differences between DTS Neo 6 and PL II music.

mcjasonb · 07-19-09, 06:46 PM

anybody know the differences between the two? or have a link to a page that explains the differences?

Denophile · 07-19-09, 07:43 PM

wikipedia has an explanation of how dolby works...neo6 probably does as well
personally i like neo better...

mcjasonb · 07-19-09, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denophile

wikipedia has an explanation of how dolby works...neo6 probably does as well
personally i like neo better...

i seem to prefer NEO as well, i was just looking for an explanation of both so i could maybe figure out why.

SiriuslyCold · 07-19-09, 08:17 PM

PLII puts a bit more emphasis on the center channel perhaps

mcjasonb · 07-19-09, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiriuslyCold

PLII puts a bit more emphasis on the center channel perhaps

maybe on it's original setting. on my Yamaha avr you can change all the parameters and i made it so the center is just barely doing anything on both Neo 6 music and PL II music. my mains aren't very far apart so i already have a strong center image. i still for some reason keep using Neo 6

Bachelor · 07-19-09, 11:29 PM

Neo 6 music plays the normal left and right speakers the same as stereo but adds filler for the center and surrounds.

PLII music will matrix the sound from the fronts to the center and rear.

That is how I remember it.

William · 07-20-09, 08:05 AM

I find it's hit and miss using PLII or DTS Nero. Maybe about 30% to 50% of popular music (classical is much lower) will sound acceptable (improved to different but enjoyable) but for the rest it sounds gimmicky, forced and artificial.

aggieheels · 07-20-09, 06:12 PM

PLII tends to place the vocals predominantly in the center channel while Neo6 sounds like stereo with accents.

Sometimes the vocals in the center sounds better, other times it sounds unnatural. Meaning sometimes, in my opinion and on my system, PLII sound much better or much worse.

Neo6 never sounds much worse to me.

GregK · 07-20-09, 08:40 PM

Most receivers in the PLII Music mode will allow one to make a number of adjustements:

Center channel width: Adjusts the amount of center channel bleedthrough into the left and right front channels. Some prefer a hard focused center channel while others prefer it spread over the three front channels.

Panorama: In the "on" position, hard left and right panned positions are stretched in the left and right surrounds for a sonic horseshoe type of spread. In the off position, only out of phase information is directed to the rear channels.

Dimension: Adjusts front to back balance.

Roger Dressler · 08-02-09, 06:02 AM

PLII is a wideband processor (as is Logic7), while Neo (and Neural) are multiband processors. The best explanation of Neo is in the patent.

Multiband has benefits--it can select certain frequencies for one output and others for a different output. That also brings some new problems--splittng the spectrum among different speakers isn't easy to do without creating some unnatural spectral side effects. One reason Neo went thru several at least 4 revisions was, among other things, to improve these side effects, and over time, it has indeed improved.

Regardless of the technology, they all had to juggle among myriad tradeoffs. It's very subjective.

JonFo · 08-02-09, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger Dressler

PLII is a wideband processor (as is Logic7), while Neo (and Neural) are multiband processors. The best explanation of Neo is in the patent.

Multiband has benefits--it can select certain frequencies for one output and others for a different output. That also brings some new problems--splittng the spectrum among different speakers isn't easy to do without creating some unnatural spectral side effects. One reason Neo went thru several at least 4 revisions was, among other things, to improve these side effects, and over time, it has indeed improved.

Regardless of the technology, they all had to juggle among myriad tradeoffs. It's very subjective.

Thanks for that Roger.

Care to tells us a bit about how PLII compares to Meridian TriField?

I found TriField to be the most transparent 2 - > multi Ch. process around.

Is PLII- music based on Gerzon's work?

Roger Dressler · 08-02-09, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonFo

Thanks for that Roger.

Care to tells us a bit about how PLII compares to Meridian TriField?

I found TriField to be the most transparent 2 - > multi Ch. process around.

Is PLII- music based on Gerzon's work?

