Mono, stereo, multichannel, how many speakers do you need?
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- We were happy with just one speaker up to the 1950s, then we had to have two speakers, but then we needed even more speakers for movies, and now most folks are happy with one speaker again. Oops, I forgot to include SACD and DVD-A, but then again it's so easy to forget them.
I prefer to have two great speakers then many mediocre speakers.
Your so right. That and a good record player like a Linn/Pink Triangle/Funk. My favorites are AR M-1/////Ohm Walsh. Pilinius 9200 is a spectacular buy or a PAS-4 with a LM-05/7 Kenwood lab's or a big Mosfet like a Halfler 9/7000.
Just Stumbled upon this Steve Video. Great Topic, timely for me too. I'm 70 yo, love Music, My Music, retired and use my stereo systems for 1) Listening and 2) to play while I play my Drums - a resurrected HOBBY for recreation in retirement after a 50 Year Hiatus.
The LR has: a NAD 1300 Preamp , NAD 2600 2600 Amp, Dual CS5000 TT with an ortfon 10 cartridge (to be upgraded shortly), a Onkyo 6 Disk CD changer/ Player connected to a Pair of KEF 104/2 Tower Speakers - all purchased in 1987 from a Stereo /HiFi store in Mt. Kisko m NY (the Cd player was replaced with the Onkyo some years later). No Sub Woofers , No Equalizers.
The Basement "studio" was created in COVID Hibernation during 2020 - early 2021, it has: Denon DRA-800H Receiver/ Amp, a IOTA PA3 Intergtrated Amp, SA3 Amp ; a Emotiva A300 Amp; a Tascam CD - RW 900mkII CD Player /Recorder, a Tascam Double Cassette Player /Recorder, a TEAC AD-850 CD / Cassette /USB player /Recorder (yes, overkill), an Audio - Technica LP120XBT- USB TT, Schiit Mani, SAGA, and LOKI units connected as follows: Denon to 2 different Pairs of Bookshelf Speakers A) 1 pair of KEF A350s & B) 1 Pair of Fluance Signature Series HiFi Speakers [right now wired in parallel to the A channel- I know a NO- No); a Monoprice SW - 60W connected to this speaker system; the IOTA / Emotiva connected to A) 1 pair of Elac Reference 6.2s and B) 1 pair of Elac Debut 2.0 , 6.2s.- no SW.
Call me an Audiophiliac !! But When I play the 2 systems simultaneously (the Denon controlled system is in the rear nearby the Drums), the other is in the front.. WOW , Whatta Sound. No video is connected at this time. Sounds like a Concert Hall in this finished basement. So, Yes more Speakers do sound better - and I have different unmatched speakers playing in unison.
Happy Music To All.
Two. That's it. Two ears two speakers. BTW, home theatre is now way beyond 5.1. Dolby Atmos is like 12.1 speakers.
Even though we only have 2 ears, we can totally hear the massive difference from 5.1 to 2 or 2.1 speakers...
In music it fills the room massively more than 2 (I simply copy the stereo source to 5.1 for music with 80hz crossover for the subwoofer without being compressed audio like DolbyDigital\DTS or any other) and for gaming is true surround so I clearly hear everything from the exact position like if I'm there in real life and is also miles better than any fake stereo headphones with virtual surround crap it's not even close...
On games like Post Scriptum\Squad\Hell Let Loose and a few other realistic type of games, the local VOIP is damn amazing, it really feels like we are talking to ppl in real life and the voices come from the exact position and also sound louder close and gets less loud the more far away until it doesn't pick the voices, it's similar to Dolby atmos per object location but the processing is all done by my soundcard (I only use analog, don't care for dolby or dts or whatever digital crap)...
Sounds logic, because of that, I bought a second tv screen (two eyes -> two screens). After I bought a 7.2 system it took 3 months until I was able to use it. But we enjoyed watching the movie with 4.5 persons very much!
2 is the magic number.!!!
