Long Live 2 Channel audio......???

Onhwy, I disagree, multichannel will never replace 2 channel as the dominant music format IMO. It already would have in the 70's with Quadrophonic if it were going to, but it didn't. The CD format would have been 4 channel if multichannel would have been a big seller then, but it wasn't. 2 channel recordings can have ample out of phase information, so long as there are only 2 or 3 microphones, IMO. You and J Gordon Holt are characters...keep up the fight for multi. Most of the pop mixed stuff is just "look at me, I'm over here...now I'm behind you", etc.

Carl, my real argument for multi-channel's future dominance is not due to any sonic superiority, but due to market forces. Today the vast bulk of consumers are not buying 2 channel systems, instead they are buying multi-channel. Like it or not, HT is the dominant driver of non-portable audio systems. To your point about CDs, a format that didn't have the data storage capabilities to be multi-channel, why do you think the manufacturers are trying to get us (consumers) to migrate to DVD? Don't fool yourself and think superior sound quality is at the top of their list. It's the multi-channel sound and video capabilities. A few maunfacturers will take the time and effort to design into HT components high quality music-only capabilities. Check out what Meridian is doing. Unfortunately, most in most systems the music will only be an afterthough to the multi-channel video. BTW, whether or not musicians and audio engineers ever make realistic use of multi-channel's capabilities is a whole other question.

Back when I was sellinng HiFi most came in looking for surround sound. I asked them, have you ever heard a very good two channel system? Most replied no. So I proceeded to show them a highend two channel system. In most cases the customer was blown away! They did'nt know that two channel could sound that good. LONG LIVE TWO CHANNEL!!

While I too would have agreed that multi-channel audio is only for home theater, this is changing. With modern delivery devices such as DVD-A, we are not constrained to the assumption that our only choice is a 5.1 configuration. At the 109th AES convention (Los Angeles September 22-25) we were able to demonstrate a 6.0 (X-Y-Z) configuration that in everyway left the listener with the impression that simple stereo is no longer good enough. I would urge anyone that is interested in the pursuit of a more realistic listening experience to not out of hand discount multi-channel audio. A follow-up report will be available on the Muse Electronics website next week (www.museelectronics.com). The future of high resolution is coming; don't discount it without giving it a listen first. Kevin Halverson