[schw06]

Clearly I am behind the times because this does not appear to be new technology but I am wondering people's experience using 3 channel audio instead of 2 channel. Magnepan seems to be using it at shows and I see positive reviews for the SST Trinaural Processor. I am wondering if any 2 channel listeners have moved to a 3 channel setup and prefer it over their 2 channel setup. If so, please share your setup advice including which processor you have been successful with.
   I'm intrigued by the idea and it seems to make sense...Of course a lot of things seem to make sense in audio and don't turn out as expected.

[FullRangeMan]

Seems IMO, 3 ch can be better than 2 ch, only when/if the recording was made in 3 ch and you are listening a 3 ch discrete disc, as the Mercury Living Presence masters release in SACD Stereo(2ch) and M-Ch(3 ch).

Unfortunatelly these 20 SACDs are the only 3 ch discs released so far:
http://www.sa-cd.net/search/living+presence
If you intend listen 3 ch from a CD it will be less good than expected.

[SteveFord]

It worked for me:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=111394.0

[James Romeyn]

I have no Ambiophonics experience but there are hundreds or more user pages @ diyaudio and possibly other places.

I know of three processors that do indeed improve 2-ch converted to multi channel.  I sell the only one still made (Trinaural) so am obviously biased.  The two discontinued processors are Meridian Tripath and Meridian Ambisonics (IIRC).     

In this room it takes about 60 seconds or less to convert from 2-ch to Trinaural so listeners can make their own conclusions.

Only one particular recording technique is marginal improved, being spaced omni such as Telarc employed.  The ability to remote tune C Channel level deletes this complaint.  I have such feature.  All that is required is to reduce, for spaced omni recordings only, the C Channel level several dB.

Every single visitor (of a few dozen, mostly musicians) to this room who compared the two formats preferred Trinaural.  To say stereo pales is gross understatement.  Trinaural inventor is the late James Bongiorno.   

I've auditioned the two above mentioned Meridian formats and they appear to be similar but in the digital domain, plus they offer up to 5.1 outputs while Trinaural is 3.1 (or 3.0).

Blumlein (stereo inventor), AES papers, and Stereophile in 2008 articles document stereo shortcomings.  Listener's opposite channel ear senses significant late and out of phase signal vs. ear on same speaker side, which causes significant venetian blind efffect.  Trinaural appears to fix that problem.

The other great thing about Trinaural is it perfectly integrates music with HT employing retractable perforated screen.  I can only encourage HT and music fans to audition your favorite music Blu Ray with three identical matched front speakers properly sited for best audio performance behind a retractable perforated screen.   

   

[Bob in St. Louis]

I can only encourage HT and music fans to audition your favorite music Blu Ray with three identical matched front speakers properly sited for best audio performance behind a retractable perforated screen.   

   

Now I'm paying attention.

[neekomax]

This is a very interesting topic, about which I know very little.

James, when you say that 'it takes 60 seconds or less to convert...' from stereo to trinaural, what does that mean exactly? What exactly is taking place, and what does the conversion?

[SteveFord]

http://www.ampzilla2000.com/trinaural.html

http://www.theaudiobeat.com/visits/monday_at_magnepan.htm

http://www.avguide.com/blog/magnepan-s-tri-center-concept-does-stereo-sound-better-three-channels

[Bob in St. Louis]

Before I get all excited and "knowledged up", I guess the bottom line for me would be price.
I've yet to see mention of that. 

[SteveFord]

Bryston is/was(?) offering a unit but I'm unsure as to the price but James Tanner could tell you for sure.
The Ampzilla one is around $1500, maybe a bit more and then you add the center speaker(s) and another amp into the price.

[James Romeyn]

Bryston is/was(?) offering a unit but I'm unsure as to the price but James Tanner could tell you for sure.
The Ampzilla one is around $1500, maybe a bit more and then you add the center speaker(s) and another amp into the price.

SST (Spread Spectrum Technologies) makes Trinaural, whose current msrp is $2500 USD (confirmed within the last month with "EJ," Wyred4Sound principal and current SST distributor).  Trinaural first msrp was $1500, then $2k, now $2500.

Kalman Rubinson has been lately recommending Trinaural in threads at AudioAsylum.  He loved it in his Stereophile review, where it earned Class A Recommended Component.  Honestly, I tell people unwilling to give up their 2-ch fetish not to audition it.  You can't go back after proper comparison. 

Never had the guts to ask Bongiorno, but I suspect he was dyslexic.  RCA jacks are arranged per normal practice, vertical, L up/R down.  But L is red insulator/R is white, opposite of normal practice.  Also there is horizontal 3-position toggle switch whose purpose is to select speaker for noise source to match C level.  Toggle L plays noise to the R channel and vice versa, the opposite of intuition. 

Had one minor internal issue, which EJ fixed quickly and painlessly for moderate fee.  I very much like the W4S folks. 

[James Romeyn]

This is a very interesting topic, about which I know very little.

James, when you say that 'it takes 60 seconds or less to convert...' from stereo to trinaural, what does that mean exactly? What exactly is taking place, and what does the conversion?

Bongiorno is gone, or I'd not post that Trinaural failure is no switch to AB stereo vs. Trinaural.  I already employed a hard wired small switch box, Trinaural 3.1 output XLR balanced > switch box/unbalanced output > multi channel preamp input. 

The box selects + or - polarity for absolute polarity function. 

I added another function, very simple, with Bongiorno's blessing: 3k series isolation resistors (Dale resistors) sends C Channel signal to the LR, which converts the Trinaural output back to stereo. 

The reason I can't just bypass the Trinaural completely is two fold: my in-phase low crossover slope speakers are quite revealing of absolute polarity and I can't live without this feature.  Also, main speakers employ Trinaural fixed active high-pass crossover, 2nd order @ 80 Hz, in order to maximize bass performance with four subs.   

We're going in a big circle I know, but there is just too huge a down grade in quality listening to this system with mains full range and bypassing the DEBRA Distributed Equalized Bass Reflex Array.  Main speaker bass is quite good, but Distributed Array defines state of the art bass, so...till I get a good separate outboard active high pass, I use the Trinaural for that too. 

So we listen to your favorite CD or SACD in Trinaural.  To switch to stereo (such as it is) I:
Flick stereo/Trinaural switch to stereo position
Unplug C channel amp input
Toss comforter over the C channel speaker
Adjust level up 2 dB (actual difference is 1.5 dB, but steps are 1 dB, giving .5 dB advantage to stereo, which is still hopeless by comparison)

http://jamesromeyn.com/home-audio-gear/our-premium-performance-dual-use-htmusic-system/