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Anyone else just not bothered by home theatre?

Count Arthur

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I've always been fussy about sound quality for music, but when it comes to watching television or movies, as long as I can see what's going on and hear the dialogue, I'm quite happy. I've never felt that a giant screen or surround sound adds much to the experience.

Friends have tried to impress me with their movie set ups, which has on occassion made me wish I'd taken some ear plugs; I don't want to deafened by gun shots and explosions, nor do I want dialogue at the volume of a drill seargent shouting in my face. At home, with some movies I prefer to watch them with small speakers that will naturally cut off above all the bass rumble.

Is it just me?
 

Doodski

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I've always been fussy about sound quality for music, but when it comes to watching television or movies, as long as I can see what's going on and hear the dialogue, I'm quite happy. I've never felt that a giant screen or surround sound adds much to the experience.

Friends have tried to impress me with their movie set ups, which has on occassion made me wish I'd taken some ear plugs; I don't want to deafened by gun shots and explosions, nor do I want dialogue at the volume of a drill seargent shouting in my face. At home, with some movies I prefer to watch them with small speakers that will naturally cut off above all the bass rumble.

Is it just me?
I'm the same way. I like a good stereo 2 channel. I've sold many surround systems, set-up many, repaired many and yet for myself I'm a 2.0 dood.
 

RayDunzl

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I like my new bigger TV.

Got the swivel/telescope TV mount hanging it flush with the front of the audio rack, about 40 inches out from the wall.

For sound, the little JBLs are fine, used daily and right now, though, if watching a quality movie, I'll fire up the big (stereo) system, just as I would for listening to music.

I've been to one new movie at a new theater that I presume had all the surround goodies, sat in the middle, and didn't notice the surround stuff, assuming it was working. Even if the movie wasn't drenched with surround, I would think all the trailers shown beforehand would have been to lure my return, so, ???
 

bigx5murf

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I'll have to disagree, when my wife first moved in with me, she thought my 7.2 system was excessive. When we traveled together, she asked if regular TV have always sounded like smartphones.

Similar story with my dad, when he moved into his new place, I gave him an early 90s Sony ES receiver, and a pair of Monitor Audio Bookshelf speakers. Hooked it up to his TV, and at first he complained it just made TV more complicated. Couple months later, he asked if I could hook him up with a system for his bedroom TV. He said changing TVs felt like changing to smartphone speakers.

I'll admit the surround channels don't usually add much, unless the content was well mastered for surround. So mostly, it only benefits action movies and the like. For everything else, 2 speakers and subs are likely not only adequate, but more enjoyable. But with most AVR, that takes only a remote button press to switch between.
 

Putter

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You know I find more audiophiles who exclaim; "Who needs multichannel when I can listen to movies with my high end stereo than multichannel enthusiasts saying "Why are you still listening to your old fashioned stereo?"
 

mhardy6647

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Oh, I am bothered by it ;)
but I have no interest in it.
I do find the seemingly never ending (if not quite exponential) proliferation of (audio) channels amusing, though.
What are they up to now, something like 9.2.2?

Weirdest perversion of a hobby I've seen to date is modern HT -- and I've seen some pretty perverse hobby backwaters. :rolleyes:

PS We watch essentially no TV of any flavor, anyway -- which may have something to do with my disdain for HT.
Many, many years ago, we had the family room(s) of our (then) house in MA redone. For about a month, we weren't without TV, but we moved it into the living room and just fell out of the habit of watching it. That habit, once broken, pretty much stayed broken for my wife & me.
I know our son watches very little; I think our daughter & her husband watch some... there are just many better things to do.
 

RayDunzl

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blueone

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Yep, I'm also a 2.0 dude for movies, not even 2.1.

Same here. A lot of it depends on which movies you watch, and we're drama movie people, seldom action movies. I do know a bunch of folks with ambitious multi-channel systems with multiple subs who watch a lot of bad movies just to take advantage of their system. :facepalm:
 

RayDunzl

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Maybe when I get a screen that goes beside, and perhaps optionally, behind me, I'll upgrade.
 

kevinh

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Found a pair of speakers that work well for the TV better than built in or a sound bar.
Picked these up on sale at Walmart for $180/pair, they look like some of the lower end JBL's.
No interest in full HT setup.
s-l640.jpg
 

mhardy6647

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Now, I could get behind a one-upsmanship game that included saying things like.

Well... yes, of course... we've moved on to Hamasaki 22.2. Gobsmacking, jawdropping improvement over the old dreck, of course. Cannot fathom how Penolope and I ever managed to put up with that hopelessly anachronistic Atmos++++ to the nth power installation for, what was it? three whole weeks before it became hopelessly obsolete. Antediluvian, really. Hardly missed it. Might as well have tossed that $250,000 into our designer-specified gas fireplace and burned it. Hamasaki is the future. And it's future proof, too. Wait, is it Tuesday? I think I have an order to place...

:cool:
 

Kal Rubinson

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What I don't get is that people think that watching TV/movies has anything to do with listening to music. Different media, different content, different experiences.

If you care about either one, you will want to optimize it. If you don't care, why sneer at the efforts of those who do?
 

RayDunzl

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I don't have an optimal anything else...
 

Martin

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I'm on the opposite side of the aisle... I currently have an 85" 4K HDR/Dolby Vision TV, an AVR with a 7.2 surround sound setup and a 4k Blu-ray player. I've had surround sound for going on 22 years. I love movies at home. Better than any theater.

Martin
 

mhardy6647

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Found a pair of speakers that work well for the TV better than built in or a sound bar.
Picked these up on sale at Walmart for $180/pair, they look like some of the lower end JBL's.
No interest in full HT setup.
View attachment 56928

Samsung? Well, heck -- they are [lower end] JBLs.

;)

Same here. A lot of it depends on which movies you watch, and we're drama movie people, seldom action movies. I do know a bunch of folks with ambitious multi-channel systems with multiple subs who watch a lot of bad movies just to take advantage of their system. :facepalm:

No different than using a half-million dollar hifi to show off Jazz at the Pawnshop, is it? ;)

What I don't get is that people think that watching TV/movies has anything to do with listening to music. Different media, different content, different experiences.

If you care about either one, you will want to optimize it. If you don't care, why sneer at the efforts of those who do?
Well, that's altogether too balanced, thoughtful, and rational, isn't it, Mr. Rubinson? :)

Gimme a chance to sneer at somebody if only for a moment, eh?

PS In all seriousness, I value and admire your participation on this and other hifi forums. But, yeah, I don't "get" HT -- that's what it boils down to.
 
Last edited:

pwjazz

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Yep, I'm also a 2.0 dude for movies, not even 2.1.

The only time we get to watch movies are after the kids have gone to bed, so large sound is not a priority. 2.0 for the win.
 

tmtomh

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I've always been fussy about sound quality for music, but when it comes to watching television or movies, as long as I can see what's going on and hear the dialogue, I'm quite happy. I've never felt that a giant screen or surround sound adds much to the experience.

Friends have tried to impress me with their movie set ups, which has on occassion made me wish I'd taken some ear plugs; I don't want to deafened by gun shots and explosions, nor do I want dialogue at the volume of a drill seargent shouting in my face. At home, with some movies I prefer to watch them with small speakers that will naturally cut off above all the bass rumble.

Is it just me?

I'm the same way.
 
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