Originally posted by daddy_guy:
My impression is that the CES is more sophisticated than Parasounds approach...especially if the new Fosgate FAP T1 uses it....which I would love to own!!
Actually, to extract a surround-back channel your Parasound unit uses classic Circle Surround decoding, which is quite a bit more sophisticated than CES. Keep in mind that there is nothing sophisticated going on with CES; it just sends common surround content to the rear speakers, and does nothing more.
So your impressions seem to imply that CES is a great choice for 6.1 /7.1 listening...with MUSIC and movies????
No, that's not my impression at all. With CES decoding on movies, you'll hear the same surround content from multiple directions. That's problematic, and I'd much prefer to use EX/ES decoding to generate a surround-back channel (even on movies that aren't EX/ES
encoded). The ONLY time I would use CES with 5.1 movies is if the surround channels were mono or had mostly mono content. And while I do prefer the sound of CES more than EX/ES decoding with 5.1 music, it doesn't mean that "CES is a great choice" by any means. But you have to work with what is available on the 950, and
that was what I was comparing. If you really want to hear "great" surround processing, especially for music, take a listen to Meridian or Lexicon gear.
Lexicon obviously makes great products, Logic 7, etc....but man are they pricey!!! Thousands of dollars to invest...., can it be worth it for us average guys that can't spend thousands and thousands for equipment upgrades - usually we have to use regular rooms that aren't necessarily made for perfect sonic reproduction anyway.....
"Thousands and thousands"? The entry fee isn't that high. I've seen used Lexicon DC-1s (which have identical processing to the MC-1) sell for a little over $1000. Whether it's "worth it" to buy a Lexicon over the Outlaw will depend on your priorities. IMHO, the 950 is probably the best value in processors today; you get a helluva lot for your $899. However, when it comes just to surround processing, the 950 doesn't even come close to the capabilities of a DC-1. Still, the DC-1 was discontinued a few years ago and predates component video and 5.1 analog inputs; in comparison, the 950 is up-to-date with most current features.
You don't need a room designed for "perfect sonic reproduction" to hear differences in surround processing. Keep in mind that different surround processes will each send different content to the various speakers. This isn't a differences in sonics (sound quality) but rather a case of different sounds being steered to certain speakers, which can easily be heard in "regular rooms".
Best,
Sanjay