Dolby digital, Dts, and srs cs 5.1

[snodog]

I have a question about the sound formats on my receiver. I have a dolby digital icon on a button and also cs 5.1 which is srs. What the hell is srs and when is it used? My receiver seems to go to dolby pro logic formats when I use this button but isn't this the same button for 5.1 or 6.1 dolby as well?

[kelsci]

I have a question about the sound formats on my receiver. I have a dolby digital icon on a button and also cs 5.1 which is srs. What the hell is srs and when is it used? My receiver seems to go to dolby pro logic formats when I use this button but isn't this the same button for 5.1 or 6.1 dolby as well?

Snodog; I can only think that your receiver is either a Marantz or a Kenwood. SRS means SOUND RETRIVAL SYSTEM. Rather than go over the whole history which I believe you can find on their website, the current receiver models I mentioned should have Circle Surround 11 with trubass. It is a cousin to DPL-2, Logic 7 and DTS NEO. The idea is to give a 5.1 channel effect from a two channel stereo source for cinema and music which should be stated on the menu that brings this up for use. I believe that in the case when a two channel stereo source is played with your selection on your receiver is set to D.D. 5.1, your receiver should indicate that it is in the DPL-2 mode. At that point you can go into a menu system and choose DTS NEO or CS ll if the sound from these 2 channel to 5.1 channel sources pleases you.

[snodog]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, it is a Marantz and is a year or two old model and does not have dts neo. The circle surround seems to sound good although, I wish more music cds were in dolby 5.1 Wonder why they are not, only prologic. I did figure out how to use the dolby 5.1 also as it automatically detects the format available. One more thing then, how about the 7.1 channel direct button? Is that a generic format as well as circle surround?

thanks again!

[kelsci]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, it is a Marantz and is a year or two old model and does not have dts neo. The circle surround seems to sound good although, I wish more music cds were in dolby 5.1 Wonder why they are not, only prologic. I did figure out how to use the dolby 5.1 also as it automatically detects the format available. One more thing then, how about the 7.1 channel direct button? Is that a generic format as well as circle surround?

thanks again!

Snodog; Generally music CDs have in rare instances been monophonic but primarily 2 channel stereo. There have been some that have been recorded in some form of Dolby Surround. For a while some 2 channel CDs were recorded in SHURE STEREOSURROUND which is a form of Dolby Surround. There might be a few 2 channel discs here and there were recorded with a spacializer or encoded with Circle Surround.
The Circle Surround on an older Marantz may be CS original. This has been replaced on newer models within the past two years by CS-2.

You seem to have a small misconeption about 2 channel music CDs. Unless they state on the jacket what I wrote on the above paragraph, they are not encoded with pro-logic sound. One does happen is that many two channel CDs are mixed that at times they contain sounds that are both in and out of phase. Even some vinyl records would produce multichannel sound out of a two channel mix depending on how the music was mixed at the studio. These non-encoded discs can give a feeling of multi-channel sound on some decoding circuits such as mentioned above and in your case the Circle Surround that is on your Marantz. Circle Surround and all the others that I mentioned in my first reply are sophistacated Active Matrix Decoders. Years ago, this was tried during the quadraphonic age of the 70s. Another form of decoding is Passive Matrix Decoding. There are quite a few diagrams floating around allowing a two channel receiver or amplifier with four or five speakers to deliver a multichannel effect with a specific wiring technique for the rear speakers. One of the most successful of these was Dynaquad.

As to my knowledge, there are no music CDs in Dolby Digital 5.1. There are discs that have recordings in DTS 5.1 music but I cannot recall if they are called CDs or DVD musical discs. The current standards for any 5.1 music is consididered DVD-Audio(Dolby Meridian LOSSLESS Compression) and SACD( Super Audio CD). These contain musical selections primarily remixed and remastered in the past into multi-channel music. Some of these musical DVD discs have offered a 5.1 Dolby Digital mix that allows the user to play the disc till he or she eventually purchases a DVD player that is capable of handling DVD-Audio and/or SACD. From what I have read, there is supposed to be a push for DVD players to be universal in nature to play both formats as the next generation of players.

Meanwhile with your two channel CDs, use your Circle Surround on your Marantz on those 2 channel discs that seem to give a nice multi-channel sound.

I cannot answer your question on this 7 channel button on your receiver. I would refer to the manual on that one. There is alot of addtional things going on with 7 channels in todays receivers. I think the common basis was to add an addtional speaker to a 6.1 EX-ES system to make it a 7.1 system for center back surround imaging. Other uses are coming into play at this time with that set-up such as DPL-2X.

[snodog]

Got it dude! Thanks again for the the help.