{"id":493115,"date":"2022-09-15T01:33:19","date_gmt":"2022-09-14T22:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-surround-sound-doesnt-make-sense-for-music-review-geek\/"},"modified":"2022-09-15T01:33:19","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T22:33:19","slug":"why-surround-sound-doesnt-make-sense-for-music-review-geek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-surround-sound-doesnt-make-sense-for-music-review-geek\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why Surround Sound Doesn\u2019t Make Sense for Music \u2013 Review Geek"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a409cd850a80\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a409cd850a80\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-surround-sound-doesnt-make-sense-for-music-review-geek\/#%E2%80%9CWhy_Surround_Sound_Doesnt_Make_Sense_for_Music_%E2%80%93_Review_Geek%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Why Surround Sound Doesn\u2019t Make Sense for Music \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-surround-sound-doesnt-make-sense-for-music-review-geek\/#What_Is_Surround_Sound\" >What Is Surround Sound?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-surround-sound-doesnt-make-sense-for-music-review-geek\/#Surround_Sound_Doesnt_Make_Sense_for_Music\" >Surround Sound Doesn\u2019t Make Sense for Music<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-surround-sound-doesnt-make-sense-for-music-review-geek\/#But_Surround_Sound_Could_Be_the_Future_of_Music\" >But Surround Sound Could Be the Future of Music<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-surround-sound-doesnt-make-sense-for-music-review-geek\/#What_About_Spatial_Audio\" >What About Spatial Audio?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWhy_Surround_Sound_Doesnt_Make_Sense_for_Music_%E2%80%93_Review_Geek%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Why Surround Sound Doesn\u2019t Make Sense for Music \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div id=\"article-content-area\">\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-129572\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/09\/0341f839.png?width=1200\" alt=\"A home theater with surround sound speakers.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/contemporary-home-theater-room-without-furniture-31310734\">Ali Ender Birer \/ Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Due to a growing interest in <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/775329\/audio-channels-how-many-do-you-need-for-a-home-theater\/\">home theaters<\/a> and \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/764288\/what-is-spatial-audio-and-how-does-it-work\/\">Spatial Audio<\/a>,\u201d surround sound music is back on the map. But I believe that this is just a trend. Music sounds awful in surround sound, and without massive advancements in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a>, stereo will remain the format of choice.<\/p>\n<p>Just to be crystal clear, I\u2019m talking about\u00a0<em>surround sound audio<\/em>. Your massive 7.1-channel speaker system can play music in stereo, and in fact, it will sound great when doing so.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Surround_Sound\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_0\">What Is Surround Sound?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Modern audio is usually recorded in stereo. It\u2019s a very simple format\u2014you have a left and right channel, and each channel corresponds to a speaker. Carefully mixing audio across these channels creates the illusion of depth or width, which makes music feel more energetic or lifelike.<\/p>\n<p>But surround sound adds a couple of extra audio channels to the mix. A 5.1-channel setup includes a left and right speaker, a center speaker, a subwoofer, and two \u201csurround\u201d speakers that sit at an angle behind the listener. This provides more separation for audio frequencies, but more notably, it gives you a \u201c3D soundstage\u201d with audio that comes from all directions.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-129571 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/09\/dffafa27.png\" alt=\"A 7.1-channel surround sound system.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-vector\/71-home-theatre-setup-subwoofer-centre-113459584\" data-credittext=\"Zern Liew \/ Shutterstock.com\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A 7.1-channel surround sound system. <span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-vector\/71-home-theatre-setup-subwoofer-centre-113459584\">Zern Liew \/ Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Things get even wackier when you use a 7.1-channel system, which adds rear-firing speakers behind the listener. And the next step, a 7.1.2-channel setup, adds two upward-firing speakers that bounce audio off the ceiling.<\/p>\n<p>Surround sound is primarily intended for movies. And generally speaking, each speaker in a surround setup serves a purpose. The center-channel speaker, for instance, is supposed to provide clarity for dialog.<\/p>\n<p>But over the last two decades, music listeners have slowly grown more interested in surround sound. And the rise in Apple\u2019s Spatial Audio format has only added fuel to the fire.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Surround_Sound_Doesnt_Make_Sense_for_Music\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_1\">Surround Sound Doesn\u2019t Make Sense for Music<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Nearly all of the recorded music on Earth was written, arranged, and mixed for stereo. But listening to music in stereo isn\u2019t the same thing as hearing a live band in real life. Stereo imaging has limitations and strengths, which often dictate the instrumentation, structure, rhythm, and effects used by an artist.<\/p>\n<p>Surround sound has a unique set of pros and cons\u2014you get a wider soundstage, but you\u2019re also forced to fill more \u201c3D\u201d space. Certain audio frequencies have more room to \u201cbreathe\u201d in surround sound, but the format can be unkind to the midrange, which is where we traditionally get a song\u2019s \u201cenergy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In order to take advantage of surround sound\u2019s limitations and strengths, artists need to make music specifically for the format. But that\u2019s not how things work, at least not today.<\/p>\n<p>Most songs available in surround sound were originally made for stereo. Someone just decided to remix these tracks for surround sound. And the results are usually awful. Taking advantage of the expanded soundstage means panning instruments willy-nilly around the listener, leaving uneven gaps where instruments used to meld together and create lushness.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129573\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/09\/7c2c6050.png\" alt=\"A center channel speaker.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/multichannel-soundbar-surround-sound-function-1320955349\">BobrinSKY \/ Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Rear speakers are often the most annoying part of these surround sound remixes. In a perfect world, rear-firing speakers would reproduce the sound of a room, giving you a better feel for the environment where something was recorded. But it\u2019s hard to produce this effect after something\u2019s already been recorded.