But 6 is better :). It's like cars, who really love them 1 Ferrari is pretty amazing, but better than one is a lot of them while 1 is also enough :)
I run a 5.2 system for movies, but mostly listen to music in 2.2. It is the road not taken, but that has made all the difference.
Ideally, I'd have 10,000 speakers, but I'm fine with only running 2 at a time.
Back in the 50s it was mono for sure but the single speaker was not of the size of today's bookshelf. Audiophiles then built huge mono speakers. There was a lot more DIY systems. The mono speakers I remember were extremely efficient being something like 4 feet high and 3 feet wide with a 10 inch driver with whizzer cone. The sound blasts from them I think probably started the hearing loss I now have today. I was a fun time with the kits from Heath, Lafayette, Allied. I think it's a shame that this audio phase is a bygone era where young people built their systems virtually from scratch and didn't cost a fortune.
Even people who have a single soundbar speaker listen on headphones, so stereo is the default form for a lot of folks.
17 speakers in total. 7.2 + 3 pairs and 2 for quad playback. But then I live with a Cat.
2 of those Magneplanars in the backround!
I gotta admit, there are some pretty nice omni directional speakers singles that's impressive, good for another room you don't spend much time in, easy to move around, they're not going anywhere.
you need two; one to rest your beer on , the other for snacks
LOL!
I used a couple of speakers, which had been my main speakers, through a "matrix" for a while. I kept the volume on the rear speakers very low. I liked the sound. When the amp in the matrix pooped out, I never replaced it. I might try it again doing some fancy stuff in an FPGA.
Thanks for the info , both artists put ONE out in 1968 , did not know that , also Aime Mann.
The problem is Steve, people don’t care about sound quality anymore. And some poodle don’t even know good sound from poor sound quality. I often argue with people who claim that a live concert sounds better than a high end hifi system. Which having experienced both I completely disagree with. Maybe concerts of the past sounded good. But today’s live events are too loud and actually hurt my ears.
I was born with a birth defect that left me without my center ear, back ears and upper and lower ears. All I have is two ears. Therefore, the benefits of more than two speakers is lost on me. I'm not bitter though. I have taken the money needed to buy a lot of mediocre speakers and amplifiers, and put it into two really nice speakers. I will survive...
Rogers JR149 and a pair of Bob Carver True Signature subs is my setup. Is that 2.2?
One for mono recordings and garage system, Two (or 2.1) for stereo recordings. That is all. Well except for instrument installations such as digital or virtual pipe organs which may need quite a few.
PS: I have some onesies output transformers and some salvaged vintage drivers where I have only one of each driver. Locks like there is a mono system in my future.
hmm, One is the loneliest number -three dog night ,
KJ Macdonald
That was Harry Nillson
2 speakers is my magic number, surround sound is cool but l don't listen to music that way mainly because music is recorded in stereo. if l was to have surround sound then l would want dual stereo or as you call it "quad" and l like this because it plays out of all speakers unless there is a sound dedicated to a certain channel. but with a surround sound system everything comes out of the center speaker unless there is a sound dedicated to one of the other channels. and it just sounds like shit to have that one little speaker blasting it's brains out to fill a room with sound, and l think that just sounds terrible especially if you have a subwoofer that could easily overpower it.
I think Wharfedale have done a good job getting into the home theater setups but still giving decent sound. I have a 7.1 "Diamond 9" setup that I run at 2.1 for music and to my ears it sounds good. I have the Diamond 9.2's as the main L/Rs which are the biggest bookshelf ones in the range, but they really need the sub paired with them or it sounds way to thin.
I think if you can get a decent stereo pair then you're set but if you're running single driver 3-6 inch speakers you need that sub too. So two or three, depending, that'd be my answer.
Well those soundbars have multiple speakers. Left, right, center, and even surround/atmos.
I also remember the little am and am/fm transistor radios back in the 70's. That was also one speaker.
I have the Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble speakers, which are similar to a sub/sat system, but are really three way speakers with the woofers in separate cabinets.
