First listen: Dolby Pro Logic IIz 'height' surround falls flat
With Pro Logic IIz some receivers will produce 9.1 channel surround.
(Credit: Dolby)The Dolby Web site is bubbling with excitement about its new processing trick, "With Dolby Pro Logic IIz, rain in a movie now seems to be actually falling on the listener's roof, concert videos bring a more intense sense of being at the performance, and orchestral works deliver more palpable depth, power, and connection." The "z" in Pro Logic IIz signifies the Z axis, otherwise known as height.
Sounds interesting, but when I setup and listened to the first receiver (an Onkyo TX-SR607) with Pro Logic IIz, the height speakers didn't lift my spirits.
Pro Logic IIz can, depending on the receiver's capabilities, either augment a 5.1 or 7.1 channel speaker system with two height channels. In other words, in a 5.1 channel system with Pro Logic IIz you'll have five speakers in the front of the room--left, center, right, left height, and right height--plus a surround speaker to both sides of the main listening position.
The 7.1 system with Pro Logic IIz uses the same speaker array--plus two rear surround speakers.
Once you have a receiver equipped with Pro Logic IIz, and wall mount the height speakers three feet or higher over the main left/right speakers, you're all set. You won't have to buy specially encoded movies or music.
According to Dolby, "Pro Logic IIz identifies and decodes spatial cues that occur naturally in all content--stereo and 5.1 broadcast, music CDs, DVDs, 5.1 and 7.1 Blu-ray discs, and video games. Dolby Pro Logic IIz processes low-level, uncorrelated information--such as ambience and some amorphous effects like rain or wind--and directs it to the front height speakers."
Nice idea, did it actually work?
Well. no. The height speakers didn't make a discernable difference. I couldn't hear them at all, so I increased the height speaker volume by 3 Decibels. Still no difference.
My listening position was about eight feet from the front speakers, but when I stood up and moved much closer to the front speakers I heard the height speakers. At that point my head was closer to the height speakers than the left/right front speakers. Moving back to the couch the height speakers' sound faded away.
We've listened to 7.1 many times before, and know it's a fairly subtle improvement. So unless your room is really large, with space behind your couch, seven channel isn't likely to create a more immersive, wrap-around soundfield than 5.1. In fact, I'd recommend sticking with 5.1, but take the money you would have spent on the height speakers and buy better main, left/right speakers. That's an improvement you won't have to struggle to hear.
If you already own decent left/right speakers, and you're still itching to spend money add a second subwoofer. Two subs can make a substantial difference.
Editors' Note: CNET will have a full review of the Onkyo TX-SR607 later this month. Prospective buyers should note that the receiver's Pro Logic IIz setup is optional--it will also work in standard 5.1 or 7.1 configuration, without the front height speakers.
Steve Guttenberg is a frequent contributor to magazines and Web sites including Home Entertainment, Playback, and Ultimate AV. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. 
Pretty soon I'll run out of places to put them.
PS - studies have proved that rear channels (no rear/side, but true rear) detract from the experience because humans are uncomfortable dealing with sounds directly behind them. It creates a feeling of unease...
How many speakers should we put in our homes? For music, left, right and a sub if you need/want the extra bass. For movies add a center, where most of the dialogue comes from, and for fanatics who like the noise, add two rear speakers. 7.1 and now 9.1 is four and five blade razors, a stupid plot to make bucks. Shame on Dolby. Years ago, I had the privilege to attend the Dolby Screening Room in San Francisco and see and hear a movie the way it should be presented. Now they are flirting with nonsense.
How many speakers should we put in our homes? For music, left, right and a sub if you need/want the extra bass. For movies add a center, where most of the dialogue comes from, and for fanatics who like the noise, add two rear speakers. 7.1 and now 9.1 is four and five blade razors, a stupid plot to make bucks. Shame on Dolby. Years ago, I had the privilege to attend the Dolby Screening Room in San Francisco and see and hear a movie the way it should be presented. Now they are flirting with nonsense.
Discreet channel 5.1 was a big improvement over Pro Logic. The rest is just gimmicks. But like someone said above, with all these speakers comes all this wire and wireless speakers aren't the answer. I spent the time to fish my wire through the walls and the attic and mount my speakers as close to optimal as possible without the wife being upset over messing up the decor. This is the second time I've done it this way so I plan on not moving again for at least a decade or so because it's no picnic to do it and I'm certainly not paying anyone to do it.
Also, as someone mentioned earlier, most movies haven't even figured out how to do 5.1 well, much less 7.1 and 9.1 (especially in this arrangement) will just make matters worse.
Having once owned a very expensive 7.1 system (with 2 REL subwoofers and the 7 other speakers having a total of 23 speaker elements), the defined sound I got was not worth the money. It was too precise, as in, "I know where each sound is coming from" and in a movie environment, it was distracting.
These days, I drive 5.1 with less expensive speakers (but the same heavy 300W per channel amps), and often with Pro Logic instead of DD or DTS. I find that Pro Logic, despite it's lack of being discrete, provides a smoother sound field. And for music, my LR speakers are full range towers rather than satellites, so I get full bass recreation from stereo with the sub acting as a sub-bass. All this other audio voodoo that they are doing these days is not worth the money...
thanks
hubert
Any Idea what date the Review of the Onkyo TX-SR607 will be ?
Also will take any feedback if anyone has Any?
Yamaha makes trade offs with the sound of their units.
I can see more power and more features for units that are priced higher,
but some of the mid level stuff sounds like crap and I like Yamaha products.
The Onkyo units have a nice sweet sound from the entry level right up to mid range.
I would say give them all a listen with two channel music.
When I listen to movie and music I just listen to the raw signal, no processing. Yamaha for ME has been great for this. they let you bypass all the processing for CDs and have their "STRAIGHT" feature for movies.
Too hard to tell the difference between sounds of receivers. don't buy a crappy one but don't blow all your money. Buy one that makes your life easy (i.e. switches between sources easily, can scroll through the features you may use easily)
speakers are a noticeable difference.
Regardless of the opinions on IIz's effectiveness I think the TX-SR607 is a simply outstanding receiver, much better than its predecessor with straight stereo stuff and its soundstage is totally solid and 360 degree consistent. Would be a real shame if the TX-SR607 ended up taking the flak for the way Steve feels about IIz.
What content did you listen to? I'm surprised you didn't mention in your review.
- by Wes#1 April 30, 2009 7:44 AM PDT
- More speakers and 9.1 channels so we can hear more "ambience and some amorphous effects like rain or wind"... Good grief. And all I want to hear is more of the dialogue! Were any customers actually asking for more "effects" channels?
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