Totally dissagree Nrchy and Krellm7.
Just as with a properly setup 2 channel system, and 7 channel (er, whatever) system needs balance and some careful consideration to achieve proper performance. You don't need to be watching Jurrasic Park or some Action flick to enjoy what mixing engineers are recording on movies these day's, to appreciate a multi-ch system, sorry. Lot's of great suttle mixes with a smidge of drama and dynamics mixed in for effect in toms of movies! And they're always better played back how they were originally mixed, if done properly. So yes, I disagree politely, thank you.
I've been to hundreds of homes over the years of people who have ill-setup 2 channel systems, let alone multi-channel systems...not even remotely getting the sound quality potential they paid for, I can tell you that right now!
I can't tell you how many times I've been to homes with Martin Logans, B&W Matrix/Sig's, Theils, or some other expensive 2 channel speaker setup, only to hear some aweful, aweful unbalanced sound, with imaging problems, acoustic nightmares,you name it! You'd have one speaker out in front of an open hall way, and one stuck in a corner! One speaker's pumping out fat bloated distorted bass in the room, and the other's got week feable bass with a huge hole in the response! Or, you got a speaker too near side/back walls, with zero acoustical help in the room...seats all stuck up against the back wall...or some chair in the single worst place in the room, killing all hope for even sound...maybe speakers set to wide with a weak image, And that's not even considering all the equipment mismatches, adjustements, tweaks, extensive acoustical factors, and more...
Let's face it, most people don't even know that where they place the speakers has a tremendous impact on the response, and thus the accuracy from each speaker in their system!
Nor to they even know why that matters. They figure you should probably stick a speaker here or there, based strickly on a guess, or asthetic judgement call, nothing more. And this is to their sonic demise most every time, I assure you!
I'll list the biggest area's of neglect and lack of consideration I think most people fall into when setting up a system (multi-channel specifically)...
First is poor speaker placement(including sub) and seating consideraion, and a totaly screwed up response from the system! Basically, the flat response the mixing engineers and speaker manufactures designed you to hear, is totaly shot! Thus leaving distorted fundamental sound, lousy dynamic range, and a boomy, unatural acoustical experience.
Next, is a subwoofer level too high usually, usually drowing out the rest of the sound in the system. That, and an out of phase sub setting. Also, a big hole in most small sub/sat system, because of all the above mentioned considerations. Sometimes there's overlapping and filtered bass response from mains that crossover to subwoofers improperly as well.
Next I'd say is speakers that use an open driver layout, with tweeter over a mid/bass woofer, being used in a low ceiling, further back seating situation! The ceiling reflection kills so much of the sounic potential of a system in these cases, it's not even funny! Most should use more controlled focus designed speakers here, or have some acoustic work done to the ceiling. Most don't!
Lack of proper side-wall acoustical treatment, seats in aweful spots in the room (especially near back wall, or sidewalls), out of phase speakers in the system in relation to subs, speakers too wide or close together, or in equal distances from other boundaries/speakers in the room, causing combfiltering and boost/holes in the response.(basically poor speaker placment again).
Also, not having speakers aimed properly for tonality, in relation to all the seats in a room.
Of course there's so much more. And the smaller the room, and more "asymetrical" things are, the harder it is to get balanced sound. Basically, poeple don't understand how all these things add up to either give you breathtaking sound or poor sound, which sadely most end up with overall, from lack of knowledge.
This is just the tip of the ice-burg really. there's obviously so much to consider. The more you get right, the more rewards there are!...sooooo much potential really.
