2. home-theater
  3. 1076773766

Opinions On Ampzilla Trinaural Processor?

http://www.ampzilla2000.com/trinaural.html

I am asking for opinions on this odd piece of equipment. In effect it seems to take a traditional 2 channel source and turn what goes out into 3 channels worth of "3 channel stereo". Some old-schoolers have mentioned that when stereo was first invented, 3 channel stereo was said by some to have been superior. This device seems to try to go back and sort-of right that "wrong". The inventor also seems to be alleging that it would be superior to, or competetive with, a 3 channel or multi-channel solution offered by today's more-advanced processing.

It's hard to know which forum to place this question in, but that's sort of the point. I was going to place it in tech talk, but the electronics-related answers wouldn't be as meaningful to me. What I want to know is whether this might be a good way for me to explore and find more natural sound, going from 2-channel, as opposed, say, to going to HT sound whole-hog. I think we've all read a lot of posts from folks who had a good 2 channel setup that they were sort of satisfied with, and then they tried the multichannel thing and on balance it bugged them, so then they went back to 2 channel. I'm sort of wondering if this ampzilla device would be an interesting experiment to add a 3rd channel without "ruining" anything the way some purists seem to think happens when they try multi-channel.

One of the reviewers did mention, I think, that the sound takes getting used-to, and that someone else walking into the room would, upon initial hearing, possibly take the sound as not as meaningful as he (the reviewer) thought it was.

Last note: One other person tried to start a thread on this topic last year in amps/preamps. I tried posting in response to that topic and the moderator(s) in their infinite wisdom, somehow decided to nix my post. Why on Earth?

That is why I am trying to start a new thread... because I'm interested to hear if anyone has developed an opinion of this ampzilla 3-channel stereo (trereo?) sound.
joshl
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
This is nothing new. Center channel speakers have been around since the dawn of stereo, usually driven with an L+R signal. Of course this is the most simple "Matrix" multichannel. As with all matrix multichannel, gain riding logic can be applied to good effect, and this is what this trinaural device does. Matrix derivation of three channels out of two works very well. Going for four out of two is much less successful. The Dolby PL2 function of my SS processor has a three channel mode that is useful for playing stereo recordings. Benefit of a center channel is greatest for recordings where there is a soloist, vocal or instrumental. The soloist is solidly located in the center speaker, and not a phantom relying on imaging of the two stereo speakers. As with all matrix multichannel, some recordings will work better than others.

The particular unit in question may be an excellent example of the matrix multichannel technology. I wish it had been around three decades ago, when I kluged up a similar system using a DBX dynamic range expander. However, we now have discrete multichannel equipment, and no matrix system, however well implemented, can match discrete multicannel
recording.
joshl OP
26 posts
 
Eldartford:

Thanks for the further response. I like getting some historical perspective on this.
joshl OP
26 posts
 
Jasonalanpowell:

Thanks for the further report. It seems to me there has been a scarcity of reports on the TRI on the net, so it's good to read some first-hand impressions.

I'm pretty confused as to what I will buy when I, like you, make my transition to multi channel, or try to. As the other respondent noted, 3-channel apparently isn't new, even if the TRI presents us with a claim to be a particularly competent implementation of it.

I tend to think that, eventually, some sort of multichannel format should be in my future, as the best of the approaches are perfected and made affordable and hassle-free to me. At the moment though, my library is of 2-channel sound, I'm not about to "Buy the White Album Again" for the umpteenth time in a new format, ... not until I can sort of take stock of things.
joshl OP
26 posts
 
It occurs to me to ask/add:

I wonder how this device does with a phonograph's analog 2-channel signal? Jason focused on discussing the CD-signal from his system, so we know that side of things a bit. But the phono sound I wonder about.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Joshl...A stereo signal is a stereo signal, so the device will work the same. However, the differential signal (Left minus right, which is vertical groove modulation) from an LP is noisy (rumble) and attenuated relative to a digital source, and therefore matrix multichannel will theoretically work better with a digital source. However, it all depends on mastering. Some LPs work very well, and some digital discs don't.
More to discover