1. I have two tower fronts and a center. Should the volume sound louder in the "surround off" (stereo) mode? The volume on all other selections seems to be pretty much the same, but on "surround off" the volume is louder. 2, On the remote control what is the difference between the selecions made with the "surround select" button (theater, hall 1 &2, vmax, etc.) and the choices made with the "mode select" buttons (dolby, dts, etc.)
1. The only reason I can think of for this is that the channel levels are set different from the other modes. I have mine set to 5 channel stereo & had to calibrate the channel levels as per the manual. 2. I'm no expert, but I think theater, hall etc. are artificially created to sound like a venue by adding things like reverb, while the others employ channel steering & delay.
hound dog
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Topher, and Geekboy would you chime in? 1. do you set the volume for every mode? What page in the manual? 2. For example, if I'm using "Hall 1" or "Vmax" does this mean I can't also be using DD at the same time?
hound dog: yes, the sound level is different in Stereo vs. Multi-Channel mode for any of a number of reasons, including what Topher wrote.
First, the power output is DIFFERENT in Stereo vs. n-channel mode. For the AVR-325, the output in Stereo is 65W and n-channel is 50W, so that alone will make it different.
Also, you have to adjust the speakers for each mode of the receiver. For example, Dolby Digital adjustments are different from DTS adjustments are different from Stereo adjustments.
Could be confusing -- but I actually like -- that this is for each input as well. So the receiver remembers the settings (adjustments) for DVD/Dolby Digital versus Video 1/Dolby Digital. (At least when you have the Bass Management set to "INDEPENDENT" which is how I have mine set.)
I don't have an AVR-325 manual, but the 525 manual it starts on page 24 "Output Level Adjustment".
For your second question, the difference is DSP Modes versus Dolby and DTS modes. The DSP modes (hall, theater, VMAX, etc) are modes which enhance the audio bitstream to create a specific soundfield... Yamaha, for example, has so many DSP modes, it's hard to remember them! So, you can't use Hall 1 on top of Dolby Digital or DTS... I don't think you'd want to as you'll be affecting the artistic creativity of the soundstage created by the director (did I just write that???). The other DSP modes are to enhance an otherwise boring soundtrack (monoaural or stereo), that doesn't take advantage of the speakers in your system.
The true multi-channel modes are Dolby Digital and DTS. DTS/EX and DD-EX are multi-channel AND matrix modes... where the rear surround channel is matrixed just as they do it in Dolby Prologic (phasing the sound onto the rear channel (6.1) to create a 7.1 theater speaker system). Comparable in that Dolby Prologic uses phasing to matrix encode the surround channels into the L/R (stereo) audio channels. Interesting stuff.
You biggest difference is probably, simply, it's that Stereo Mode has more power (65W v. 50W). It could also be how much the channels got adjusted during EzSet (or manually).
hound dog
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Thanks Geekboy, this clears up some things. What is n-channel? What mode do you use for music? Remember, I have to fronts and a center. By the way that sentence in the sixth paragraph was one helll of a sentence Ever consider being a manual writer?
hound dog: "n-channel" was just written to mean multi-channel. Since there are so many multi-channel modes these days (3 channel stereo, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 and even 9.1!), I like to just write "n-channel".
I don't want to write manuals. I don't want to use fluffy words... like I did in my previous post... to make something sound (read) better than it really is!
I use Stereo for most music. I do not like any DSP modes for music. Some people like to add "Hall" and other affects, but I think it takes away from the stereo imaging on the original analog soundtrack.
I write "most" music, because I do have Dolby Digital encoded music on DVDs. These are the only ones that I'll play in something other than Stereo... and even then, I don't use any enhanced DSP modes. My favorite music DVD is "Eric Clapton: Unplugged". (Recorded Live from an MTV concert and it's in Dolby Digital 5.1 format.) My "Janet Jackson" DVD/CD multi-disc set... I listen to in Stereo because it wasn't recorded in multi-channel. Unless it's (or was) a live performance... I don't know if I'd care for much multi-channel audio DVDs unless they're done RIGHT.
Even the "Eric Clapton" DVD isn't really "right"... vocals coming out of the left surround channel. If I were in the audience, I don't know if it would quite "sound" like that... but... I do like the 3D imaging that I do hear from the DVD. Maybe in a 9.1 system where you may have a more forward set of speakers than the fron L/R pair, you could "image" the soundstage to make it appear that the vocalists (backup singers) are "closer" to you seated position... just as it shows on the screen. This would be awesome.