 Surround receivers are hot, as in popular. Starting from the late 90's many people started to replace their trusty stereo amplifier for a surroundreceiver. "Movie experiences in your living room! tuner build in, one subwoofer and 5 small speakers instead of two ugly large ones, one remote, one device to do it all!"
But did it sound as good? People are often tempted to say yes at first because the subwoofer made an impression. With time however most people will start to miss that good old stereo. Nonetheless, the surround receiver and subwoofer did not go away, it's simply too appealing to have one smaller device that can do everything. And as if surround receivers weren't enough, we now have to deal with soundbars too. Fidelity has become casual, something of convenience. Having your music available and portable has become more important than the actual fidelity of sound. I like surround receivers for their original intention, movie experiences at home. If done right it gives you much more depth and bigger experience than 'simple' stereo could give. That said, because surround receivers are targeted at a consumer audience, designers tend to neglect the smaller differences. If you listen normal stereo on a surround receiver you will most likely notice a flat, dull or lifeless sound compared to your regular stereo set. Music will probably be tiring to listen to so you'll turn it off and go to bed early 😉 I own a Sony STR-DB1080QS, even though this is high end unit, it still suffers from the dull sound most surround amplifiers have. Why a Sony? Quality of design and durability, I don't have time for surround receivers that break down or have issues. My goal:
Try to make it sound as good as a regular stereo amplifier. I'll admit I have set the bar quite high with this one, but lets see how far we can come. |
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