What advice would you offer a surround sound newbie in 2019?

[esimms86]

I'll admit it. I'm a relative newbie when it comes to music in surround sound. I am old enough to be an experienced grey beard but I came to the party relatively late. I was fortunate to have a 5.1 system purchased for the enjoyment of movies and music, and I was especially fortunate to buy my OPPO player before OPPO left the player business. I was especially fortunate to live near a Circuit City back when they were in business, and that is where I purchased a fair number of my early DVD-As and SACDs. I later was able to stock up on a number of OOP discs before their prices reached 2019 levels(or, otherwise, were not made of unobtainium). Lastly, I was fortunate to have been able to purchase AF SACDs when they were still in print.

Now I ask myself, what advice would I give to a pop/rock fan just starting out in this hobby? The following is what I've been able to come up with thus far:

1)Get the best, multiformat compatible, up to date receiver you can afford.
2)Get the speaker system of your choice(yes, speakers are a personal taste) with your room characteristics prominently in mind. Try to match your speakers the best you can. And yes, I would start with a 5.1 system and add on from there according to your tastes and desires(and what your significant other is willing to tolerate in your living space!).
3)Get a player compatible with multiple formats. You may have to go on sites like eBay if the player you need is not currently in production.
4)Do your best to optimize your speaker placement for your room. Room treatment would also be nice if you can swing it.
5)Run to the Dutton Vocalion website and order away. That's right, go wild!
6)Continue with buying as much of the good stuff in print that you can afford. This would include artists like the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, etc. And don't forget sites like Sony Japan!
7)Read the reviews(and watch Mike's 'Life In Surround' videos) of discs you might be interested in (and some you may never have heard of) and then order mint or gently used copies from places like discogs. In fact, this advice works well for buying new stuff from places like Dutton Vocalion, Sony Japan, Amazon, Bullmoose, Walmart, etc.
8)Enjoy what you have and don't fret about the OOP stuff that's priced in the stratosphere. Also, who knows, maybe a forum member will someday offer a sale/trade deal too good to pass up.
9)If you have any money left over, buy a multichannel DAC +/- network audio server.
10)Don't get spooked by all the techno talk on this and other sites. Search the forum archives, ask questions(including via PM), and then sooner or later you'll arrive at a higher rate of comfort and knowledge in this area than you had when you started out.
11) Very important: Don't be dismayed by reading about the systems, vintage gear and collections that a sizeable number of QQers already have. Learn from them, be happy for them and especially be thankful for their contributions to the hobby. Oh, and

BE SURE TO ENJOY THE MUSIC, AFTER ALL, THAT'S WHAT THIS HOBBY IS ALL ABOUT!

OK, so what advice would others of you have to offer(including, how would you modify/tweak any advice I have written down thus far)? BTW, I have nothing against vinyl, R2R and 8 track. Likewise, I have nothing against 7.1 or Atmos. They just happen to reside in other sections of the hobby that would be equivalent to swimming in the deep end of the pool for some. In truth, while I appreciate the shared experiences of other, I myself don't swim in that end of the pool either.

 

[Mesozoic Mike]

I'll admit it. I'm a relative newbie when it comes to music in surround sound. I am old enough to be an experienced grey beard but I came to the party relatively late. I was fortunate to have a 5.1 system purchased for the enjoyment of movies and music, and I was especially fortunate to buy my OPPO player before OPPO left the player business. I was especially fortunate to live near a Circuit City back when they were in business, and that is where I purchased a fair number of my early DVD-As and SACDs. I later was able to stock up on a number of OOP discs before their prices reached 2019 levels(or, otherwise, were not made of unobtainium). Lastly, I was fortunate to have been able to purchase AF SACDs when they were still in print.

Now I ask myself, what advice would I give to a pop/rock fan just starting out in this hobby? The following is what I've been able to come up with thus far:

1)Get the best, multiformat compatible, up to date receiver you can afford.
2)Get the speaker system of your choice(yes, speakers are a personal taste) with your room characteristics prominently in mind. Try to match your speakers the best you can. And yes, I would start with a 5.1 system and add on from there according to your tastes and desires(and what your significant other is willing to tolerate in your living space!).
3)Get a player compatible with multiple formats. You may have to go on sites like eBay if the player you need is not currently in production.
4)Do your best to optimize your speaker placement for your room. Room treatment would also be nice if you can swing it.
5)Run to the Dutton Vocalion website and order away. That's right, go wild!
6)Continue with buying as much of the good stuff in print that you can afford. This would include artists like the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, etc. And don't forget sites like Sony Japan!
7)Read the reviews(and watch Mike's 'Life In Surround' videos) of discs you might be interested in (and some you may never have heard of) and then order mint or gently used copies from places like discogs. In fact, this advice works well for buying new stuff from places like Dutton Vocalion, Sony Japan, Amazon, Bullmoose, Walmart, etc.
8)Enjoy what you have and don't fret about the OOP stuff that's priced in the stratosphere. Also, who knows, maybe a forum member will someday offer a sale/trade deal too good to pass up.
9)If you have any money left over, buy a multichannel DAC +/- network audio server.
10)Don't get spooked by all the techno talk on this and other sites. Search the forum archives, ask questions(including via PM), and then sooner or later you'll arrive at a higher rate of comfort and knowledge in this area than you had when you started out.
11) Very important: Don't be dismayed by reading about the systems, vintage gear and collections that a sizeable number of QQers already have. Learn from them and be happy for them and be thankful for their contributions to the hobby. Oh, and