<\/p>\n<p>In the end, rear speakers are\u00a0often the dumping ground for \u201cless important\u201d instruments, such as tambourines. If you\u2019re lucky, a surround sound remix will use the rear speakers to swirl something around your head. But unless you\u2019re listening to someone like Jimi Hendrix, who pioneered similar effects in stereo recordings, the \u201cspinning around my head\u201d thing feels like a cheap trick.<\/p>\n<p>Artist intent is also a factor in this conversation. If a song was originally conceived in stereo, then remixing it for a different format may obscure the artist\u2019s original ideas or goals. (Admittedly, this is at the bottom of my \u201cthings I care about\u201d list. Artists don\u2019t get to choose which songs I enjoy, I just feel bad for them when their work is butchered.)<\/p>\n<p>Again, I\u2019m not telling you to throw away your Dolby Atmos setup. Stereo music sounds great on multi-channel systems; you just need to set your receiver to \u201cstereo\u201d mode. And hey, maybe surround sound music will be worthwhile some day.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"But_Surround_Sound_Could_Be_the_Future_of_Music\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_2\">But Surround Sound Could Be the Future of Music<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129574\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/09\/b54790b8.png\" alt=\"An abstract illustration of surround sound.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-vector\/sonar-wave-conceptual-light-sound-abstract-1645684870\">ioat \/ Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There\u2019s nothing worse than being a purist. Music has always developed alongside technology, and dismissing surround sound as \u201csomething that only works for movies\u201d is a very narrow-minded way of thinking.<\/p>\n<p>It took decades for stereo audio to become the industry standard. And stereo started off with the same \u201cproblem\u201d as surround sound\u2014if a track wasn\u2019t recorded with stereo in mind, it sounded like a gimmick! (Just ask any of those hardcore Motown or Beatles fans who swear by the mono mixes.)<\/p>\n<p>Classical music was the first genre to really take stereo seriously. Large orchestras benefitted from increased separation, and more importantly, stereo provided an experience more akin to seeing a concert in person. Surround sound follows a similar trajectory; I rarely see complaints when this technology is utilized for live concerts, but albums are (rightfully) a controversial topic.<\/p>\n<p>At some point, the benefits of surround sound may be impossible to ignore. We\u2019re talking about a technology that offers much wider separation than stereo. Artists could fit more information into a recording without losing clarity, or they could create songs that are incredibly open and lifelike.<\/p>\n<p>It will take a ton of work and problem-solving, but surround sound has the potential to replace stereo.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the hurdle; large 5.1-channel audio systems are expensive and take up a ton of space. If surround sound is the next step for music, it won\u2019t come around until single-channel or dual-channel systems can emulate the sound of a larger setup. That would require some ridiculous advancements in beamforming speakers, virtualized Dolby Atmos, and other technologies that are still in their infancy.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_About_Spatial_Audio\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_3\">What About Spatial Audio?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128648\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/09\/1e412544.png\" alt=\"An illustration of Apple's Spatial Audio system.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Apple<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Over the last few years, brands like Sony and Apple have pioneered \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/764288\/what-is-spatial-audio-and-how-does-it-work\/\">virtual surround sound<\/a>\u201d systems for headphones and earbuds. These systems are unique from brand to brand, with names like \u201cSpatial Audio\u201d and \u201c360 Reality Audio.\u201d But they all perform the same basic task\u2014they deliver a surround sound experience through regular headphones and earbuds.<\/p>\n<p>Now, most people assume that Spatial Audio is just a software trick. But that\u2019s only partially true. Spatial Audio takes a real surround sound recording, smothers it in algorithms, and outputs a stereo audio signal that seems \u201c3D.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For music listeners, Spatial Audio presents the same problems as surround sound. But it also comes with a unique and frustrating problem\u2014listening environment emulation.<\/p>\n<p>Platforms like Spatial Audio need to replicate the sound of a room with a 5.1-channel or 7.1-channel setup. To do this, they apply audio effects to each channel of a surround sound track. And in my experience, these effects often make instruments sound distant, dull, or echoed.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, I\u2019m not sure that mixing engineers can really get around this problem. Platforms like Spatial Audio and 360 Reality Audio are far from identical. Even if you mix a song specifically for Apple\u2019s Spatial Audio, there\u2019s no guarantee that it\u2019ll sound good on a competitor\u2019s platform.<\/p>\n<p>As a fan of music, it\u2019s hard for me to see Spatial Audio technology as anything more than a novelty. But I have a feeling that it\u2019s a stopgap for future developments (which hopefully don\u2019t suck). Again, developments in Dolby Atmos virtualization and beamforming speakers could revolutionize music\u2014it just won\u2019t happen any time soon.\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script>\nsetTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n  fbq('init', '1137093656460433');\n  fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/129509\/why-surround-sound-doesnt-make-sense-for-music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Why Surround Sound Doesn\u2019t Make Sense for Music \u2013 Review Geek&#8221; Ali Ender Birer \/ Shutterstock.com Due to a growing interest in home theaters and \u201cSpatial Audio,\u201d surround sound music is back on the map. But I believe that this is just a trend. Music sounds awful in surround sound, and without massive advancements in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":493116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/09\/0341f839.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-493115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=493115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493115\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/493116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=493115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=493115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=493115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}