Mark, that's a good deal of great info on a subject I was curious about myself.

Thanks for the brain-dump; it will take a while to process!!

Good stuff Mark! I'm sure it helps when someone who has real world experience with these formats (I do not) chimes in.

You guys are more than welcome. I'm still in the process of learning, myself (it is, of course, a never ending process). Every time I am steered by someone else to, or find myself, a web site with cogent information, I bookmark in my "tutorials" file. Being able to pass the information on is a pleasure. I can only hope others find the info helpful.

Thanks for the info. guys. What surround sound format do u guys prefer and why? I read the differences but want a real world opinion. I will be running 6.1.