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If you're a vintage DVD/BD movie collector like me you're likely to have been less than thrilled by the audio quality of lots of discs in your collection. I'm especially talking about movies from the mid 1940s through the mid 90s. Of course, there are a small handful of blessed exceptions, all BD editions: "Double Indemnity" (1944); "Whirlpool" (1949); "North by Northwest" (1959); "Collector" (1965); "PJ" (1967); "Colossus: The Forbin Project" (1972); "Conversation" (1974); "Love & Death on Long Island" (1996)But if you do own such titles produced between those five decades don't many sound compressed-and possibly with a somewhat noisy high end, if there is much HF response at all? Any other aspects about the sound which you often find troublesome?
So, if you have spent at least $4K or more on L/R speakers-and maybe also $1K or so on a center speaker-then on a scale of 3 to 10, with 10 being most satisfied, how do most of your oldest or most of your DVD and BD movie titles sound to you?
Please share make/model of those speakers.
Edits: 08/24/24Follow Ups:
2 R3 Metas/with stands, & Center Channel.
$ left for Subs or Amplification, or Source
There is no Audiophile Oath Police
That is why tone controls are added, be they located in preamp, receiver or speakers.
Adds force to the sources that used tin can on string fidelity.
Sometimes it is better or worse when decoding to Stereo even if hdmi listed multichannel flavor di jour
accept the fact that old movies will never capture the realism of high resolution audio. All you do is shine a brighter light on the limitations as you've detailed. You definitely don't want to start with an inherently bright system.
I use full range electrostats and Magneplanar surrounds in my HT (details and pics found behind my moniker) and understand that well. Which is why the modest and somewhat opaque op amp based Emotiva, Oppo and Roku electronics work well in that environment.
Never expected it to match the resolution of the main system.
Totally agree. Of course, I can see why you would use less than resolving electronics (e.g. Oppo BD player Emotiva power amps) for HT, but wouldn't the MF and especially the HF response of the Magnepans still point up the flaws in movie sound of a certain vintage? Do you then find yourself wanting to use EQ or something to compensate?In any case, do you find the sound stage of the Magnepans wide and deep enough to where there's no apparent "hole" in the middle?
Edits: 08/25/24
the choice of gear is also budget driven since HT has a lower priority.
but wouldn't the MF and especially the HF response of the Magnepans still point up the flaws in movie sound of a certain vintage?
The modest MC1s are a two way "quasi ribbon" design and are used as surrounds. Most vintage content is stereo at best where they don't speak. Even if one of the "surround modes" is selected to *create* rear channel content, its output is inherently lower.
In any case, do you find the sound stage of the Magnepans wide and deep enough to where there's no apparent "hole" in the middle?
Did you click my moniker and follow to the gallery where pics are found? They are set pretty far apart and their hinged mounting allows for fine tuning angle to listening area. Since they are relatively narrow, dispersion is pretty good. Most folks have no idea what they (or the Acoustats) are. :)
https://gallery.audioasylum.com/cgi/view.mpl?u=2150&f=behind12b1.jpg&v=f&UserImages=2150&session=&&moniker=E-Stat&invite=&w=1024&h=768
If that's a subwoofer in the corner and you use it with the Magnepans where does it cross with them? Are you saying that you have two pairs of those MC-1s that you use with the Oppo player? Or is the other pair some Acoustat model?
So, when you toe in the Magnepans at ~ 30 degrees there's a wide enough sound stage to void any need for a center speaker?
To realize ~ 60db SPL at 1kHz at ~ 10 ft, about how many wpc does a pair of the MC-1 require?
Can you describe the sonic character of the highs, mids and midbass?
What's the step model from the MC-1, and do you think it would be worth it for movie sound that was hit with somewhat less compression than usual, like the BD Edition of "North by Northwest" (1959)?
If that's a subwoofer in the corner and you use it with the Magnepans where does it cross with them?
Strictly speaking, the subs are actively crossed by the Emotiva (also called MC-1) processor to the Acoustat 1+1 mains and subs at 80 hz. High passing the 1+1s improves headroom by relieving them of the bottom octaves. The other sub is located at right rear just into the sunroom. In this pic it is just below and left of the right surround with a small igloo atop it. I use Emotiva "virtual copper" wireless connectivity with both. Works fine for the limited bandwidth required.
Are you saying that you have two pairs of those MC-1s that you use with the Oppo player?
Just one in rear for surround.
So, when you toe in the Magnepans at ~ 30 degrees there's a wide enough sound stage to void any need for a center speaker?
Again, it is the Acoustats used as mains running phantom center that provides the sound stage. Dispersion with the one panel wide model works great. Years ago, I had 3 and 4 panel across panels and they are much "beamier". Previously used a Magnepan center but when we remodeled the space, it really didn't fit in with the minimal look I wanted nor do horizontally oriented centers seem to offer the same coherency with tall mains.
To realize ~ 60db SPL at 1kHz at ~ 10 ft, about how many wpc does a pair of the MC-1 require?
Both sets of speakers are fairly insensitive at 88 db/watt/meter but the XPA-5 power amp delivers 300 watts/channel into their nominal 4 ohm load. Not sure I have an exact answer to your question.
Can you describe the sonic character of the highs, mids and midbass?
If you refer to the MC-1s, they are pretty darn neutral and match the 1+1s very well. They're only rated down to 80 hz +/- 3db. Both exhibit what I would refer to is a natural midbass timbre as referenced with acoustic instruments including string bass, tympani and concert drum. Likely wouldn't satisfy, however, a rocker used to JBL punch.
What's the step model from the MC-1, and do you think it would be worth it for movie sound that was hit with somewhat less compression than usual, like the BD Edition of "North by Northwest" (1959)?
Not entirely sure I understand your question. One step up from them would be part of the floorstanding line like the LRS+ or the .7. Some folks even use a pair of MC1s flanking the video screen as center which would better retain the vertical line source.
...on the remastering. I don't expect the highest quality audio from old movies, such as the 1940s. It's listenable and clear when it's good. On the other hand, there are films such as Lawrence of Arabia which are quite shrill on BluRay. I have to turn down the treble.
Exactly my concern with such old or even some newer films, where, ironically, even when the soundtrack was remastered for lossless BD (assuming it actually was remastered) it can end up sounding worse than the lossy DVD edition. Therefore, I always wondered whether "home theater" speakers were somehow "voiced" to compensate for these frequent deficiencies in movie sound quality. One way this is likely done is to avoid using certain types of speaker driver diaphragms. Aside from the fact of its very high cost, beryllium-with its ESL-like accuracy and transparency-would likely never be seen in such a home theater speaker, nor perhaps would titanium. OTOH, aluminum dome tweeters and/or some kind of paper/plastic amalgam for midrange drivers might be used. Please share thoughts on this.
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