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Which speaker setup best describes your primary audio system?

Please choose the option below that best describes your primary system

  • Passive stereo 2.0

    Votes: 82 26.4%
  • Active stereo 2.0

    Votes: 31 10.0%
  • Passive stereo 2.x

    Votes: 69 22.2%
  • Active stereo 2.x

    Votes: 49 15.8%
  • Multichannel 3.x

    Votes: 5 1.6%
  • Multichannel 5.x

    Votes: 32 10.3%
  • Multichannel 7.x

    Votes: 13 4.2%
  • Multichannel 9.x

    Votes: 7 2.3%
  • Multichannel 11.x or more

    Votes: 10 3.2%
  • Something else (please post details)

    Votes: 13 4.2%

  • Total voters
    311
  • Poll closed .
OP
Rick Sykora

Rick Sykora

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Why disappointing? It's not a competition.

Outside the US very few people have either the room or the money (even if they had the inclination) for more than 2.x. I'm surprised the numbers are so high in this poll. I've personally never seen a multichannel setup > 2.x 'in the wild' so to speak. However, there should certainly be an 'Active 1.0' option for all those 'smart' speakers that probably outsell both stereo and multichannel by an order of magnitude nowadays ...

You make a couple of good points. As for the impact of room size outside North America, agree this might be a factor. Also could be affected by early results and more earlier voters from outside North America. We will see.

The smart speaker question is an interesting one too. Along with sound bars, agree the overall market may be much larger, but doubt that ASR members use them for primary systems. If so, should show up in the Something Else category and may have to reconsider.
 

vicenzo_del_paris

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True, in Europe, home theater setups in houses are rare, most have just a stereo setup, maybe with a subwoofer or two connected. But a 5.1 or higher system requires a much bigger than average home or a dedicated room that most don't have. And even people who can afford it rarely have systems like that. It's just not so much in fashion down here.

And the average "living room" in a Belgian house is about 30 to 60m², and is a salon (sitting room), dinner room and play room for the children at the same time. So no room for a big complicated setup, only for a small stereo setup or a smart speaker and the tv is often coupled direct to the stereo setup. Belgian housers are big compared to most houses in the countries arround us, so i guess there it's the same...

I don't see why a multichannel system would require a huge room!

Multichannel systems such as 5.1 are not rare at all in France, Europe.
What is more rare here, indeed, is real proper dedicated home theaters room as it requires more € investment and often house modifications (or must be carefully thought when making new house plans).
 

Graham849

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Why disappointing? It's not a competition.

Outside the US very few people have either the room or the money (even if they had the inclination) for more than 2.x. I'm surprised the numbers are so high in this poll. I've personally never seen a multichannel setup > 2.x 'in the wild' so to speak. However, there should certainly be an 'Active 1.0' option for all those 'smart' speakers that probably outsell both stereo and multichannel by an order of magnitude nowadays ...
Mate, the number of 10 -20 year old surround sound systems at the local recycling centres downunder in Oz, beg to differ:D

I'm guessing they have all been replaced by soundbars and 80" TVs.

The local midfi shops no longer sell passive speakers. Interestingly they sell AVRs. I wonder how folk obtain speakers for them.
 

Graham849

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Also they now sell an increasing range of turntables, some Bluetooth but others RCA only.
 

sarumbear

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No. I understand it to mean an 'active' crossover (either digital or analogue) where the amps come after the crossover in the signal chain. Whether the amps and/or crossover are built into the speaker box is irrelevant.
What subwoofer model is there that has a passive LP filter and is designed to be connected in parallel to be fed fed from the same amplifier that feeds the main speakers? Curious to know.
 

Shadrach

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Genelec Active 2 way system currently but experimenting with a sub.
 

Waxx

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I don't see why a multichannel system would require a huge room!

Multichannel systems such as 5.1 are not rare at all in France, Europe.
What is more rare here, indeed, is real proper dedicated home theaters room as it requires more € investment and often house modifications (or must be carefully thought when making new house plans).
The only times i see multiway setups are or very rich people with a dedicated home theater, filmfreaks or gamers. In an average familie living room you won't find those in Belgium. It's mostly a boombox, sonos or similar systems or small cheap stereo (the old fashioned way), and if they are music freaks a higher quality stereo setup, mostly passive and with sometimes a subwoofer, and very often with older speakers that are restored. There are exceptions off course, but i see a lot of setups (i'm locally known that i can repair and tune systems better than they can) down here and very rarely see 5.1 or higher systems.
 
Last edited:

Thomas_A

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> 70% using stereo setups here as "main" system. Interesting. I guess another poll would be how many of those having stereo setups as mains also have a multichannel/HT setup.
 

sajgre

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I'm on 2.0 actives. I'm from small town in Central EU and my guess is there is 1 audiophile per 1k people. All have 2.0 passive systems that cost a lot more than their car and all are in snake oil territory. I have never seen a good multichannel system. Subwoofers are rare as well.
 

mcdn

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Some have commented that “active” should mean amps inside the speaker cabinets, but that feels a bit limiting. Sure an “active” system is one without a passive crossover, regardless of where the amps are located? It’s easy to tell a passive speaker, it has great big capacitors and chokes inside it. Anything else is therefore active I think.
 

