Stereo vs. AVR Digital Sound field Programs (DSP)

DonnerUndBlitzen

I’ve been researching the Yamaha Aventage 1060. It offers “pure direct” regular 2 channel unprocessed stereo as well as 5.1 and 7.1 DSP (Digital Sound field Program) processed sound. There are various DSP programs. Some imitate the sound of a concert hall in Vienna, or Jazz clubs, or the Roxy Theater.

I’m curious if there are any classical music lovers that have heard these Yamaha digital simulations or DSPs by other brands and how they actually compare to a concert hall and if they actually work in one’s living room or home theater room.

Recreating a classical music hall and its acoustic signature in one’s listening room has me a bit intrigued. What kind of experiences have you had with your AVRs and their various music/movie/ and sports DSP programs? Having 15 or more DSP programs available could be a real fun and enjoyable feature, especially if they work as advertised.

mdaudioguy

I'm not into classical, but the Yamaha DSP modes are fun to toy around with. 9.2 channels, and it gets pretty interesting.

Nightfall

They all just add artificial reverb, I've never listened to any of them for more than 10 seconds. Not a fan.

txcoastal1

Not familiar with the Yamaha DSP, but when I had speakers, (prior to my Dyn C4's) in my main living area (14' ceilings) I had used the DSP and augmented the music to better fill the room using JRiver. JRiver has the same type of settings...yes was fun to experiment with

pitdogg2

Nightfall wrote: »

They all just add artificial reverb, I've never listened to any of them for more than 10 seconds. Not a fan.

Afraid i must agree. Over the years Yamaha has been better than the competition at DSP. I've spent more time with the jazz club setting than any of the others but agree its more of a gimmick than anything. Some are just extremely echoing.

mdaudioguy

Nightfall wrote: »

They all just add artificial reverb, I've never listened to any of them for more than 10 seconds. Not a fan.

Well, that's kind of what I meant by toy around... I might make it through one song. It's mostly novelty, but some modes are interesting. However, it's been said that I have the attention span of a gnat...

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txcoastal1

I run my sports in 4-channel, gives me that stadium feel

mdaudioguy

I like sports in 5.1. You get the announcers right where they should be in the center channel, and everything else is just ambient noise.

nooshinjohn

AVR's are not my choice for stereo listening., period. My system suffered for more than 10 years when I thought a top end AVR could be the best of all worlds. My advice, ditch the receiver and get a two channel integrated of good quality. Your ears will thank you.

tonyb

Those digital sound fields have been around for like forever, and every HT receiver has them. I've never used them for reasons already stated.....sound too funky. Personally I don't know why they keep that option with todays receivers, seems to be the least used.

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rooftop59

Yamaha has always been very good st these, and I like them for movies, just broadens the sound field a bit, makes it more immersive.

Don't like with music. Again, as far as AVRs go, Yamaha has one of the better pure direct modes. When I have had relatively full range speakers, that is all I use for music.

pkquat

I have an older Yamaha, but no mic to do a set up. I manually set it up so IMO most 5.1 sources sound pretty good. I am not a fan of the artificial modes that came with this receiver. Maybe I need to work with the settings for each mode more, I tried a little, but I didn't dig to deep. I also have a older Sony, and I like those artificial modes more. I thought they did a better job. That said I really on used a few of them on occasion and listen(ed) mostly in straight 5.1.

One of the stadium modes worked well, added a fun factor, and IMO gave a better effect if you were out of the sweet spot, so it was good for groups. It also did well with some old 2Ch, and 2Ch pro-logic sources. Mostly concert VHS or CD's. It often gave it a better stadium or concert hall sound, but it was source dependent. If the source was 5.1, it didn't seam to work as well.

The was a church hall setting that I rarely used, that IMO was pretty amazing, but it too often something would sound over processed which killed the experience. Again it is really source dependent. They are fun to play with, but IMO mostly for 2CH sources, or maybe a bad 5.1 mix.

rpf65

The best way I can describe vast majority of DSP modes is that they sound like your listening in a public restroom. Some echo a little, like a fast food place, some echo more, like a stadium. That's when viewing movies.

With music it actually sounds worse.

heiney9

DSP is digital effects designed to "enhance" the movie experience. They really have no place in a serious 2 channel stereo rig, ever.

H9

Msabot1

Stereo and DSP...two very different sound reproduction methods and each have their own merits depending on the use...but in my opinion are not interchangeable..

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nooshinjohn

The Yamaha will suck for two channel stereo.

Take a look at something like this...

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/tube-pathos-acoustics-classic-one-mk-ll-pathos-classic-one-mk-ll-2017-01-28-integrateds-07960-morristown-nj

pkquat

The pure direct modes on most upper end AVR's do quite well. Marantz and Yamaha Aventage AVR's have been recommend here. For a "decent mid-fi stereo experience" either should do well. The Pure Direct mode will not be as good as a dedicated higher end preamp/amp combo. 2Ch improvement will be gained if you have a separate amp and use the AVR as a preamp for 2Ch and the rest of the AVR to power your surround speakers.

What is your final goal?

heiney9

......

Nightfall

I think suck is a bit exaggerated, in my opinion. I understand if you don't agree.

Nightfall

Not as good, to be sure.

nooshinjohn

Not as good as... This just a nice way of saying what I said.... Sucks.

txcoastal1

nooshinjohn wrote: »

Not as good as... This just a nice way of saying what I said.... Sucks.

In that case...my Dynaudio C4's are better than 1.2TL's that means your speakers suck

nooshinjohn

I am inclined to agree sir.

mark090852

nooshinjohn wrote: »

The Yamaha will suck for two channel stereo.

Take a look at something like this...

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/tube-pathos-acoustics-classic-one-mk-ll-pathos-classic-one-mk-ll-2017-01-28-integrateds-07960-morristown-nj

That's kind of harsh. I'm listening to Mark Knopfler's Shangri-La on my 2 channel system which includes a Yamaha Aventage receiver. It sounds quite nice I would say. Far from sucking. Could it sound better with different gear? Sure. But you could do a lot worse, too.

txcoastal1

mark090852 wrote: »

nooshinjohn wrote: »

The Yamaha will suck for two channel stereo.

Take a look at something like this...

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/tube-pathos-acoustics-classic-one-mk-ll-pathos-classic-one-mk-ll-2017-01-28-integrateds-07960-morristown-nj

That's kind of harsh. I'm listening to Mark Knopfler's Shangri-La on my 2 channel system which includes a Yamaha Aventage receiver. It sounds quite nice I would say. Far from sucking. Could it sound better with different gear? Sure. But you could do a lot worse, too.

Pay know mind, John's just being facetious and hormonal, he's pregnant

befuddle

I just assumed he's constipated
But seriously i'd like to hear Yamaha's DSP'S programs in the environment they were designed to hear if they were engineered to actually posses any worthwhile effect,As with 40 plus programs and only a very few that seem to be audibly usable it seems counterproductive to even keep adding them as a marketing gimmick to mimic the reverberations of the actual venue when by this point the public finds no practicality in them.IMO the hall effect sounds better on my pioneer than on the hall venue my Yamaha's mimicking

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