# What mode do you listen to CDs in?



## Guest

When you listen to regular CDs on your home theater, do you put your receiver on "stereo" or do you use one of the surround modes like dolby pro logic for music or NEO 6?


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## Vader

I use the music mode of PL II with a highly localized center for Christian pop/contemporary; I love the sound of the vocals being tied to the center, and being enveloped by everything else. For orchestral stuff (I am a soundtrack junkie), I use DTS Neo 6, as it does not do any directing of sound (it leaves the 2-channel stuff intact), but adds some atmospheric ambiance. I know I'm gonna be lynched for saying this, but 2-channel direct just sounds kinda "flat" to me....


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## azjimmy

For "Redbook" CD's I listen to them in stereo, letting my AVR do the DAC work. I like PLII for television but not for music.
Jim


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## Guest

azjimmy said:


> For "Redbook" CD's I listen to them in stereo, letting my AVR do the DAC work. I like PLII for television but not for music.
> Jim


Jim,

What does the DAC work when you listen to CDs in PL II?


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## John S

In the past few months, I have become a big fan of Logic 7 for Red Book CDs on my HK AVR. Logic 7 is just a bit better than DPL II, imo. In both cases, I do turn the surrounds down a couple notches. I have not played with Neo 6 much.


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## JCD

If I'm going to listen to music only (i.e., not be moving around) stereo only.. if I'm going to be cooking, moving around, etc, I go to 5 channel stereo (or whatever it's called) just to get as much volume/authortity as possible.

JCD


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## ae93gti

Redbook CD for me equals pure direct on my amp, i.e. no processing whatsoever.

If we have a few people round or am elsewhere the house then 7 channel stereo for the same reasons as a previous poster mentioned.


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## eddthompson

straight stereo for me. I do use my dvd player, so i let it cross over the sound at 80hz to the sub, and set distances and channel levels, this realy helps with the imaging.

edd


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## Ayreonaut

I use PLIIx-Music for everything, including movies. I don't use a center channel, so stereo is preserved, and ambient information is steered to the four surrounds with no delay.


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## JRace

Direct only for me anytime I listen to music.

Everything else just sounds...weird!:scratchhead:


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## RollsRoyce

I use PLIIx "Music" mostly. I've experimented with the IIx "Movie" mode, since I've read that it's a little better in anchoring center-of-stage stuff in the center than the Music mode is. I also use 7-channel stereo. Don't care too much for the other DSP modes my Pioneer VSX-9300TX has. My previous receiver was an Onkyo TX-DS787, and I very much enjoyed its "Studio" mode. Wish the Pioneer offered something similar!


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## Ayreonaut

From a Stereophile interview of Jim Fosgate


> *Guttenberg: *PLII can work its magic on LPs and CDs?
> *Fosgate: *Yes. Please understand that PLII doesn't affect the stereo soundstage, other than to display the in-phase part of the program over the three front channels—the out-of-phase or randomly phased signals are sent to the rear. When switching between stereo and PLII, you'll see that the stereo soundstage stays intact but has greater depth and width. Sometimes you're not even aware of the extra speakers, until you turn them off and the soundstage collapses back to stereo.
> 
> *Guttenberg: *PLII comes in two flavors, Music and Movie. What's the difference?
> *Fosgate: *In the digital implementation, the logic is the same for both modes, but the movie mode adds some time delay to the rear channels for a more frontal presentation. Of course, you can listen to movies in Music mode, which is the way I listen to DVDs. I recommend trying it both ways to see which one sounds better to you.
> 
> *Guttenberg: *Can PLII break on through to the two-channel faithful?
> *Fosgate: *In real life, we're used to hearing in a 360º sphere from all around us. Stereo is unnatural in that it is coming only from the front speakers. With my triamped, all-tube system, stereo sounds very, very good—it's what great stereo is all about—but when I switch from stereo to multichannel, there's no comparison. It's not that one is so aware of the back channels, but PLII makes the front soundstage wider and deeper. Some of my guests aren't aware of the rear speakers' contributions until I turn them off.


