True .I'm not sure which version of this you're talking about, but it must be a very old one. The DSU does a variety of things, but one of them is that it extracts phantom center and puts it into the center channel. It actually does this so aggressively that some people prefer "center spread" on, which tones down that functionality somewhat.
None of the modern upmixing algorithms(Auro, DSU, DTS Neural X) do anything as simple as just translating L/R signals to surrounds.
A rather strange way to make an argument. The "readings/beliefs" that you so dismiss as emotional investment are the ones that are the basis of all the work done here from day 1. What objective evidence have YOU got that Toole's summary of audio research is wrong? You trash me for being emotionally invested, but you've posted no support at all for any of your positions?
The reality is that I listened ONLY to stereo for decades. Then, on a whim after reading some posts on here, I decided to try multi-channel classical by buying an extra couple of speakers. And I learned that, even with a mediocre system, good multi-channel recordings sound DAY AND NIGHT BETTER than stereo. AFTER having that experience, I read Toole's book, and understood the research and why stereo can never reproduce a sound field effectively. "What is needed to deliver a more credible sound field to listeners is a multichannel system. All else is compromise, especially two-channel stereo - so we play around attempting to extract from a directionally and spatially deprived system some sense of realism."
No one really contests this that I've ever seen. There isn't any research showing, actually, all of that is wrong and stereo is just as good. What they say is, well, yes, multichannel is better, but it requires too many speakers, or there's not enough content, etc. That's perfectly valid, and it's also the definition of a compromise. Everyone has to make some compromises, but you should realize that they're compromises. Stereo is a compromise relative to multichannel. My small 8351Bs are a compromise relative to a full W371A system. And that system is a compromise compared to a 50-speaker spatial audio array. And so on.
Its also true that you can get 2 better loudspeakers for the same price as 5 inferior sounding speakers. So with a limited budget its understandable that many, including me, puts the money on only two channels . But at the same time the stereo system is seriously flawed , there are many good recordings with artists done only for 2 channel playback .
Last edited: