| Editorial March 2002
When Less is More
Simplicity is an achievement in a home theater. Those
looking for the latest processing features, tweaks, additional speakers, and that last
ounce of functional flexibility may see it differently. I like simple.
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but
not simpler" -- Albert Einstein
Contrast the ever-growing complexity of an average
home-theater system with the old audiophile mantra of a "straight wire with
gain" being the theoretical best component. Now there’s a polar opposite.
You do need more complexity than you find in a
typical two-channel stereo system because Dolby Digital, DTS, and some set-up functions
are essential for a DVD to be played back the way it was intended. But, how much is too
much? And by the same token, how little is too little?
When I added surround speakers to my two-channel sound
system, a whole world opened up for me. The bullets and helicopters flying over my head
amazed me. I was delighted by the creaks, whispers, and ambience surrounding my
viewing/listening position. Adding a subwoofer was similarly satisfying. Large-scale
dynamics such as explosions and spaceship takeoffs improved -- it added immensely
to the action movies I enjoy escaping into. And with music too! The walls of my living
room melted away due to the acoustic properties in the concert hall being captured.
"Wow, this is getting good," I thought to myself. Was there more?
My wife and I generally cuddle-up on the couch for movie
time at the Fritz household. Occasionally we’ll have friends over, but more times
than not we simply watch movies alone as a way to escape the long workweek we invariably
put in. Being in the sweet spot, right in the center of our room, enables us to enjoy the
imaging properties of our main loudspeakers. We then added a center-channel speaker, which
was positive in some ways, and a curse in others. Eventually we figured it out. Sometimes
it’s just better without one -- at least for us.
Listening to the Cinema Logic mode offered by the Anthem AVM 20 drove
this fact home. Using this proprietary processing logic, much of the center channel’s
information is routed back into the main speakers. This has the benefit of preventing the
"center-channel collapse" many listeners have noted. It’s effective to say
the least, and proof for this listener that when 70% of the front stage is sent to one
speaker, it simply doesn’t sound natural for one speaker to reproduce it.
Simplifying can make things better. Not so simple, though,
that you lose the inherent attributes found in true progress. Don’t assume the newest
or most complicated is better. Don’t assume that adding to the complexity of your
system will harm the purity either. Listen to what a certain feature or configuration does
to the performance of your theater. Choose what you like and leave the rest to someone
else. You’ll settle in, start enjoying yourself more, and worry less about having the
latest and greatest. You’ll also appreciate it when something comes along that truly
makes the experience better.
Do you think Einstein had home theater in mind when he
uttered his simplistic quote? Maybe not, but it sure makes sense to this home-theater
fanatic.
...Jeff Fritz
editor@hometheatersound.com |