I have come to appreciate this design, as it removes the vibrational force of the woofers from the highs and midrange.
Vibration control is a critical part of good sound; just as important as speaker placement and time alignment. However, this aspect of audiophilia is still in its infancy, and there is much misinformation and plain wrong information about it, which makes it a controversial subject within the community.
Getting back to speakers, I also have become an advocate of the sub/sat systems with two subwoofers arranged in stereo formation for the same reasons, and also because of their flexibility and esthetics.
Do i still get LEFT & RIGHT in MULTICHANNEL stereo using 4 speakers ? Or do all 4 speakers play the exact same thing? Some songs have effects that go from left to right that dont play but from 1 speaker
Serious question. Do you play Mono recordings on stereo speakers or on just one channel?
It may be easy to equate 2 speakers for 2 ears. But not knowing the distortions and artifacts that the best of speakers introduce can blow a big hole in what you are used to listening to and what should be a true analogy of what was actually recorded. Are you ready for the next generation of audio playback systems that incorporate technology that only a few can comprehend.
I’d say multi channel can sound worse but when it’s done right it can be a big improvement even on mediocre kit vs high end. Case in point; a recent Tipper CD that i heard on my 2 channel vs the multi channel DVD (yes DVD 5.1!) on a pre power from 10 years ago which was half the price. Although the CD on the macintosh kit and my new and much more expensive speakers had more detail and tighter bass the three dimensionality was far less. It just sounded smaller flatter and less encompassing not as lively. It felt like you were more in the centre of the music and it was all around you. Probably far from accurate (whatever that is) but a lot of fun
Nothing as good as sitting it a good club armchair in front of a QUAD els57 ( a few feet in front of a full bookcase damper) playing early 1960s mono recorded music, Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys or Matt Monro.
Went back to mono.
Because its not posible to have a great stereo or surround experience in a small home with kids.
I.m now the proud owner of a Loewe Opta Rheinperle.
Optical and technical in top form.
quality 3 tone speaker new caps. Emf isolated.
No radio reception only line in.
via bluetooth dac.
when i want a good stereo experience ill Just use headphones
2.0 guy here.
Some guy years ago a reviewer. You could know him. Liked a
Left. Center. Right. Three Speaker set up Amp was 3. Ch.
To be fair to smart speakers, many of them allow you to hook up 2 for a stereo system.
27, that's how many you need. I have 6 stereo systems, one surround system and a few in the bull pen. I'm counting subs.
well i have a 5.1 kef system and i love steve wilsons multi channel mixing and mike oldfield .. once you hear a good 5.1 audio mix you wont regret getting a system like that
LS50 KEF////// 30k speakers for less than a grand.
Aron Gatt hand cannot erase is fantastic! And King Crimson's Red, oh la la!
At some point, 'speakers' became 'speaker systems'. Not sure if this started with single but extended-range speakers or with separate speakers in the same enclosures, or the realization that the whole thing is a 'system' when cabinet design became recognized as a critical part. Anyway, since no one had figured out a way to make sound come from different locations without placing a speaker enclosure in each location, we ended up with multiple 'speakers'. And more wires. I had a quad system in the early 70's, and used four JBL Century 100's. I took a lot of flack for not being 'pure', but Santana Abraxas sounded great, even though it was a stereo record playing via a 'variable matrix' thingy in my Marantz pre-amp. Net-net, I think it added 'ambiance'. Home theater certainly threw a new light on things, and I can remember at some point in the 90's when it became obvious stores like The Good Guys were no longer selling much in the way of 'audio' speakers, but rather systems targeted at home theater. Today, I experiment with 5.1 and the various sound processes for music, but invariably for testing and serious listening use two-channel 'direct' or 'stereo' (two-channel + sub-woofer) for music. In fact, our 'music only' set-up is just two channel. Thus, I think it can be said you need as many speakers as you want. Heh-heh.
