“How long can I expect digital surround sound to last. It's been my observation that digital is superior in performance, but doesn't have a long shelf life. I don't want to buy a new one every 2-5 years. What should I expect?”
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Tough question. If you’re trying to stay up with the most current audio technology, well, yes, it keeps evolving all the time. A number of years ago a company called DTS developed DTS Virtual:X, which employs Digital Signal Processing (DSP) in an aim to provide the same spatial cues that a traditional DTS:X system could provide, but over a smaller number of speakers, even if you’ve only got two. This technology, which is the surround sound technology available in the Yamaha X-485, first rolled out in soundbars, which makes sense as they often only include a separate subwoofer and maybe a pair of satellite speakers at most. Since then, companies like Denon and Marantz have added support for DTS Virtual:X to their receivers, while Sony has its own virtual surround soundbar that reads DTS:X and Atmos mixes. Surely this, too, will be further developed, but that’s just the way the industry works now. I suspect that digital SS will be with us for some time yet, but nothing is written in stone. I hope this helps you.
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