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In the Forum: Playback Listening
In the Thread: 2+3 surround sound??
Post Subject: SurroundedPosted by Paul S on: 7/13/2021
I continued to correspond with the late J Gordon Holt after he stopped doing Sterophile stuff. Gordon continued on as a recording engineer who infamously insisted on sonic verisimilitude, by which he meant that the system should "correctly" reproduce the recording. He did understand that this requirement is "loaded". He eventually wound up a staunch proponent of surround sound; not the typical, garden variety 5.1, but what he considered to be an advanced iteration of this format. He was convinced that "space", etc. could not be properly recreated with just two channels. I, myself spent several years exploring a center channel before throwing in the towel, due to old age vs the difficulties of adding distribution algorithms without ruining the sound. I still remember fondly time spent with my brother in his home heater room, watching/listening to operas and Broadway musicals. Depending on how one is listening, there seem to be advantages to surround sound that - situationally - can overcome innate sonic limitations of popular surround formats. I know nothing of the French system, but if I were betting, I'd bet it's like the old Beta vs. VHS format "wars". We all know how that's turned out. A friend who had tons of money wrapped up in reel-to-reel just recently sold out, lock, stock and barrel to a well-heeled overseas buyer/fanatic. At the time of sale, my friend had fewer than 50 master tapes and 1st dubs, and most were not of performances he would have chosen, other than the format. Not saying the French surround will go this way; but I would not be surprised or over-committed if it does.
Paul SRerurn to Romy the Cat's Site