SACD vs DVD-A speaker set-up geometry

Ears...Antiphonal music has been around for centuries, but until now could not be recorded properly. Classical chamber music is sometimes performed "in the round" especially in small private performances. Many people have performed in orchestras, or chiors, and find the perspective of being in the midst of the performers to be natural.

Can it be a "gimmick"? Sure: but not always.

Eldartford-

I was not speaking of music written for antiphonal or other spatial effects to be 'gimmicks' but was referring, specifically, to the previously-mentioned random placement of guitars and drums in the rear.

Have you heard the Telarc Berlioz Requiem? Not a gimmick.

Kal

Kr4...theres ambience, such as used in the rear channels on Allison Krauss Live...and then there are distinct guitars, drums and other instruments coming directly from the rear or side channels...this is gimmicky and totally unatural to say the least... and definitly not ambience.

When I say hi rez surround is gimmicky, I mean 98% of what I have heard.
There are some recordings that seem made for ss, but in general, two speakers whith a more realistic soundstage is better than being in the center of the band ..so to speak.

I fully understand you, Ears, and I agree that such discs are annoying and unsatisfying. However, there are competent MCH discs. Perhaps my music preferences are different from yours but I find few gimmicky ones.

Kal

Ears...Favorable mention of the rear channel use on an Alison Krauss multichannel recording strikes me as strange. On the recording that I have, applause is loudly recorded only in the rear channels. This is a gimmick...not what you would hear from anywhere other than the first row, in which case the performance sonic perspective would be different. The transition from performance to applause is very abrupt and unnatural sounding. IMHO of course.