2. home-theater
  3. 128517-78474

Surround Processor / Pre Amp / 3D Sound Field

A couple of years ago I purchased a Marantz AV8801 surround preamp but I was never happy with it. It hasn’t gotten much use and since then I haven't put too much effort and attention into surround sound. Sure it was able to decode the latest formats but the sound field was boring, lacked impact, and the 3D sound field it created was mediocre. I remember back in the days I had a Sony STR-DE series of receivers that had an enhance/exaggerate function where for each sound field, one could increase the effect of the field. This created excitement while watching movies and a huge dynamic range. I also remember even before this receiver when Dolby Digital was first coming out Yamaha had an external DD decoder DDP-1 to add this capability to their receivers. Well I still remember that the DDP-1 had the best 3D sound field that I have experienced. All 5 speakers were working with each other to precisely place the sound where it belongs and was simply not just noise coming from multiple speakers. It sounded truly 3Dish and the sound moved around in open air. I really miss those days.

I am not getting this with my Marantz in a 5.1 setup (I have no desire to goto Atmos at this time). There is nothing to enhance the 3D field to exaggerate the effect. It has been calibrated multiple times with it’s built in Audyssey. I wanted to know if there were any current surround preamps / processors that would provide a better 3d field or have this as a feature to adjust the effect?
audioman2015
cdwallace3
41 posts
 
@savdllc Isn’t the intended purpose of Audyssey’s very flat frequency response to tame the room’s frequency response so it’s also very flat? Is the room really being corrected or is the signal being modified so the in room response reads flat? What’s the advantage vs room treatment?

My point is its more optimal to remove room coloration than modify the signal. Particularly if you say a very flat frequency response is less than ideal due to "too soft of bass and strong on treble" etc. A flat response across the system reveals the subtlies of the recording without coloration from the room or equipment.

As for surround processors, you can buy one piece that does 4 things - to include what want it to do - pretty well, or you can buy a piece that's designed to do exactly what you want it to do very well; even then to varied degrees. IMO, that’s the comparison between AVR, prepro and dedicated processors.
audioman2015 OP
103 posts
 
Thank you for the advice. I do not believe it is an Audyssey issue or any type of calibration. I think it is the limitation of the equipment. In the past equipment that I have used (mainly with Dolby Digital and DTS formats), the equipment will decode those formats and then offer an endhanced 3D sound field based on the sound mode you chose - for example "Sci-Fi", "Acoustic Theater", etc. The equipment that I am finding these days only decode the format and that is about it. I would want equipment for example can decode DTS Master Audio and then process it into a sound field of my choosing, such as "Virtual", or "Impact".
erik_squires
15,965 posts
 
Hey Audoman,

I use an Oppo 103 via a Halo P7 preamp. So essentially there is no real processing, but just decoding. Movies sound fantastic.

However, what I spend a lot of time with is getting the subwoofer calibration correct and room acoustics. This includes bass traps as well as carefully matched EQ.

When this is done correctly it’s simply breathtaking, and no additional processing is needed.

I might suggest you start out with some room acoustics. Throw some blankets up on the walls and pillows on the floor, especially between the speakers. See if this goes in the way you’d like. If it does, look into GIK Acoustics for great help and value products.

I guess my short answer is, if your basic 5.1 or 7.1 decoding isn't thrilling, it's not that you lack additional sound fields. It's probably your room/speakers.

Best,

E
audioman2015 OP
103 posts
 
I'm sure improving the room acoustics will help but I still remember the days of the original Sony Dolby Digital / DTS receivers and the Yamaha Dolby Digital decoder add on.  Room then had no treatments either.  If anyone knows of any processor that does additional processing I would be interested in taking a look at.  
cdwallace3
41 posts
 
@audioman2015 I would submit that if the Sony or Yamaha DD decoder of old is what you're seeking, it may be best to search for the vintage stand alone processor. You're right, AVRs today don't produce like the DDP.

I'm biased to Meridian. The 568 is from that era (for the most part) but remains a very strong contender in the market. It'll handle DD and DTS. I'd also venture to say you'd be very impressed with Meridian's Trifield. It can take some time to really dial in, but once you're there, you may forget all about the DDP-1. Honestly, the DDP-1 was one of my first exposures to multi-channel processing.
More to discover