Latest JBL portable bluetooth speakers (Charge 4, Flip 5) are now MONO... :-D
Well when I grow up my dad had a quadraphonic system we used to play quadraphonic 8-track tapes and quadraphonic reel-to-reels and quadraphonic records that's all I thought there were until I got old enough to listen to music on my own I became a Beatles fan as all kids do in their teens and suddenly I was at stereo!
I like the 2.1 concept for music. I like the 5.1 for home theatre movies. Don't need the 7.4 etc., I think it is Overkill.
For music, strictly 2.1. For movies 9.2 :) Love both.
For headphones and modern recording techniques, 2 is all that is required. For actual speaker setups, 2 speakers in front of you cannot recreate what a surround system can.
I run 6 all JBL and non of them are small. I never was into pop music and I'll never listen to just a sound bar.
I had the Apple HomePod but returned it because sounded off.
I always thought two was enough. You have depth, width, height. A complete holographic image with two speakers. |
Even some soundbars can do this but they lack the versatility of two speakers.
Anything more than two is cool for movies maybe (I don't care, but I guess it can be) but just a gimmick for music.
I recently removed the center, not missed at all. All my speakers are 3-way, rolling off @ 70htz with two 15" subs.
And the majority of the time I am only using the stereo pair...for music, tv shows, movies. And quite often, depending on how a TV show or movie was recorded, will sound like surround with only the stereo pair on.
That comes as a result of perfect placement of very good imaging speakers.
I have never had a center channel speaker either. My Adante floor standing speakers with a pair of powered Direct Port Modulation TBI subs create a wide, large sound from a stereo source. I do have a pair of ELAC Uni-Fi bookshelves speakers in the rear for surround sources.
2 for music, 5.1 for movies.
Who's the blonde in the glasses behind you Steve ?
It's Steve's sister! :)
Two. Three at max. Only got two ears.
I think twelve pair is the nominal amount you need in a three bedroom detached house but five pairs in a two bedroom apartment
Two ears, two speakers.
Since ears can hear up and down, left and right, front and back, maybe you should have 12 speakers. Got a big listening room???
2 ears 2 mains
1 stomach 1sub
Lol
it is sad that one spk. is coming back.
I refuse to buy a mono Bluetooth speaker. And just because a speaker is smart doesn't make it sound any better. I want to put my money towards higher fidelity sound and durability. Not an extra feature that im more than likely never going to use. Im old school. I prefer running a quality wired connection.
Yeah i have a nice one ...opps i forgot to count it....oh shit i forgot my sound bar...so i have 30 +1+1 oh do subwoofers count????
I have a 7.4.2 system but prefer music in 2 channel. Just doesn’t sound “right” with music coming from behind me
Why not a speaker for every musician/instrument in an orchestra stamped out from one sheet, which would be hung from wall or ceiling, mated to a something like a 64 channel amp to finally give music lovers a mud free listening experience of orchestral works?
Because it would be cheaper, better and more convenient to just frequently buy tickets to the orchestra ?
One is the loneliest number. . .
Soundbars are not really one speaker and neither are a lot of Bluetooth speakers, they are just in one box however because of the close proximity or the drivers they may as well be one mono speaker. Most of them are not worth listening too. I thought I was doing myself a favor once when I purchased a Marshall Woburn. I came to find out that it was ok for what it was (good for my bedroom) but mostly it was just an over priced Bluetooth speaker. I kept it for about 6 months and then sold it.
You need one...to make sound. You want 7.2.4 set up to get good Atmos.
You need 2 to get good stereo. However i prefer all channel stereo on my 7.2.4 system
1 is the 1!!! 😅
just winging it today...
I have 4 setups for different applications and preferred for each type of content, Video 7.2.2, 5.1 Music 2.1 and 2.0. I have smart voice assistants but never listen to them except if they are bound via Bluetooth to one of the systems.
Soundbars, HomePod’s etc have many speakers that actively analyse the reflected audio to create a stereo effect. I am often amazed where sound appears to cone from when listening to my HomePod.
