SRFireside
join:2001-01-19
Houston, TX
| reply to yock
Re: Quality vs. flexibility
Well you brought up the usefulness of positional audio in the car. Not me  . And stet I know there are vehicles out there that cut out outside environmental noise. I see the commercials all the time. But there are fewer of those out in the road than the noisy cars. My preference is to be able to hear a fair amount of what's going on outside. Makes for safer driving when you can hear things quieter than a siren or horn (or crash, etc). |
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stet
Volitar Prime
join:2002-03-08
Warren, MI
| reply to SRFireside
said by SRFireside  :To really reap the benefits of audiophile quality music in a car you would need a car that completely isolates the outside world. Not many cars do that. Personally I don't even want that. Not hearing the outside environment when driving is just asking for trouble. I have a Chevy Avalanche (fully loaded) and when the windows are closed I don't hear much of the outside world at all. In fact, I hear more outside noises when I'm in my living room then I do when driving around. Also, doesn't Ford advertise that the interior of new F150 is almost completely sound proof?
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I am of the stars.
I am called "Forever".
Eternity courses through my veins. |
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yock
TFTC
Premium
join:2000-11-21
Fairfield, OH
| reply to SRFireside
Well, 5.1 implies positional audio. It has nothing to do with audio fidelity. You can get four channels of distreet audio from a cassette tape...doesn't mean it sounds like a dream. =)
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Statistical correlation need not imply causation.
Technical Nirvana |
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SRFireside
join:2001-01-19
Houston, TX
| reply to yock
What I am saying is the audio entertainment enhancements (audio fidelity) of the more advanced sound technologies tend to be lost in an environment like the car. Regular CD audio with good hardware to back it up makes for an incredible listening experience in the car. Surface noise, impedance, and other factors in your average vehicle (in my opinion) outweigh the subtle benefits the average ear would enjoy.
Four speaker separation can easily be simulated with crossovers (if even that). Sure it's not true four directional audio, but it works. Not that I'm trying to make a point over not having a 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround car system. Positional audio wasn't my focus at all. Just audio fidelity.
Yes some people would welcome SACD capabilities in their car and yes it's a judgement call on whether or not buying one for the car is a waste of money. But I did point that out on my last comment. For the average consumer it is indeed not necessary today. |
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yock
TFTC
Premium
join:2000-11-21
Fairfield, OH
| reply to SRFireside
"Waste of money" is purely a judgement call and it really makes no difference here. There are applications other than entertainment for positional audio in a vehicle that could be useful. We also yet again get into this "optimal" argument. Why doesn't it have to be perfect to enjoy it? Last I checked most major movie theaters had positional audio. You all telling me that every seat in the house ps perfectly attuned to the positional audio system? Of course it isn't, but the effect is FAR from lost on the patrons.
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Statistical correlation need not imply causation.
Technical Nirvana |
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SRFireside
join:2001-01-19
Houston, TX
| reply to andrewe77
To really reap the benefits of audiophile quality music in a car you would need a car that completely isolates the outside world. Not many cars do that. Personally I don't even want that. Not hearing the outside environment when driving is just asking for trouble. Yes high end audio in the car is wonderful, but having DVD-A or SACD quality would be a waste of money unless you are one of the few who want total isolation from the road and want the bragging rights. |
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imrf
Premium
join:2002-06-06
Utica, MI
 ·Comcast
·WOW Internet and C..
| reply to andrewe77
said by andrewe77 :I think you don't know what the hell you're talking about. Hardly. But believe what you want. I don't care.  |
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andrewe77
Gonads And Strife
join:2000-09-17
Blue Springs, MO
clubs:
| reply to imrf
"Yes, it's totally unnecessary in a car, but at home its great. I have quite a few DVD-A discs and hearing them in Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS is great, makes music sound so much better. The car idea is dumb in general though."
I think you don't know what the hell you're talking about. |
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yock
TFTC
Premium
join:2000-11-21
Fairfield, OH
| reply to Andoh
said by Andoh :I guess that's OK as long as you are driving alone. I'm as much a sound geek as the next guy (or at least as much as I can afford to be), but there comes a point where it's an obsession. I mean, c'mon, by your logic you'd rather not have it than to not listen to it "optimally." That's purely argumentative and I guarantee you all don't mean it.
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Statistical correlation need not imply causation.
Technical Nirvana |
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Andoh
join:2001-02-18
Bettendorf, IA | reply to yock
I guess that's OK as long as you are driving alone. |
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oliphant
I Have 8 Boobies
Premium
join:2004-11-26
Corona, CA | reply to imrf
The same could be said about most of the TL...but then it would be $40-$50K instead of $30K.
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Don't get it, demand it! The Anime Network www.theanimenetwork.com |
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imrf
Premium
join:2002-06-06
Utica, MI
·Comcast
·WOW Internet and C..
1 edit | reply to oliphant
said by oliphant :I have the TL and 5.1 is awesome and I'm glad I have it. It's a shame that Acura didn't go for someone who knows how to make speakers. BOSE suck, they would have been better off scoring a contract with Dynaudio if they were aiming for high quality. |
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SRFireside
join:2001-01-19
Houston, TX
| reply to oliphant
Availability and price. Those systems are pricey and the media is pretty high as well. Although I admit $20 for a DVDA isn't that much more than some standard CDs out there going for $17, but then again I never buy my CD's at $17 neither.
I'm guessing a few more years for the equipment to go down in price and the subsequent media will as well. I'll be living the high life (audio-wise) by then.
If you ask me hard copies will never go away. Maybe CD's might fade (in a few decades) but there will always be something out there. Look at how long they have been talking about paperless offices? It will never happen. |
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oliphant
I Have 8 Boobies
Premium
join:2004-11-26
Corona, CA
| reply to imrf
I have the TL and 5.1 is awesome and I'm glad I have it. Problem isn't quality vs flexibility...it's availability. Try to find everything on DTS, DVDA or SACD...few titles are available so of course they're going to be a tiny fraction of the market. I wouldn't buy a non-5.1 title again if given the CHOICE.
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Don't get it, demand it! The Anime Network www.theanimenetwork.com |
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imrf
Premium
join:2002-06-06
Utica, MI
·Comcast
·WOW Internet and C..
| reply to Davros866
said by Davros866 :DVD-Audio is NOT Dolby Digital or DTS! I never said it was.
Try to get your player configured correctly and you'll notice a huge difference! Thanks, it already is. |
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Davros866
join:2001-07-23
Houston, TX
1 edit | reply to imrf
"Yes, it's totally unnecessary in a car, but at home its great. I have quite a few DVD-A discs and hearing them in Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS is great, makes music sound so much better. The car idea is dumb in general though."
DVD-Audio is NOT Dolby Digital or DTS! You are listening to the wrong layer of your DVD-A disk if you think it is. Dolby and DTS are compressed, lossy formats. DVD-A is an uncompressed, high bitrate, multichannel format. Try to get your player configured correctly and you'll notice a huge difference! |
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yock
TFTC
Premium
join:2000-11-21
Fairfield, OH
| reply to imrf
said by imrf :said by vpoko :You also have the effect of hearing the sound differently depending on where in the car you are sitting. Exactly. You want to be in the center of the action, not in the front left position for a driver or whatever. Real life is far from perfect. I have yet to see a perfectly designed spatial audio system where everyone in the audience can hear everything perfectly. Besides, that's what distance controls are for.
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Statistical correlation need not imply causation.
Technical Nirvana |
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imrf
Premium
join:2002-06-06
Utica, MI
·Comcast
·WOW Internet and C..
| reply to vpoko
said by vpoko :You also have the effect of hearing the sound differently depending on where in the car you are sitting. Exactly. You want to be in the center of the action, not in the front left position for a driver or whatever. |
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imrf
Premium
join:2002-06-06
Utica, MI
·Comcast
·WOW Internet and C..
| reply to yock
said by yock :I think the car idea is perfect. An enclosed space is the best environment for spatial audio. Unless you live in a hall or something a living room or home theater room is the same, but ideally with much better equipment. Car makers use crap equipment for their audio systems, while they can give you the audio in a 5.1 format, it won't be as accurate as a home theater system is, which is part of the idea behind DVD-A and SACDs. I have listened to the Acura TLs DVD-A system and it's ok, but not that great. |
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vpoko
Premium
join:2003-07-03
Jamaica Plain, MA | reply to yock
Except that with a car it's impossible to isolate yourself from outside noise (and if it was, it wouldn't be safe).
You also have the effect of hearing the sound differently depending on where in the car you are sitting. |
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