NAD T744 owner manual About the T 744S Listening Modes, Ears

USING THE T 744

ABOUT THE T 744'S LISTENING MODES

The T 744 receiver offers nine distinct listening modes, tailored for different types of recordings or program material. The table below lists which modes are available to what input signals.

With a two-channel (STEREO) source the following listening modes can be selected:

•Stereo

•Downmix

All output is directed to the left/right-front channels; low frequencies are directed to the subwoofer if one is present in the Speaker settings. Select Stereo when you wish to listen to a stereo (or monaural) production, such as a music CD or FM broadcast, without surround enhancement. Stereo recordings, whether in PCM/digital or analog form and whether surround-encoded or not encoded, are reproduced as recorded; multichannel digital recordings (Dolby Digital and DTS) are reproduced in “Downmix” mode via the left- and right-front channels only, as Lt/Rt (left/right-total) signals.

•Dolby Pro Logic

•Dolby Pro Logic II (PLII)

Two-channel recordings, whether stereo or surround-encoded, are reproduced with Dolby Pro Logic, or ProLogic II surround processing, yielding output to left-, center-, and right-front channels, and discrete left/right surround channels (assuming these are present in the current <Speakers Setup>. PLII does not employ the surround back speakers (if any).

NOTE: ProLogic II is a more recent evolution of the original Dolby ProLogic surround processing that yields more stable imaging and full bandwidth sound to the rear channels in Movie mode, offering sound that is more similar to Dolby Digital decoding.

The T 744 provides two PLII variations: MOVIE and MUSIC. See “Adjusting Listening Modes,” below.

•EARS

Two-channel recordings, whether stereo or surround-encoded, are reproduced with proprietary NAD surround processing with signals output to the left, center-, and right-front channels and discrete left/ right surround channels, plus subwoofer (assuming these are present in the current <Speakers Setup>); EARS does not employ the surround back speakers (if any). EARS extracts the natural ambience present in nearly all well-produced stereo recordings. It does not synthesize any ambience or other sonic elements and thus remains truer to the sound of the original musical performance than most other music-surround options.

Select EARS for listening to stereo music recordings and broadcasts. EARS produces a subtle but highly natural and believable ambience from nearly all "natural-acoustic" stereo recordings; typically, these include classical, jazz, and folk genres as well as numerous examples from others. It's virtues include a realistic, stable "front-stage" sonic imaging and spacious but unexaggerated ambient "virtual acoustics" that remain faithful to the original recording.

•Enhanced-Stereo 1 (ST1)

All recordings reproduced in stereo via the maximum speaker complement configured in the current <Speakers Setup>. ST1 can be useful for maximum volume from all channels, or for multi-speaker background music (cocktail party) listening.

•Enhanced-Stereo 2 (ST2)

All recordings reproduced in stereo via the surround speakers only (plus subwoofer, if any), assuming these are configured in the current <Speakers Setup>. ST2 can prove useful in certain late-night or very low-volume listening situations.

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