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## Josuah

I've always found turning on a sound field to make things sound smeared. And my center channel isn't as good as my mains. So I listen in stereo. I don't use pure direct through because I want the low frequencies sent to my subs.


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## rcarlton

Stereo mode. I feel if it was recorded in stereo, I should listen to it in stereo.


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## JorgenMan

I think I would prefer IIx, but stereo actually sounds better because my front speakers are the only quasi-good speakers in my system.


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## SIRI

rcarlton said:


> Stereo mode. I feel if it was recorded in stereo, I should listen to it in stereo.


Couldn't agree more .

The engineer that recorded and mastered the cd did it in stereo . It's not an easy task , trust me . So , why ruin all his work by changing the original perspective with a wrong listening setup ? 

It's like having a surround recording and listening it in stereo . Maybe worse because you will probablly get a stereo mix of the surround mix on the same dvd .

On the other hand , i guess everyone is free to listen as it pleases .

Just my opinion anyway .


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## Mitch G

I used to listen in "PLII Music" finding it richer/fuller than "Neo Music."
However once I upgraded my sub (SVS 25-31 PC+) and did the REW/BFD thing, I found that I liked stereo better. I think it's because before the new sub, I was letting the surrounds provide the fuller sound the sub now provides.

So, I suggest trying the different modes if you happen to change a component or re-calibrate. You might be surprised.


Mitch


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## Danny

stereo for me plus sub, anything else just sounds wrong


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## Jack N

I have a Yamaha RX-V3300 that lets me use all 8 channels at the same time. I like that the best which is why I have towers in most of the channels. But depending on the recording, it doesn't always sound the best that way.


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## Guest

What mode do I generally listen in! Well that would depend on the kinder mood that I’m in, but generally speaking, I do prefer Dolby Pro-Logic for some sources that are encoded with just 2 channel stereo, or if it’s Dolby digitally encoded with 5.1 then Dolby digital it will be.

I have a few demonstration dts discs that are encoded in 5.1 that sound truly out of this world.

But in the whole I would keep to Dolby Pro-Logic for music videos, not Dolby Pro-Logic II where I have noticed crosstalk behaviour in the matrix decoding on the surrounds with centre channel information making it far less impressive than I thought it was going to be when I read about it 6 years ago.


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## Darren

I listen to all music in "Direct" mode which bypassess all processing and just plays what the CD has encoded. Listening in "Stereo" mode is actually performing processing on the cd and introduces restults that aren't there... "Direct" mode reveals the true content of the CD.


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## Eddie Horton

I go stereo plus sub for CD's if I'm in the sweet spot. If I'm moving around, it's 7 channel stereo. I've tried all the combinations of PL, PLII, and Neo6, but none of them do it for me on CD's.


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## Guest

My Pioneer VSX-1014TX receiver features a mode called 'Advanced Music' that I like as well as the 'Neo6' setting. Those are only employed on recordings that have encoding for some kind of surround like the SACD version of Pink Floy'd The Wall CD.

Aside from that, I use simple 'Direct' mode for 2-channel listening.

Andrew D.
cdnav.com


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## Adz

Darren said:


> I listen to all music in "Direct" mode which bypassess all processing and just plays what the CD has encoded. Listening in "Stereo" mode is actually performing processing on the cd and introduces restults that aren't there... "Direct" mode reveals the true content of the CD.


Very true. And if you put in your favorite CD and switch back and forth between stereo and direct modes on your receiver/processor, you will hear a difference. What sounds better to you?


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## Sonnie

Is direct mode generally analog? I was trying to listen to a CD the other day and when I selected the direct mode I could get no sound. I only have the digital audio out connected though.


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## Nomo

Sonnie said:


> Is direct mode generally analog? I was trying to listen to a CD the other day and when I selected the direct mode I could get no sound. I only have the digital audio out connected though.