Somafunk

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The only times i see multiway setups are or very rich people with a dedicated home theater, filmfreaks or gamers. In an average familie living room you won't find those in Belgium.

Never mind multi speaker set ups as I’m the only person out of my friends who has an actual traditional speaker or 2.1 setup, the majority of folk these days are more interested in sound bars or various Alexa/HomePods/Sonos stuff dotted around the house.
 

-Matt-

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Yes, as explained earlier. The Atmos numbering is not helpful and so decided it would be easier to handle in another poll If warranted.
Ok, changed my vote and I agree with not adding confusion to the current poll, but...

I disagree and think that Atmos numbering is helpful, however, I wasn't advocating to add this.

I.e. I wasn't suggesting adding options for: 5.x.0, 5.x.2, 5.x.4 etc.

My question was about whether, in a multichannel system we should total all discrete channels. For some reason (what is it?) you decide that Atmos channels should not be counted? Why? I use the same model of speaker for surrounds as for Atmos channels. Why are they not to be counted? Seems illogical to me.

Anyway, if this is the final decision then there needs to be a clear instruction to this effect in the first post.

What hardware and sources are people using if they have 11.x channels or more, when Atmos channels are not to be counted?
 

Burning Sounds

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I've only voted once for stereo active 2.x which is what I have in my music room in the UK (Linkwitx LX521.4), but I've just installed an LXMini+2 in our house in Spain. I've another LXMini in the house in the UK and a pair of active Maggie 2.5Rs in the music room. The LX521.4 bass units can be used with LXMinis or the Maggies. I haven't owned a passive speaker for more than 10 years.
 
OP
Rick Sykora

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Ok, changed my vote and I agree with not adding confusion to the current poll, but...

I disagree and think that Atmos numbering is helpful, however, I wasn't advocating to add this.

I.e. I wasn't suggesting adding options for: 5.x.0, 5.x.2, 5.x.4 etc.

My question was about whether, in a multichannel system we should total all discrete channels. For some reason (what is it?) you decide that Atmos channels should not be counted? Why? I use the same model of speaker for surrounds as for Atmos channels. Why are they not to be counted? Seems illogical to me.

For simplicity, I chose not to add the complexity of 3 levels of numbering. So for those who do understand the numbering, suggest it would have been equally confusing to count Atmos speakers as primary speakers. Again, can always be addressed in a follow-on poll. I get you may not like my choice but seemed logical to me!

Anyway, if this is the final decision then there needs to be a clear instruction to this effect in the first post.
Done.
What hardware and sources are people using if they have 11.x channels or more, when Atmos channels are not to be counted?
See previous responses.
 

bluefuzz

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What subwoofer model is there that has a passive LP filter and is designed to be connected in parallel to be fed fed from the same amplifier that feeds the main speakers?
Haven't the foggiest idea. Although I'm not sure I understand the question ...
 

Marc v E

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The only times i see multiway setups are or very rich people with a dedicated home theater, filmfreaks or gamers. In an average familie living room you won't find those in Belgium. It's mostly a boombox, sonos or similar systems or small cheap stereo (the old fashioned way), and if they are music freaks a higher quality stereo setup, mostly passive and with sometimes a subwoofer, and very often with older speakers that are restored. There are exceptions off course, but i see a lot of setups (i'm locally known that i can repair and tune systems better than they can) down here and very rarely see 5.1 or higher systems.
I have a active stereo setup myself, but friends and family have:
-a sonos soundbar and sub
-a panasonic 5.1 set
-a true 5.1 surround setup that is also used as stereo music system
but basically it's all centered around a tv
 

fpitas

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I voted Active stereo 2.0, although the amps for each driver are in a rack external to the speakers. Not sure where that puts me.
 

polmuaddib

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So for those who do understand the numbering, suggest it would have been equally confusing to count Atmos speakers as primary speakers.
I am sorry, so I have 7.2.4 and I voted 11.x or more channels option. You are telling me, that I should not count .4 atmos speakers in the ceiling?
So, my vote should have been 7.x?
Your poll was, then misleading, as you should have put 7.x.x option and we would have understood that you mean the bed channels.
Why are you discriminating the height channels over side and rear? What's the point?
 

bluefuzz

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the number of 10 -20 year old surround sound systems at the local recycling centres downunder in Oz, beg to differ
You see that here too at fleamarkets and the like. I think when multichannel was 'new' a couple of decades ago there was a fad for those toytown setups with five tiny speakers and a a 6 inch 'subwoofer'. Mostly used by teenage gamers I think. But as I said, I've never actually seen such a setup in use ...
 

kaopad999

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My DJ System: Two Technics Sl-1200 Mk3D's + Allen & Heath Xone 43C Analogue Mixer + Marantz PM5005 + Pair of Mission L-X2's

Current Listening System: Pair of Q acoustics 2020i's + Aiyima T9. ( looking to add a Sub soon)
 
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