In my understanding, Meridian's Trifield is based on work by Michael Gerzon, Geoffrey Barton, and Bob Stuart. It is a passive process--no steering logic of any kind. The best explanation of it I've seen is in the 1992 AES paper #3602 by Gerzon "Psychoacoustic Decoders for Multispeaker Stereo and Surround Sound." I hope you can find a copy or get it from the AES website.

PLII is a logic-steered decoder based on the work of Jim Fosgate with contributions from several folks at Dolby. It's a vastly different appoach to Trifield. I was fortunate to have lived with a Meridian 861 for an extended period in the mid 90s, and it proved to me how great 2-ch content could sound over 5 speakers, both using Trifield as well as their Music Surround mode. Being passive, these both have their own limitations wrt sweet spot and surround articulation, which is what put Dolby on the path of an improved logic decoder for both movies and music. Jim Fosgate's technology was finally the one that wound our clocks, after a string of others that didn't quite make the grade. I'd still like to have access to Trifield on certain occasions.

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mcjasonb AVS Special Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Hyde Park, NY Posts: 1,899	differences between DTS Neo 6 and PL II music. anybody know the differences between the two? or have a link to a page that explains the differences? __________________ Jason B. PSN ~ jasonb1985 Samsung PN58B560 - 80gig PS3 - Yamaha RX-V2500 - Infinity Alpha 50 mains - Alpha center - Harmon Kardon HKB6 rears, Epik Sentinel & ED eQ.2, Monster HDP1800

07-19-09, 08:17 PM	#4 \| Link
SiriuslyCold AVS Special Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: KL, Malaysia Posts: 2,594	PLII puts a bit more emphasis on the center channel perhaps __________________ > DVD-A Registry for hirez/surround audio Bluray, DVD-Audio, DAD/HDAD, DualDisc, MVI <

07-20-09, 08:05 AM	#7 \| Link
William AVS Special Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Atlanta Posts: 6,784 Classified Rating: 100% (2)	I find it's hit and miss using PLII or DTS Nero. Maybe about 30% to 50% of popular music (classical is much lower) will sound acceptable (improved to different but enjoyable) but for the rest it sounds gimmicky, forced and artificial. __________________ William

07-20-09, 08:40 PM	#9 \| Link
GregK Senior Member Join Date: May 2001 Posts: 247	Most receivers in the PLII Music mode will allow one to make a number of adjustements: Center channel width: Adjusts the amount of center channel bleedthrough into the left and right front channels. Some prefer a hard focused center channel while others prefer it spread over the three front channels. Panorama: In the "on" position, hard left and right panned positions are stretched in the left and right surrounds for a sonic horseshoe type of spread. In the off position, only out of phase information is directed to the rear channels. Dimension: Adjusts front to back balance. Last edited by GregK; 07-20-09 at 09:57 PM.. Reason: Spelling

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Roger Dressler AVS Special Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,667	PLII is a wideband processor (as is Logic7), while Neo (and Neural) are multiband processors. The best explanation of Neo is in the patent. Multiband has benefits--it can select certain frequencies for one output and others for a different output. That also brings some new problems--splittng the spectrum among different speakers isn't easy to do without creating some unnatural spectral side effects. One reason Neo went thru several at least 4 revisions was, among other things, to improve these side effects, and over time, it has indeed improved. Regardless of the technology, they all had to juggle among myriad tradeoffs. It's very subjective. __________________ Roger Deadwood theater

07-19-09, 07:43 PM	#2 \| Link
Denophile Master Underachiever Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 2,123	wikipedia has an explanation of how dolby works...neo6 probably does as well personally i like neo better...

07-19-09, 11:29 PM	#6 \| Link
Bachelor Advanced Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Utah Posts: 840 Classified Rating: 100% (1)	Neo 6 music plays the normal left and right speakers the same as stereo but adds filler for the center and surrounds. PLII music will matrix the sound from the fronts to the center and rear. That is how I remember it.

07-20-09, 06:12 PM	#8 \| Link
aggieheels Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 134	PLII tends to place the vocals predominantly in the center channel while Neo6 sounds like stereo with accents. Sometimes the vocals in the center sounds better, other times it sounds unnatural. Meaning sometimes, in my opinion and on my system, PLII sound much better or much worse. Neo6 never sounds much worse to me.