surround sound is a thing of the past...

[da BaSsTaRd!]

this is very interesting:

A Sweet Spot for Every Listener
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/05/te...ts/05next.html

here's an excerpt:

Standard surround-sound systems can simulate these types of panning effects only with sounds that rapidly traverse the listening space; Iosono, on the other hand, can create these illusions for sounds that move slowly across it as well. As a result, individual actors can be pinpointed on a movie screen, so the voice of each is perceived to emanate from an exact position, while the voices of other actors can give the impression of being in the middle of the audience.

.........

Sound direction is determined not by the physical location of a sound source, but by the length of time it takes for particular frequencies to reach the ears. Consequently, an array of speakers can be programmed to emit certain frequencies at different moments and decibels so that they will mimic sound coming from a specific location.

To accomplish this, a belt of speakers is installed across a room's four walls at eight-inch intervals. The room used in the demonstration mandated a total of 304 speakers. In addition, two subwoofers were placed against each wall.

Unlike standard mixing, in which an engineer assigns particular sounds to certain speakers, the Iosono engineer only decides where effects should seem to be coming from. Using a workstation with a touch-screen display, the engineer drags and drops a pictogram representing each sound - whether a violin or a bomb blast - to a point in the room. The software algorithms then assign the various frequencies to the appropriate speakers for the desired result.

[soundsurfr]

I could barely afford to buy 5 speakers. Now I have to get 304??

[da BaSsTaRd!]

hahaha! my man, that's the MINIMUM requirement!