I need at least three, because if I listen to a voice of a singer I would like it to come from one point. The centre speaker. In my taste this is more natural than hearing it from two speakers playing the exact same signal.
Two ears two speakers.........please Steve I beg you, don’t call those things “smart” speakers, it implies they have a brain, they don’t .
in a reasonably large room, one large properly-designed multi-way horn system could suffice moreso than a lot of multichannel setups
Surround for life. I've been listening in surround since the pre-prologic days of passive Dolby Surround and while I still enjoy 2-channel (and mono) music, I prefer surround, both 5.1 and above and stereo upconverted to surround. Much more lifelike.
Good video, what do you recommend for a HT/Audiophile dual setup? I have a condo and could only have one. Right now using a Receiver for 3-ch (center and rear), and an external amp for my front 2-ch B&W 805S speakers, plus a Sub. Sounds OK, but not amazing... I think the DAC isn't great in receiver, and not sure how to improve the sound. My 2-ch Amp (Classe) and Speakers are great, so need to look elsewhere.
Maybe "need" is the trap. Did film "need" color? (or 3-D, or higher resolution?).... Does print need fonts? Simple typewritten text will convey the information. I applaud the folks trying to 'push the envelope' - whether with multichannel capability or other tweaks to the status quo. Even if they can be horribly misused (like any tool) and will only interest a small niche. Just one opinion. So many 'ordinary' people I know have ditched "stereos" for smart speakers like Amazon Echo & Google Home and don't seem to even notice they've leaped back to pre-1950s modes of listening.
intresting take, for me. Got my first 5.1 pc speaker set in 2004 and the only thing that has changed is how much I spent on the set up. $59 back in 2004 and $900 in 2018. using seprat componets instead of the crappy theater in a box I swiched to from the cheap pc speakers.
Maybe its just my standards that have changed.. LOL
A rare exception to most music surround discs not making much difference is the Beatles "Love" DVD-A. It is well mastered and mixed by George Martin and Giles Martin. If you like the Beatles, you will be delighted with hearing this in surround.
There has been a niche for mono records and systems for decades.. There’s a solidity and presence to the repoduction that’s undeniable. Not for fans of pinpoint imaging and a very wide soundstage.. But True mono records, mono cartridge, and phono equalizer. Single channel preamp, Single amp and a single speaker. Ask Herb Reichert of the mono systems he’s heard from the Sound Practices days..
I have 5 homemade jbl horn systems and a jbl 2x18 inch sub. Handles both high-end music and movies perfectly.
I love the best of both worlds which is why I have my Moon stereo amp connected to my Anthem surround using home theatre bypass..you are missing out so much on the surround atmosphere just by using a stereo amp for movies, and a good AV amp is always a compromise for music, so why not both in the same room.
If I'm sitting down listening to music then it's 2 channel. If it's on as background music then it's 7 channel. One channel has its uses though. the Bluetooth speaker and soundbar that I owned sounded so bad that they got me back into high end audio.
One of th exceptions to this trend, I think, is in cars where the number of speakers and sophistication of the sound systems has grown. And for many people, that’s where they listen to music most often. There was a time when you had to make a great effort to source out good stereo equipment in the aftermarket for your car to have a good sound system. Today’s have a good system is a feature that comes in most cars.
Quad was ahead of its technology. With the advent of microprocessors to "steer" the signal, 4 channels became practical. That said, I only need 1 speaker but prefer 2.
Two. funny how almost all studios that actually produce most of this music use two. (at a time, although they generally have multiple choices)
2.1 speakers is the sweet spot between cost, easy of use and stereo fills the whole front of you with directional information.
4.1 is the next step, still too cumbersome to get any usability in most cases, but in those rare houses that have seating position in the middle of the room and rom for speakers in the back.
more than 4 is getting into diminishing returns. like the center speakers wish is redundant when you got 2 front speakers.
we should rather develop and research into getting full stereo effect while not sitting in the sweet spot, like when you are many people listening.
