Do we really need the center channel?

[Almen]

OK, then I get it.

 

[Disclord]

I actually like having a 'real' center output on quad mixes, be they matrix or discrete originally - I often use the dts Neo:6 matrix+decoder in my Kenwood Sovereign VR-5090 THX receiver with it set up to decode the 3 front channels only, after receiving the decoded 2-chann

​

el front outputs from the Fosgate Tate II 101A or quad DVD-Audio's Lossless DTS-HD Master Audio SACD's-to-BDA's I've gotten via Bittorrent. To me and my ears, Neo:6 is like 'magic', producing a 'hard' Center Front signal without any reduction front image width or center speaker pile-up. 2-channel DTS Neo:6 creates absolutely rock-steady sound imaging across the front and sounds completely discrete while doing so. That's because the directional detector in the Neo:6 algorithm divides the incoming 2-channel signal into 14 or more individual sub-bands and applies logic steering to each band separately, with no 'reference' to any other band - thus, multiple simultaneous sources of different frequency's can have their directionality enhanced with no audible artifacts. The most recent Neo:6 decoders have increased the number of sub-bands into 24, 1/3rd octave bands. Each sub-band has its own attack and decay time to optimize it for that particular band (the only other parametric surround decoder to use individual time constants optimized for each band was Sansui's QSD-1, 3-band Vario-Matrix decoder - its lowest band had the slowest time-constants and the high frequencies had the fastest - overall, it was still much slower than either of the Tate implementations for consumer SQ - the old Aphex Ratiometric Detection System in the ESP-7000 and Proton SD-1000 had variable time constants but only a single band of logic steering - it also used Peak detectors instead of Log-Ratio in the detector and produced much stronger, more accurate DC control signals - the Apex and Proton could also decode Dolby "EX" Center Back from Matrix encoded 2 channel sources - which was YEARS before anyone from Dolby or THX suggested Surround EX!)

I'll sign off now - not that it matters but I've had the flu bug since Friday morning and now that I'm feeling a bit better I'm starting to stay up later! UGH, it's no fair! I hate having the flu at this time of year!