Music benefits from dedicated side channels at ±60 degrees

Evidence

In Figure 7.4(a) the direct sounds from a conventional 5-channel surround system are shown, illustrating that the ±30° front left and right loudspeakers and the ±110° surround side loudspeakers are well located for generating pleasing spatial effects. However, for music, additional channels at the optimum angles of ±60° could be beneficial. In some current multichannel systems they appear as “front-wide” channels, but they are not always used. Dolby Atmos currently recommends them in their music production facilities. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 703

Categorization

• SEED: Angles worth pursuing: a practical guide on why music mixes fail on plain L/R/front setups without front-wide channels.