I don't understand about 5.1 surround

[nix0r21212]

Let's say I hooked up a 5.1 system and then played some media that wasn't encoded in surround, like a CD let's say. What happens then? Does anything come out of the satellites? Are the back two speakers called satellites? If not, please forgive me, but I'm talking about the back two speakers. I just...I'm just so lost. I just want speakers all around me playing sweet tunes. Please, help me realize the dream.

 

[unfalliblekrutch]

it depends on your soundcard/reciever, and on how its setup

 

[shortylickens]

It depends on what your reciever is set up to do.

In normal stereo mode it will only play sound out of the Left/Right front speakers.
If you set Dolby Prologic Mode or something similar, it will mix the stereo channels and play them on the center speaker and it will copy the stereo music to the rear Left/Right speakers.

My Sony reciever has several modes like that.
Prologic I and II, C.S.T. EX A/B/C, concert hall, jazz club, rock concert.

For the computer, my Logitech z-5300's have a Matrix mode that does the same thing.
Also, (in windows), if you set up your speakers as 5.1 and use Media Player, you can set the SRS and WOW effects to make surround music. I'm sure WinAmp can do the same thing.

Keep in mind NONE of these things is the same as actual 5.1 music, which isnt very popular.

http://www.cduniverse.com/default.asp?cart=269229832&style=music
has some 5.1 music if you look around.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
It depends on what your reciever is set up to do.

In normal stereo mode it will only play sound out of the Left/Right front speakers.
If you set Dolby Prologic Mode or something similar, it will mix the stereo channels and play them on the center speaker and it will copy the stereo music to the rear Left/Right speakers.

My Sony reciever has several modes like that.
Prologic I and II, C.S.T. EX A/B/C, concert hall, jazz club, rock concert.

For the computer, my Logitech z-5300's have a Matrix mode that does the same thing.
Also, (in windows), if you set up your speakers as 5.1 and use Media Player, you can set the SRS and WOW effects to make surround music. I'm sure WinAmp can do the same thing.

Keep in mind NONE of these things is the same as actual 5.1 music, which isnt very popular.

http://www.cduniverse.com/default.asp?cart=269229832&style=music
has some 5.1 music if you look around.

Unless he has his computer hooked up to his receiver with 6 analog cables then setting his windows player to output in surround wont give him surround.

nixOr21212, do you have a computer hooked up here, or are you talking about a real cd player?

They're right about the surround modes on your receiver.

5 or 7 channel stereo would be what shortylickens described.
Something like Prologic II or DTS Neo 6 will do something a little more complex trying to get the vocals to the center and sending out of phase stuff to the rears.

 

[LED]

Just to add to YOyoYOhowsDAjello info...it depends on which codec the Computer will use as many (ie.Winamp) will not play surround without the help of 1 plugin wheras Wendows Medis will handle it @ the expense of the CPU...

 

[nix0r21212]

Thanks for all your help so far--you are all very beautiful people. To answer some of your questions, I was probably just going to get some computer speakers. I was thinking about the Logitech z-5500's or the klipsch promedia ultra 5.1s. Anyone know if either of those have the appropriate settings to just copy the left and right channels to the back left and back right? cuz that's really all I want as far as playing stereo music goes.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: nix0r21212
Thanks for all your help so far--you are all very beautiful people. To answer some of your questions, I was probably just going to get some computer speakers. I was thinking about the Logitech z-5500's or the klipsch promedia ultra 5.1s. Anyone know if either of those have the appropriate settings to just copy the left and right channels to the back left and back right? cuz that's really all I want as far as playing stereo music goes.

I don't think Klipsch would have this, and I don't think the z-5500s have this either. The z-5500s have some surround modes, but I don't think 5 channel stereo is one of them, and even if it is it might only work when the input is digital.

I think you'd be better off getting a soundcard that can do this.

You can get an Audigy2 zs at Zip Zoom Fly now for $45 after rebate. It would allow you to choose stereo surround for an output from 2 channel source material. Not the greatest music card ever made, but it's going to be better than onboard, will be great for gaming, and you're in a speaker budget that warrents getting a decent soundcard.

 

[alcoholbob]

I think Creative's CMSS window now offers stereo surround. Not sure if that's just 4-channel, or if its more, like (as many channels).

Stereo surround is great if you just want more noise...but to be honest, you can just turn the volume up and it's a better result. You lose the soundstage with 4-channel stereo, and also there is serious lobing (distructive interferrence) in the process, so past a certain frequency (say 13k) everything is just...destroyed. Inaudible.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Originally posted by: Astrallite
I think Creative's CMSS window now offers stereo surround. Not sure if that's just 4-channel, or if its more, like (as many channels).

Stereo surround is great if you just want more noise...but to be honest, you can just turn the volume up and it's a better result. You lose the soundstage with 4-channel stereo, and also there is serious lobing (distructive interferrence) in the process, so past a certain frequency (say 13k) everything is just...destroyed. Inaudible.

Yeah, Creative's CMSS does up it to however many channels you select (up to 7.1 since they're big on the 7.1 for some reason).

Surround mixed stereo (in other words most music) sounds strange to the ears. It sounds much better in just 2/2.1. Now DVD-A is a different story.

 

[alcoholbob]

I considered stacking bookshelves before...the result of that would be serious vertical lobing (highs dissapearing). It wasn't *too* bad but didnt exactly sound better like I was hoping.

However, I realized since you are doing stereo surround with well-spaced satellite speakers...you'd be getting horizontal lobing, or in other words, the actual midrange material would be interferring with each other. That would sound HORRIBLE. But to each his own. Unless you have a huge room and actually get to hear the sound pre-reflection (or destruction in this case).