BE SURE TO ENJOY THE MUSIC, AFTER ALL, THAT'S WHAT THIS HOBBY IS ALL ABOUT!

OK, so what advice would others of you have to offer(including, how would you modify/tweak any advice I have written down thus far)? BTW, I have nothing against vinyl, R2R and 8 track. Likewise, I have nothing against 7.1 or Atmos. They just happens to reside in other sections of the hobby that would be equivalent to swimming in the deep end of the pool for some. In truth, while I appreciate the shared experiences of other, I myself don't swim in that end of the pool either.

Really well said.

 

[sjcorne]

Great topic, and definitely some great advice above.

I would add two extra points:
1. Do your research: Make sure you understand just how much surround music is out there. Mark Anderson's Surround Discography is the perfect place to start, combined with other resources like the QQ polls and discogs database. Once you know what's out there, you can set up a wantlist and start (slowly) crossing titles off it.
2. Don't be afraid to investigate music you've never heard of. I've discovered some of my favorite albums and artists solely because their music was available in surround.

 

[quicksrt]

Yes the Surround polls / lists here at the QQ forums are the best way to gather up your own lists of most wanted titles. Then after you get your list together you can read the reviews to help you sort it into “must haves” & “things I’d really like to have” & “things I’ll grab if found cheaply” vs “things I do not need at all”.

Some of our favorite albums or artists got shabby Surround treatment on discs.

I went through the lists last year and noted which ones I still needed - and have continued to snatch them up on the used market as they appear.

Then it for sure helps to make friends with other collectors to get those deep underground conversions that were privately made. I actually paid cash for my first couple dozen - and then I’d have trade bait, and it’s been super-duper ever since.

The other thing I would remind anyone is that if they start ripping their music to hard drive for computer server / player, they need to have a backup drive for mirror storage of their media. Because things get corrupted, drives crash and it can all go in one slip and drop to the floor a hard drive, or it just quits by itself.

 

[esimms86]

Thanks for your kind words.

I would also add:

1)Don’t be a format snob. You can miss out on some good stuff by doing so. I used to stay away from DTS-CD until others showed me the error of my ways.
2)Don’t be afraid to at least occasionally branch out outside of your favorite music genres. You might be quite pleasantly surprised.

 

[mlrocker]

acquire the Akai GX-280DSS Discrete 4-Channel Tape Deck

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Don’t be ashamed of asking questions here on the QQ; I do almost every day. It would be a real shame though, to let all the great knowledge here slip through your fingers. It also helps for that knowledge to be carried forward to further secure this passion of surround enjoyed by current members.

 

[leevitalone1]

I first discovered what members had my tastes then before I buy anything I go to the polls. I won't spend a dime without checking

 

[milt]

I would add the following:
Forget about Quad LPs, tapes & vintage gear.
Save your money for the OOP titles that will cost a fortune.
Check Discogs, Ebay, Hoffman & here for used titles.
Obtain one of the players that can rip SACDs to hard drive.
Obtain software that can rip DVD-A & Blu-ray.

 

[esimms86]

acquire the Akai GX-280DSS Discrete 4-Channel Tape Deck

Looks like a cool, feature laden deck. I used to lust after a Teac 3340 back in the day.

 

[marpow]

Thanks for your kind words.

I would also add:

1)Don’t be a format snob. You can miss out on some good stuff by doing so. I used to stay away from DTS-CD until others showed me the error of my ways.
2)Don’t be afraid to at least occasionally branch out outside of your favorite music genres. You might be quite pleasantly surprised.

Theirs no way your a newbie, you actually bought surround discs and you no at least 13 things that a newbie, who I truly was in 2013 didn't know at all.
I do like the thread and everybody's input is great.
A great truly newbie experience for you would be setting up your rig for an entire collection ripped to hard drive and played thru your 5.1 system, Lots of work, not too much money and highly rewarding.
No need to spend top dollar on even used discs, as they are discs and play well even with a smudge of peanut butter on them
I bought a $2.99 used Dual Disc of The Offspring a couple weeks ago. The liner notes where dried up water soaked paper, the disc case had food crumbs in it, the disc had smudges on it. I washed it in the sink with dish soap, dried and played it, sounds perfect.

