3 channel stereo with NAD T750?

[r3dline]

I just picked up an NAD T750 surround receiver off eBay that supports the old Dolby Pro Logic. It's just a simple stereo settup, so I'm not worried about Dolby Digital. But I have a few questions:

Will I be able to watch movies that are decoded in dolby digital, using this receiver?

Also (my main question) can I listen to music on the three front channels?

Sorry, I'm a newb when it comes to surround sound.

[r3dline]

Well I answered those myself. Three channel stereo sounds horrible. LoL

Anyway. Can anyone explain to me the big audible difference between Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro Logic?

[markw]

Dolby Pro Logic is an analog based system which works off of two (right and left) analog channels. It then "derives" two other channels (Center, mono surround) from these two, much like the old four channel stereos from the 70's did. In fact, DPL is a direct descendent of Columbia's SQ four channel matrix system from those days.

Please note that mono surround... Even though you might have two separate amplifier channels driving two speakers, the signal fed to these is the same. The audio range of the surround channel is not quite hi fi, being more in like with a good AM radio, but for the effects needed to enhance movie watching, it does quite a deent job.

This is the only type of surround you can use with VHS tapes and can provide a much better experience than one might imagine form the meager specs mentioned in the previous paragraph. Try "Iron Giant" for a good demo (and a fun movie)

Dolby Digital is a whole different animal. It lives wholy in the digital domain. This takes a digital stream and feeds it to a decoder (either in the receiver or the DVD player) and processes it through a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) to render 5 (or 6) totally separate and distinct (as opposed to matrixed) channels AND a separate subwoofer channel.

The connection for the digital stream to the DAC is a single connection, either a 75 ohm coaxial cable for an electrical signal or a glass/plastic thingie with funny plugs called Toslink, which passes an optical signal, via light . Either should work just as well but coax is cheaper and easier to work with. ..and toslink requires two additional processing stages as well. Your choice.

It is quite an improvment over DPL both in terms of the number of distinct channels, their bandwidth, and their separation from each other. Another similar format, DTS , operates along these same lines and shares the same advantages.

IIRC, your 750 is, if not the very first, one of NAD's first forays into HT, from around 1998 or 1999. Although it doesn't have the ability to process Dolby Digital or DTS internally, I do believe it has analog inputs to allow you to use the DAC's internal to a DVD player. Finding a DVD player with this decoding nowadays is not difficult. http://www.audioadvisor.com has Pioneer for $180 that does this, as well as DVD-Audio AND SACD decoding. That should bring your sound right up there with more modern receivers.

FWIW, I've never been impressed with what DPL does to music either.

[r3dline]

Aha! So if I get a nice DVD player that does Dobly Digital decoding itself, I can kill three birds with one stone! I get a DVD player, a CD player, and Dolby Digital. Correct?

So what exactly is the Dobly Pro Logic II? Just another technology similar to Dolby Digital?

[markw]

...I wouldn't trash wacha got for it. Wacha got now, combined with the proper DVD will sound just as good as a new unit. In fact, probably better than most.

DPL II the next generation of DPL. It's a little better for SOME* music and movies but since you're going for DVD's and true DD/DTS, you can live happily without it. VHS tapes do benefit from it but I didn't have a complaint when I was using it on my old AVR, a DPL only unit.

FWIW, even DVD's played back in analog two channel sound "decent" when played thru plain old DPL.

Go for it on your next upgrade but trust me, you can live easily with what you have for a while. It ain't all that earth shaking like the change from DPL to DD/DTS will be. Now, that's a change!.

Check out that Pioneer at AudioAdvisor for a do-all player. For $180, it does literally everything currently available on a 5 1/4" disc. ...and it will jack right into what you have.

*IMNSHO, most music that was recorded in 2 channels simply sounds better played back in two channels. Very little two channel music benefits from artifical ingredents. YMMV

[r3dline]

Thanks Mark.

I certainly plan on keeping what I've got. I just need a decent system, because after I sold my old NAD C340 and C420 rig...I've just been using little satelites and a wimpy sub (20 dollar value total) on my laptop in the dorm. I can't listen to that stuff for more than 10 minutes without a headache, so I had to have something. DPL is fine for me. And I prefer 2-channel for music anyway. I DO need a good cd/dvd player, however. So I might just get something like the Pioneer you suggested, simply for the added effects with movies. However...I would RATHER have a matching NAD...just for matching looks if anything. NAD is so sexy.

But I'm sure an NAD DVD player that does its own DD decoding would probably be a bit expensive. Do you know of one?

Anyway, I might just get the pioneer anyway. Thanks Mark.

[woodman]

[QUOTE=markw]...I wouldn't trash wacha got for it. Wacha got now, combined with the proper DVD will sound just as good as a new unit. In fact, probably better than most.[/QUOTE

Say what? "Just as good as a new unit.? In fact, probably better than most? Au contraire Mark. A "new unit" will have DD and DTS decoding, plus DPLii and sound waaaaay better for watching movies than what he now has. No matter whether or not he gets a DVD player with on-board decoding or not, he's still gonna be hearing the film soundtrack in Pro Logic, and then - only if the DVD player has the facility to output a 2-channel version of what's on the disc. That NAD receiver will not accept a decoded Dolby Digital signal ... only 2-channel stereo source material.

DPL II the next generation of DPL. It's a little better for SOME* music and movies but since you're going for DVD's and true DD/DTS, you can live happily without it.

A little better for SOME music and movies? C'mon ... gimme a large break. DPLii is every bit as big a leap forward over the old DPL, as DD/DTS are over DPLii according to just about everyone.

Check out that Pioneer at AudioAdvisor for a do-all player. For $180, it does literally everything currently available on a 5 1/4" disc. ...and it will jack right into what you have.

As I said before, only if it will output a 2-channel signal will it "jack right into what you have".