Can multi-channel amplifiers also be used to play stereo music?

           Can multi-channel amplifiers also be used to play stereo music?

Many people build a home theater system and often like to buy larger floor-standing speakers to use as the main channel. In addition to making a more complete connection with the most important center channel in the theater system, this can also be used for pure sound. Two-channel listening. Why is there a need for “pure two-channel” listening? For a long time, the accuracy of listening to music with multi-channel has been criticized by audio players. The reason is that most music software uses two-channel recording. Of course, it should be presented using a two-channel system to have the most accurate sound. sound imaging and sound field effects.

If two-channel music is decoded by a surround amplifier and then sounded through multi-channel speakers, it may cause image confusion, and there will also be a phase difference when sounding through speakers with inconsistent structures, and the final music presented The effect is far from what the music was intended to be when it was recorded. As a result, even if theater players buy a set of excellent multi-channel speakers, they usually only use the main channel speakers to listen to music, which is a pity.

However, in the past, I also thought that when watching movies, I should use "multi-channel + surround playback", and when listening to music, I should use "two-channel + pre- and post-amp". This idea has long been ingrained in my mind. This thinking was completely overturned after the editor-in-chief of this magazine introduced me to music software specially designed for recording multi-channel systems this month. It turns out that using multi-channel to listen to music is not only as effective as two-channel, it is even easier to create a natural sound field effect than two-channel. The key lies in choosing the "right software".

During the listening process, trumpet player Chris Botti's live concert software is first played. Regardless of the multi-channel sound quality, this music software has been professionally multi-channel recorded to pass the ambient sound and reflected sound in the space through the speaker at that position. It occurs directly and can create a very natural three-dimensional sound field and spatial reverberation. The subtle details of the hall sound in the air are very realistic. The applause and conversation sounds of the surrounding audience have a clear sense of positioning. The image playback with the front monitor It feels as if you are in the audience at the performance, and it is more immersive than the previous two-channel front sound field.