 

[sbrom]

I can't stress how much this means to a newbie: The common thread here is QQ. Join it, read, participate, ask questions, read the reviews and polls. I started in multichannel about 3 years ago and QQ was and still is my goto for anything multichannel. I would have totally floundered otherwise. Another path for some additional information is the "Quadraphonic And Surround Sound Audio" group on facebook, if you're into that sort of thing

 

[beerking]

I will just add : be prepared to shell out oodles of hard earn't dollars or I my case pounds.
I dread to think how much I've spent on this totally brilliant hobby.
And it's worth every penny /cent.
Coz when you are well and truly hooked you will be completely amazed at what you end up buying.
Or is it just me..

 

[weekendtoy]

I would suggest using the Surround Polls here at QQ. Sort by highly rated and start buying the highest rated titles that are still reasonably priced. Later you can go back and get the expensive box sets and more elusive OPP titles.

 

[esimms86]

Theirs no way your a newbie, you actually bought surround discs and you no at least 13 things that a newbie, who I truly was in 2013 didn't know at all.
I do like the thread and everybody's input is great.
A great truly newbie experience for you would be setting up your rig for an entire collection ripped to hard drive and played thru your 5.1 system, Lots of work, not too much money and highly rewarding.
No need to spend top dollar on even used discs, as they are discs and play well even with a smudge of peanut butter on them
I bought a $2.99 used Dual Disc of The Offspring a couple weeks ago. The liner notes where dried up water soaked paper, the disc case had food crumbs in it, the disc had smudges on it. I washed it in the sink with dish soap, dried and played it, sounds perfect.

OK, I have to admit, you're right. I'm not really a newbie. What I am is a former lurker who switched over to becoming an active participant on the forum. That's of massive importance because, by virtue of becoming an active participant my personal knowledge base increased precipitously. Further, QQ members (like Snood, for instance) PM'ed me and made me feel welcome. Further, multiple members welcomed me publicly and also answered my posts, helping to rid me of my prior misconceptions(misconceptions I previously didn't even know I had!). Bottom line, while lurking is cool, participating is a quantum leap forward in knowledge and experience. Yeah, you already knew that but it's also important to encourage other lurkers to join in the conversation.

I agree that you don't need to spend top dollar on used discs. I personally, however, have a hard time with pulling the trigger as they say when a disc in better condition is also available for less than crazy money. Heck, we all have our quirks. Having said that, the vast majority of my collection sits ripped on a couple of hard drives. I rarely insert a disc into a player to listen to music.

 

[jimfisheye]

1. Speakers and amps for them are still the most important and potentially expensive part of any system. This hasn't changed too much.

2. Soundbars and other gimmicky stuff are not reasonable alternatives to speakers! Stay out of places like Worst Purchase (Best Buy)! Also don't be mystified by surround speakers. They're just speakers. The gimmicky stuff aiming little 2" speakers at the ceiling and walls and stuff is out to lunch.

3. You can play any digital format that exists at its highest quality with a computer now. There's a lot of happiness and light with this.

4. There are a few different ways to make the connection from the computer to either a HDMI surround receiver or your own collection of audio interface + amps. Pay attention to the available connections on different devices! Pay especially close attention to HDMI!! There are devices from budget computers to surround receivers with video-only HDMI ports! You've been warned!

5. Take a minute to understand that many of the devices (like the receiver) are combo devices. An HDMI receiver is an audio interface, digital to analog converter, analog preamp, and 6 (or more) channels of amps. All in one box. Powered monitors, for another example, are speakers with amps built into the same boxes. You plug line level into their input because it's the amp's input.

See where this is going?

The game is not to buy expensive bits that you only need one of multiple times.

You can put together a really high end system frugally nowadays.

Any computer with any OS (even Windows) with at least USB and a USB Audio interface with at least 6 outputs.
-or-
A post 2010 computer with thunderbolt or full HDMI and an HDMI surround receiver (again, make sure the HDMI is not video-only).

Pick one:
5 powered full range monitors and a powered sub
5 passive full range speakers and a passive sub and amps of your choice
5 mains and no sub - speaker managed
5 small tops and a sub - speaker managed
4 mains - speaker managed for 5.1, 1:1 for quad

Already have some stuff?
Take inventory.
Fill in the missing pieces.

 

[esimms86]

1. Speakers and amps for them are still the most important and potentially expensive part of any system. This hasn't changed too much.

2. Soundbars and other gimmicky stuff are not reasonable alternatives to speakers! Stay out of places like Worst Purchase (Best Buy)! Also don't be mystified by surround speakers. They're just speakers. The gimmicky stuff aiming little 2" speakers at the ceiling and walls and stuff is out to lunch.

