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The home theater is a lovely feeling to experience but there is more to it to understand. So, when should you use surround sound?
At A Glance: If you want to feel the universe on the screen to be around you in the form of audio then you should use surround sound. The visual universe of movies, games, or movies will be formed around you and you will feel like you are living the life of the character on the screen
Keep reading as we will discuss many more things about surround sound. I will also answer related questions and check the poll that I have conducted in the Facebook group.
Immersive universe of surround sound (In-depth)
The surround sound is invented to give life-like vibes to the audience. The best experience is to feel the situation on the screen right in your theater room.
Each speaker in the surround sound plays a vital role. I am not talking about 11.2.6 or 9.2.4 surround sound but even a 5.1 surround will give a nice immersive experience.
When the main character is surrounded by bad guys on the screen you will feel like they are around you and taunting you. You will feel the same at the police arrest scene. You will feel like the police are in your room and surrounding you.
When the gladiator is in the arena you will feel like you are there and enjoying the view and cheers of the spectators.
Each side speaker will create its side audio to completely replicate the situation on the screen around you.
That’s why I said, “When you want to feel the universe on the screen in your theater room then you should use surround sound”.
Keep reading as I am going to answer related questions.
Read my guide on how to optimize the audio of the home theater. You will know critical things about it.
Which is better: stereo sound or surround sound?
In-Short: If the music is Atmos or 5.1 mix then the better layout will be surround sound but if it is of stereo format then the stereo layout of speakers is the best for it.
In-Depth: There was a time when stereo was the norm and everyone was using stereo for their music. But now Atmos and surround sound mixes are coming to the market gradually and that music quality can only be justified by surround sound.
When you listen to the surround sound music on the surround sound setup then there is no going back. The stereo will feel like a small nut against a walnut.
I remember when I listened to the Atmos mixes in my friend’s theater room. I was blown away by the immersive experience of the music.
Each tone in the music stands out and it feels like I am in a professional opera hall and listening to the opera personally.
The music was coming from the surround and not from the speakers.
But if your music is stereo format then never play it on surround sound because the receiver will push most of the music to the center speaker and the experience will be dull. If the speaker setup is done incorrectly in the receiver settings.
Also, the stereo setup is good only when you are the only audience in the theater room otherwise it is a flop for me.
Because the same stereo music will be felt differently in the second row than in the first row.
When there is more than one row in the theater room then the surround sound is the best for the music.
Do the speakers sound better over time? I have some cool stats for you in this article.
What Will You Prefer For The Music? (FB Poll)
| Poll Options | Poll Stats |
|---|---|
| Stereo is the best for music | 69.23% |
| Surround sound is the best | 30.77% |
Is surround sound still popular?
It is the age of surround sound. Every one of the home theater owners is after this surround sound layout.
The surround sound is enhanced even more by many technologies and tech companies.
Like with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Auro 3D, the receiver creates a virtual audio bubble around the audience in the theater room.
You feel like bullets, and plans are going over your head and the tanks are passing by at the sides. The explosion happens in the theater room.
Many companies are investing in new research and innovations around the surround sound phenomenon.
Like IMAX enhanced features really boost up the pair of the video and audio for the surround sound.
So, consider that surround sound is still popular and it will be popular for many ages to come.
Know the right frequency crossover settings for each speaker in the surround sound. You will know more about the best quality audio.
Did you get something out of this surround sound guide? Hold On We Have Something Exciting To Share.
FAQs
Is surround sound good for games?
If the game supports surround sound then the best layout will be to play it on the surround sound.
You will be immersed in the world of the game. You will forget your sorrows while playing the game of surround sound. But be aware it will waste a lot of time. Because when you are immersed in the virtual world of the game then there is no sense of time.
Instruct your spouse so they can remind you of your productivity time. It is very important.
Do surrounds need to match the front speakers?
They should match in tonality but not in power and budget. Because the surround sides and rear speakers don’t have the same caliber of work to do as the front speakers do. That’s why they should never match them at power and price.
The front speaker has the second most heavy lifting to do after the center speaker. Therefore they must be of Hi-end and must have huge power to fulfill their job better.
But the surround sides and rear speakers have to play very few of the dialogues and play the sound effects. That’s it. That’s why buying expensive speakers for these positions is a loss of money and buying huge power speakers will be a waste of power.
That’s why they should match their tonality but not power and price.
Is DTS or Dolby better?
According to me, Dolby is better because it is a more mainstream phenomenon than DTS. Almost all of the content is now available in the Dolby but there is still a limitation in the DTS.
That’s why I will say that Dolby is the better.
Can I play music from the home Theatre?
You can play music from the home theater and there is a feature called Dolby Pro logic that can play the sound in surround sound.
The Dolby Pro logic will decentralize the music around you. Now the center speaker will not be used for most of the music.
But each speaker in the surround sound will play their own assigned lyrics and notes. It is a very cool feature to immerse yourself in your favorite music.
The music will be showered over you from each side and you in the middle enjoying it.
Helpful Resources For The FAQs To Read More
- This was my opinion, read more about it on PCMAG. (Resource for the first answer)
- This was my opinion, get an idea about it from a discussion on AVSforum. (Resource for the second answer)
- Know how to stream music from this video. (Below Video Resource for the fourth answer)
Watch To Learn More
Or watch it on youtube