I believe on most if not all of HT receivers, it is on my Yamaha anyway, that direct or "pure direct" is analogue only, bypassing the receiver's DACs and DSPs.

Most times I prefer PLIIX, but around 10% of the time I'll go with pure direct.


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## Ayreonaut

On my Denon AVR 1905, Direct mode is either straight analog, or digital bypassing all processing except the DACs.


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## Darren

Adz said:


> Very true. And if you put in your favorite CD and switch back and forth between stereo and direct modes on your receiver/processor, you will hear a difference. What sounds better to you?


It depends on what type of music I'm listening to. If I'm listening to Metal or hard rock then I usually go stereo because the quality of the recordings is usually lacking. The highs are harsh and the bass is thin. Stereo places more emphasis on bass. If I'm listening to something more refined that has been mastered well I'll go direct.


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## cafyon

*What about 3 channel SACD?*

Hi all,

I prefer to use a seperate stereo integrated amp for CDs. Output is analog (player's internal DAC) from player till I buy a DAC.

And sorry if this is off-the-scope but, is there anyone listened to 3-channel SACD layer on "RCA Living Stereo" disks?


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## Guest

If I'm sitting and really "listening" I go pure direct all the time. I don't like all the special effects messing with what the engineers did with the music originally.

My two cents ...
Peter


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## John S

*Re: What about 3 channel SACD?*



cafyon said:


> And sorry if this is off-the-scope but, is there anyone listened to 3-channel SACD layer on "RCA Living Stereo" disks?


http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/music-dvd-concerts/569-right-minute-2.html#post9091


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## Guest

Well, if I'm listening to a redbook cd I generally keep in in stereo, which IMO is the way it was mean to be heard. If, however, I'm listening to DVD-A or a 5.1 Surround recording, I go to the full surround speakers, either DTS or Pro II


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## cyberbri

I listen to CDs in stereo. My Denon 2910 does the decoding (for CDs and DVDs), bass management, etc. and I use analog outputs into my HK receiver. If I'm sitting in the sweet spot on the couch, this gives the best imaging, center vocal image, soundstage, etc. The other sound modes don't even compare. 

(I also have first reflection points treated, bass traps in the front corners, and a BFD for the sub)


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## Eddie Horton

That's how it's done, Bri. Treat the room acoustically, then finish off with EQ. Can't wait till my room is done!! I'm jealous.


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## cyberbri

I'm just lucky that we found a rental (house) with a nice big rectangular living room. And lucky that it's on one end of an L-shaped layout with the bedrooms at the other end of the house. And that my wife lets me keep acoustic panels in the room (she didn't really have a choice - I got them and said "hope you like them" - hehe - I compromised a little bit on them, so they aren't stacked to the ceiling in the front corners, and now they're just doubled up in the corners).

But with flat frequency response, you don't even have to run the sub that hot to get fantastic bass for both music and movies. 

I was tweaking some more last night, switched my VTF-3 Mk2 back to Max Extension (I get strong output to mid-teens, but lose a little headroom up higher), and re-did my BFD filters (on a different channel). Now it's extremely flat, even more than before, to high 30s, with a big rise from high 20s to high teens, with it dropping to "flat" level of higher bass around 15Hz (I'll try to post a graph or two tonight). I did this while running REW through the receiver, so I could work on the response as it combines with my Ascends (I cut some more in the 70s and around 100Hz to get it flatter to around there). Probably too many filters, but it's very flat now and I'll go with this for a while unless I play a scene that makes the sub show signs of stress. 

I tried a bit of The Haunting DTS again after this, and for the first time (haven't checked the scene in a while, since doing all the tweaks) I heard the actual bass and creaks and sounds, and not the booms echoing around the room after the bass. At -15 it was massively loud, but it seemed like I heard just the bass and not the room. (and no stress from the sub)


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## RayJr

I listen to music in PLIIx or L7....depends on the type of music.

Later
RayJr


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## cellexjohn

This is an interesting thread. I'll give it a bump. 

