Immersive Audio and How to Achieve It

@kota1 A. I have 50 ch of analog processing and that is NOT an analog immersive setup. B. There is no contest between stereo and atmos/spatial, they are parallel deliverables, so please leave me out of your agenda :) My stereo speakers are Evolution Acoustics MM3 w Exact filters, Crane Song Avocet monitor controller, Bricasti M1 SE DA, Allnic Audio A-6000 monos. I am all about stereo. Those things are integrated into a 7.1.4 room with more Evolution Acoustics Micro Ones, more M1SE and Parasound A51 x 2. I would not do 7.1.4 without Trinnov.

Thanks Brian, BTW, nice interview re: you and Magic Garden Mastering, noted your request too, thanks for the reply:

https://vintageking.com/blog/2022/03/magic-garden-mastering

@kota1:

I can appreciate what you’re driving at: the sensation of sound from everywhere is enticing.  However, I think you’ve mistaken the intent of such systems.  Surround isn’t necessarily to immerse or envelope, or engulf a listener.  The original, (and I believe still), intent was to recreate the sounds projected from a scene consisting of elements that are placed in areas requiring those sound signatures (AKA, a helicopter fly-over, or a fast-approaching car coming up from the rear.  But as for music, the band, orchestra, fiddle player, torch singer, is IN FRONT of you.  Roger Waters may love hearing his guitar reverberate around the room, but that is a sound effect that doesn’t require Atmos, just walls and ceilings in a good hall, or room.  Finally, I feel “immersed” in music that is well-produced, and frankly, which engages me.  All the sonic tricks in the book, including floating drum kits and saxophones on the ceiling, can’t make me like bad music.  I have a 7.2 SOTA  system for films and TV.  But my jewel is my  (near) SOTA 2.2 stereo music system.  I’ll leave it at that.

"100% of music listeners prefer live music to recorded playback..."

I certainly don’t.

My second system is a traditional 5.1 surround sound.  It wouldn’t meet the criteria for immersive by today’s standards, I guess.  I would like to experiment with a true Atmos setup.  However I have a drop ceiling and I just can’t see using ceiling speakers at this relatively low height, and I would need a new processor or AVR.

And I might sell the house in a couple of years as we downsize, and I just can’t see investing in a system that may have a short lifespan.  However I root those of you who do so on.

  I also disagree with the premise in the OPs first paragraph.  I choose my seats at the Chicago Symphony with care and could care less about moving around and dancing