Presence speakers - What do you think?

[jjp735i]

Presence speakers are not needed, not supported, and not beneficial for audio or soundtrack reproduction. It is gimmicky, and was rejected by the studios who preferred 7.1 "on the ground" instead of 9.1 "in the air".

Nobody really needs a DSP to artificially raise sound effects(where they were never positioned during mixing), and move them around in a unnatural way. It sounds artificial, and soundtracks were never created to be heard that way. When I see people preferring this kind of set up, I see them as making up for deficiencies within their speaker system. You don't need ten speakers when eight will do just fine. We only need eight in the studio, and you only need eight at home.

It's all in what you like and what your ears enjoy. I love my presence speakers and always use them. An it's not for the lack of my speakers. You can never compare a theater set up to home theater set up. There are to many varibles in the home to change the sound.

I say if you like it keep it. Just because the "studio " didn't record it that way doesn't mean it doesn't sound good. I also use Yamaha and I love some of there DSP programs. Thsi subject has been gone over before and you will also have people jumping in to saying it's not needed. Use what you like and enjoy, that is what home theater is all about.

I have to agree with you on that the presence speakers add a nice depth around the screen, AND it doesn't make anything sound Artificial.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

It's all in what you like and what your ears enjoy. I love my presence speakers and always use them. An it's not for the lack of my speakers. You can never compare a theater set up to home theater set up. There are to many varibles in the home to change the sound.

I made no comparison between a theater set up, and a home theater set up.

I am not interested in subjective salt and pepper that you personally want to add that distorts the signals, and creates something that was not there. That is your business, but it is not accurate, and it is not needed.

Disney, MGM, Lionsgate, and Warner(on some titles) all use special made for home theater mixes that are created using a high quality 5.1 sub sat system just like most folks have in their home. At least on Disney titles we try and reduce any variables between the kinds of equipment(Not the quality) used in the home, and what we use in the mixing suite. When I create the Disney mixes, I use 5 or 7 very high quality mini monitors, and a high quality sub(or two) in a acoustically neutral room. There is a sufficient amount of depth already in the track before it leaves the studio, your home system just has to reproduce it correctly.

I say if you like it keep it. Just because the "studio " didn't record it that way doesn't mean it doesn't sound good. I also use Yamaha and I love some of there DSP programs. Thsi subject has been gone over before and you will also have people jumping in to saying it's not needed. Use what you like and enjoy, that is what home theater is all about.

I know a lot of folks love degraded and distorted sound, which is why Yamaha creates this stuff. A good quality well set up basic hometheater does not need any of this crap to sound good, it can stand on its own. The only system that needs this kind of help, is a system that is not well set up, or is in a room without sufficient diffusion. Hence the salt and pepper to juice it up.

I have to agree with you on that the presence speakers add a nice depth around the screen, AND it doesn't make anything sound Artificial.

A nice artificial depth, I know because I owned a Yamaha pre-amp that had all of those artificial DSP environments. A properly designed and calibrated 5.1 system has all of the depth cues you need without adding more that are artificially created by a DSP.

I fully recognize people like different things. Some folks love accuracy(I am one of those), and others like artificiality reproduced by DSP's. I say more power to you if this is your kick.