Why is 2 Channel better than multi-channel?

Izsssakmixer...You are absolutely right about having all speakers the same.

However, if you are part of a jazz jam session, or if you play in a classical string chamber group (eg: quartet), or even if you hear these in a small room without actually playing, you would be very familiar with the sound of different instruments all around you. Also there are so- called "Antiphonal" compositions that specifically call for two or more chiors or groups of instruments located apart from each other. There is a new SACD where E Power Biggs plays Bach fugues on the four organs in the cathedral of Freiburg, and the musical phrases are "answered" back and forth between organs in a most interesting way. Handel's "Water Music" works well in multichannel...imagine yourself floating down the river with barges of musicians floating along with you. (That's how Handel intended it to be performed). In Judy Collins recording of "Amazing Grace" Judy is front and center while the congregation is around and behind you. (This was not sold as a quadraphonic LP, but this particular song is the best example of matrix quad that I know of). At the end of the song, (on the LP more than the remastered CD) as the reverb dies away, you can hear people behind you putting their Hymn books back into the racks. As the saying goes "you are there". The cannons of the 1812 Overture are rarely located on stage. Etc...Etc..Etc.

Sure, multichannel recordings can be inappropriately mastered, but don't fall into the "I only have 2 ears" ridiculing of all multichannel discs that make serious use of the rear speakers.

There is definatly something to be said about having identical speakers. not just identical drivers, but identical units on all sides.

Sure you can get away with having some towers in the front, some dipole surrounds and a center all from the same manufacturer, but they STILL sound different.

Imaging this, if you have a 2 channel setup, and say you go with a KEF Q1 for the right channel and a KEF Q7 for the left channel. everybody will think you have gone mad.

Well the same applies to HT as well. however, its less noticable in HT because your FL FR do most if not all of the music in movies, and the rears are just for effects. (Primarily)

I refuse to buy a center channel and "Surrounds" for this reason. In fact, that is one of the reasons i sold my whole Deftech speaker set. 2 2004tls, 2 BP66s, and 1 procenter. and my THX certified Av reciever.

After hearing a HT setup with all identical speakers, and all identical channels i realized that going with different speakers even from the same manufacturer degrad3es the sound.

Now im running a DENON 3803, with 192/24b DACs on all 7 channels, 110W on all 7 channels, all identical amplifiers
I bought a set of KEF Q1's (incredible speaker, especially for the price), and now im saving up to buy another, then another. Im going to run all 7 channels of this with 1 type of speaker.

As far as integrated / sepeates is concerned, seperates are probably better, however, i just bought that denon 3803 and its sound quality blows my mind.
I dont think that seperates will always be better, i just think that AV recievers need to do some catching up.
Some day AV recievers will be able to produce as good sound as any pre / amp setup. It just needs more time and R&D

7 Channel stereo mode sounds pretty cool when all your speaks are the same

other than that, i dont believe 2 chan is superior to multichannel. I think multichannel is still a work in progress. I also think it is a matter of personal preference.

I like the versitility of a multichannel setup.

How about three channel? This is something that I have done for about 30 years. The center front can just be an A+B mix, or even a speaker bridged across a stereo amp where one channel is operated out of phase (of course with corresponding reversal of its speaker wires).

In most stereo recordings a solo performer is recorded equally and in phase in the two stereo channels. A center speaker therefore outputs this sound louder than the other two speakers and permits the left and right speakers to be positioned further apart without encountering the dreaded "hole in the middle" problem.

As a bonus, the third speaker increases the SPL (loudness) or gives you the same SPL while driving the speakers less.

I agree with the notion that not having identical speakers does somewhat diminish sound reproduction. I have experimented quite a bit with my settings and found a few things that I believe enhances multi-channel music. I use a B&K reference 30 pre/pro and previously owned a Denon 2802 receiver. The B&K gave me the ability to select specific channels with each listening mode(an option I never had with my Denon). Through trial and error, I learned that listening in 4 channel-mode(no center channel)improved the sound quality of music. I am assuming that this is simply due to the fact that the center channel speaker, a Paradigm Studio CC, doesn't quite match the Studio 80 front speakers. Furthermore, i noticed an audible difference when I set my rear speakers (Studio 40's) to "large" in the speaker setup menu. Since then, I always listen to music in 4 channel mode with all 4 speakers set at "large" and have been much happier with multi-channel reproduction.

Chucknms...In discrete multichannel recordings (SACD or DVD-A) the center channel carries sounds that are simply not there at all in the Left and Right channels. No amount of superb imaging can recover this information.

You really ought to take the time and trouble to get that center speaker set up right.