3. You can play any digital format that exists at its highest quality with a computer now. There's a lot of happiness and light with this.

4. There are a few different ways to make the connection from the computer to either a HDMI surround receiver or your own collection of audio interface + amps. Pay attention to the available connections on different devices! Pay especially close attention to HDMI!! There are devices from budget computers to surround receivers with video-only HDMI ports! You've been warned!

5. Take a minute to understand that many of the devices (like the receiver) are combo devices. An HDMI receiver is an audio interface, digital to analog converter, analog preamp, and 6 (or more) channels of amps. All in one box. Powered monitors, for another example, are speakers with amps built into the same boxes. You plug line level into their input because it's the amp's input.

See where this is going?

The game is not to buy expensive bits that you only need one of multiple times.

You can put together a really high end system frugally nowadays.

Any computer with any OS (even Windows) with at least USB and a USB Audio interface with at least 6 outputs.
-or-
A post 2010 computer with thunderbolt or full HDMI and an HDMI surround receiver (again, make sure the HDMI is not video-only).

Pick one:
5 powered full range monitors and a powered sub
5 passive full range speakers and a passive sub and amps of your choice
5 mains and no sub - speaker managed
5 small tops and a sub - speaker managed
4 mains - speaker managed for 5.1, 1:1 for quad

Already have some stuff?
Take inventory.
Fill in the missing pieces.

I totally agree that there are multiple ways to put together a great sounding surround system. I also think that you've summed it up beautifully in your final three sentences when it comes to advice for the person new to music in surround. Bottom line is, the road to having a wonderful surround system in your home is cheaper than many people think. It's also invaluable to have experienced friends to turn to when navigating the ofttimes confusing world of digital music reproduction in 2019.

I personally find the biggest obstacle to be the age divide. Baby boomers love their 60's/70's/80's pop/rock and we/they often also prefer to have media we/they can hold in our/their hands. We also often are not even close to being as modern day computer tech savvy/comfortable as millennials. I spent lots of years on the computer audiophile(now audiophilestyle) forum before finding my way to QQ. It also helped that I retired at the end of summer 2017 and, therefore, had more time on my hands to research this stuff as a true hobbyist. I happen to know a lot of millennials, mostly through my son, and I find them (in my limited experience) to be largely disinterested in this hobby, be it stereo or surround. My son gets his fix through youtube and some of my more music obsessed millennial friends focus mostly on vinyl. I only know one millennial with a 5.1 system and even he spends most of his expendable cash on vinyl. On the other hand, most of my baby boomer friends are satisfied with listening to Pandora on their Sonos devices.

In the end all I am saying is that computer savvy music listeners who are into music in surround is a fairly small niche. But, yeah, you also already knew that too.

 

[quicksrt]

I should add if I may that there are several things that can save the newbie some major bucks when setting up a surround system. And some folks might disagree and that’s fine too.

1. All five of your speakers need not be exact matching, a beautiful set of fronts that are a different model than the beautiful set in rears, and then yet a different but equally good center speaker can deliver outstanding surround even with no sub speaker. So if one has a good stereo set of speakers I would not be concerned about the additional set not being exact match as long as they sound equality good to you.

2. An older (9 to 14 years old) 6 channel receiver with no hdmi input can be a $50 to $80 entry to stunning surround (think used Onkyo, Yamaha, etc.). Craig’s List is great for no shipping costs, eBay is great for selection and ability to get refund if the unit bites the dust as you power it up. If one ups the budget to $120 to $160, the world is your oyster.

3. An Oppo universal player can be your all-purpose 6-channel DAC, and could save you hundreds. Used players are around - and this is a way to cover all formats of discs and inputs from drives or computers. I’d get a 103 or 105 model for late features, but still a recent enough design.

 

[uffeolby]

1. All five of your speakers need not be exact matching, a beautiful set of fronts that are a different model than the beautiful set in rears, and then yet a different but equally good center speaker can deliver outstanding surround even with no sub speaker. So if one has a good stereo set of speakers I would not be concerned about the additional set not being exact match as long as they sound equality good to you.

I totally agree on this!

My main speakers L & R are KEF Reference from 1992 and they still serve me very well. I entered the 5.1-world in year 1999 and here I am 20 years later...
- On my third amplifier
- On my third disc player
- On my second subwoofer
- On my second center speaker
- On my second pair of surround speakers (do not believe that you need 4 or 5 identical speakers to get good surround)

Bottom line - you can build a multichannel rig on what you already have and then upgrade component by component to meet your own expectations and budget.

 

[Snood]

Further, QQ members (like Snood, for instance) PM'ed me and made me feel welcome.

Snood's advice.....Watch out for Snood he will PM you and make you feel welcome

That what he do!