surround sound question cables vs optical cable?

Question

2 questions

1)if you are watcing a moive or playing a game and a car passes the screen on the left side. does it give the effect of the car really passing moving the sound from the differnt speakers on the left side or will you just hear the car noise on the left side

2) if i have an optical cable instead of the red and white rca wires how big of a difference will it make. people say you need it to have the tru 5.1 surround sound , but what is that sound can someone explaine to me other than syaing it sounds better please try to describe what about using the cable makes it better

Answer 1

1. If you are watching a movie with surround sound and a car passes you on the left side, it will sound as if the car is actually passing you, the sound will transition from the left rear to the left front.

2. On a stereo receiver if you are using an optical cable or a digital coax (looks like a single rca but color coded orange or black) you will get simulated surround sound on your two speakers. Both these cables are better than the rca because you have a digital signal. This is better because it allows for a better transmission of data giving you better frequency responce, and more accurate (realistic) sound quality.
With a 5.1 or 6.1 or even 7.1 you get true surround sound...only if you use an hdmi, optical, or digital coax.
Now when you listen to your movie it will actually sound like your couch is being passed by that car, rather than hearing the car on your left side.

HDMI = supports high definition video and surround audio in a single cable)
Optical = surround sound cable, immune to rf interference (interference caused by a rats nest of cables in your AV center or "dirty" ac power etc.)
Digital coax = surround sound cable, can run a longer distance than an optical cable and is not immune to rf interference.

Answer 2

1.) Yes you will hear the effect, but the quality depends on how the movie is formatted. For instance, a movie that is formatted in DTS(Digital Theatre Sound) will sound AWESOME on a surround sound system: see Fast and Furious for a prime example. A standard 5.1 surround sound format will sound great too, but the little things will not stand out quite as much.

2.) Using an optical cable over an RCA cable is like listening to a CD instead of a cassette tape: The sound is much cleaner and crisp. My feeling is why spend all the money on a surround system and skimp on the cables? I no expert, but I hope this helps

Answer 3

answers
1) it depends on the people who mixed the sound for the moive or game. If they mixed it so that the sound of the car moves then you will hear it.

2) optical cable allows the surround sound encoded in a DVD or a video game to be processed by your surround sound amplifier. I don't know if you can say it sounds better - but for movies it will sound more like what you heard in the theater. If they have mixed the sound correctly and you have your speakers set up correctly, you will hear bullets whiz by your ear, cars moving across the screen, etc. Think of it as 3D for your ears.

additional information: there are at least two methods to get the surround sound information to your amplifier - optical cable or coaxial cable. Some amplifiers and DVD players only have one and not the other! So if you are considering surround sound make sure your equipment is compatible. I learned the hard way and had to buy another DVD player in order to hook up my surround sound system.

Answer 4

Optical cables are a type of "surround sound cable." So are coaxial audio cables. Either would work and would give you a great surround sound experience with the sound moving from speaker to speaker (left to right or whatever). That is, assuming you have the right setup, and you are watching something with the sound split into 5.1. The red and white audio cables only give you 2 channels (stereo, left, stereo, right).

Answer 5

first yes the car will sound like its moving around the room

the second question yes to have tru surround sound you need to use the optical cable or the single wire coaxle

Answer 6

You got it right for best video performance. The most direct path is always the best for video. As far as audio goes, it depends on your receiver and HD DVD player. If your receiver and DVD player are HDMI 1.3 compatible and capable of decoding Dolby True HD and DTS HD, then you might want to run the HDMI through your receiver and then to your TV. This will give you the ability to experience the latest in surround technology. You may not be able to tell the difference, but you will be one of the first adopt this new technology.

Answer 7

1) Your head will follow the sound, it's very real.
2) I only use optical, it is not subject to noise injection from other electrical sources.