I personally listen to cd's in analog 2ch through my dedicated cd player. I let it do the processing. I run the preamp in direct mode with no base management for the mains. In this mode I walk up and turn off the sub as direct mode still sends full range to the fronts and still 80 and below to the sub. I spend a fair amount of time listening to jazz. I do listen to rock and some alternative also. None of which the mains have any problems with the base.

When tinkering about the house I listen to Sirius. Normally in 5ch stereo as it sounds fuller while moving around. 

John


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## cyberbri

Ayreonaut said:


> From a Stereophile interview of Jim Fosgate
> 
> 
> 
> Guttenberg: PLII can work its magic on LPs and CDs?
> Fosgate: Yes. Please understand that PLII doesn't affect the stereo soundstage, other than to display the in-phase part of the program over the three front channels—the out-of-phase or randomly phased signals are sent to the rear. When switching between stereo and PLII, you'll see that the stereo soundstage stays intact but has greater depth and width. Sometimes you're not even aware of the extra speakers, until you turn them off and the soundstage collapses back to stereo.
> 
> Guttenberg: PLII comes in two flavors, Music and Movie. What's the difference?
> Fosgate: In the digital implementation, the logic is the same for both modes, but the movie mode adds some time delay to the rear channels for a more frontal presentation. Of course, you can listen to movies in Music mode, which is the way I listen to DVDs. I recommend trying it both ways to see which one sounds better to you.
> 
> Guttenberg: Can PLII break on through to the two-channel faithful?
> Fosgate: In real life, we're used to hearing in a 360º sphere from all around us. Stereo is unnatural in that it is coming only from the front speakers. With my triamped, all-tube system, stereo sounds very, very good—it's what great stereo is all about—but when I switch from stereo to multichannel, there's no comparison. It's not that one is so aware of the back channels, but PLII makes the front soundstage wider and deeper. Some of my guests aren't aware of the rear speakers' contributions until I turn them off.
Click to expand...


I find this strange. At least with music sources, I find there is a difference in how the sound is mapped across the front 3 speakers when switching between DPLII Music and Movie. Movie puts a lot more sound in the center speaker, and Music keeps the soundstage a little wider across the front with more sound going to the sides. 

At least this is how it works on my HK AVR240.


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## robk_11

I prefer music in stereo. I am usually streaming off my Roku Soundbridge though. I haven't broke out a CD in a loooong time... :nerd:


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## goatfarm

2-channel stereo for everything except pipe organ. Then I add the sub.


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## spin

Mostly in Stereo mode for me.

However, I also occasionally switch to Pro Logic II Music mode, but with the surrounds turned off.


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## Scott S

I usually listen in Stereo. Stereo with bass management to be exact. I don't want my left and right to perform <80hz even though they can. My subwoofer is better than them in those frequencies and that is how I like it.

Occasionally, I will play with PL2 Music/Movie, DTS NEO Music/Movie, and L7 Cinema/Music....some songs sound better with another format and such....but I usually just listen in stereo.


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## Guest

CD's stereo only, unless I have a friend over wants to experience the other soundfields that DSP's provide.


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## Jusbegood

I listen to CD's in Multi-Channel Stereo through my Sony STR-DA3000ES. You get all the sweet spots anywhere that you sit.


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## SierraMikeBravo

I usally listen to Dobly PL for music. At times, I'll listen to direct stereo, but I find I prefer the surround aspect of Dolby.


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## ACGREEN

I know that purists listen in only stereo, but I love the "all-channels" stereo that Yamaha has. IT really highlights when you have a week speaker and is the reason I upgraded to a large center channel. I can't wait to listen to it in 7.1.


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## mazersteven

DTS Neo 6


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## enrique

i listen to redbook via analog thru my cd player,usually 2ch in either stereo or bypass/direct.Smetimes it's 5ch depending on the mood i'm in.But it's all analog.DVDA/SACD is another story all together which i still enjoy.


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