Had the HomePod and returned it. Just didn't sound right. I still like 3, two mids and a Sub.
Stereo will always remain. Why? Because it’s cool.
7.2
Well, two systems, one for music (2.1) and one for movies (7.2)....love my equipment!!
Mono would make my life easier, but stereo is perfect.
Quad was the industry's first attempt at home theatre (selling more equipment per customer) but people were too smart to fall for it ... These days there is no end to the depths of stupid people and they all own home theatre systems...
Two speakers for my two ears. Synchronicity.
3 pairs of speakers for different use is my magic number..:-)
I don't know why I love this thumbnail so much
10
No we didn't!
You really need:0
One speaker for mono and at least 5 pairs for everything else (one pair for rock w/electric instruments, one for all acoustic music, one pair for jazz, one for classical, one pair for music with heavy emphasis on vocals)
!2.2!
I have 30 pairs LOL , im insane.....
You cant call a sound bar mono and one speaker as it has multiple drivers with multiple channels. You can feed a mono signal to the sound bar but thats about it. Mono was just one channel with one driver. A center channel in surround sound is mono and so is a LFE sub channel. As far as how many speakers you need. I say that comes down to application and what it will be used for. We are taught that in music on a cd that we only need 2 channels with 2 speakers. Surround sound on a movie dvd that we only need 5.1 channels with 5.1 speakers. And on surround sound on a Blu-ray movie we are taught that we only need 7.1 channels with 7.1 speakers. But in the future for even the most advanced surround sound systems. I dont think that we will ever need more than 8 surround channel's and 3 zones. A high zone, a mid zone, and a low zone. We are just learning what Dolby Atmos can offer. We are used to horizontal surround sound. But wait until vertical surround sound comes out. So instead of looking all around in a circle you will also be able to look up and down. Since im talking about surround sound witch is basically home theater. Just imagine multi channel screens. Were you can place a screen on each wall of your room. Theres already ultra thin wall hanging tv's. So its definitely possible. That way when sound comes from behind you, you will be able to look behind you and actually see it. Because there will be a screen there. Or since we are imagining multi zone vertical surround sound. Just imagine being able to hear a jet fly overhead above you and when you look up theres a screen mounted there that allows you to be able to watch the jet fly overhead and away. Oops I think my brain just exploded lol I think the Oculess Rift or Sonys VR headset is going to have to be good enough for now in that category.
Steve,in your opinion is a "center chn.spkr." needed in a semi hi end system for movie watching? I'm debating on removing mine,but for music it's still 2.1.Thxs.
Jeff Hunter no, you need the center channel and all the speaker's for surround, if you disconnect any speaker in a multichannel setup your sound processor has a built-in security protocol to revert back to stereo, you'll see,just test it out
OG Wavy not true. One can turn off the center in the processor speaker menu. And I will still have 4.1 or 5.1 depending if the back channel it active.
Jeff Hunter If you are sitting in the sweet spot and you have good imaging from the L/R, there is really no need for a center. And and all sound that would come from the center is then output via the main pair.
Milton Crosbie the back won't be active and 4.1 is for headphones,it doesn't work the way you THINK, you will have audio missing, go ahead uplug it, listen to what happens
I have no center channel speaker and my Yamaha pre-pro delivers rear channels info from any surround source even in Pure Direct mode. Your processor may vary, perhaps it is an older one.
I like to do an A-B set up in 2 channel stereo,2 in front 2 in the back. Never could get into surround sound. Most surround sound systems suck when it comes to music!
I doubt if anyone who's ok with their musical needs from their butler/speaker system would be interested in this channel.
The more speakers, the better. FACT.
This is always true. The room is a far more important consideration. Probably the least researched aspect, as well. Once again, the fight with the significant other if its a shared room or you compromise on some small, square, space. But, given the right space, more speakers are better. I prefer horn loaded speakers to avoid most phase issues.
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