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

i don't know *anything* about surround for home theatre - movies don't interest me, so it's not an issue. but, i feel i have the best of both worlds regarding 2-channel & surround-sound for audio. i have a jvc xpa-1010 surround-sound processor, that's fed from a 2nd main out from my preamp, which means it's *completely* out of the loop when not used, & when it *is* used, the two main channels are not mucked-up by it in any way. this is a very nice unit that has 20 mapped venues which have been installed into it (theatres, churchas, clubs, concert halls, etc). the mapping was very well-done, taking the response from the four *corners* of the venue, from the listening position, and basically only that signal is what gets played back thru the 4 channels. there are a multitude of adjustments for room-size, delay, reverb, etc. when used correctly, it can add an amazing sense of being at a venue, w/o overpowering the two main channels or mucking up the main signal - ewe don't even realize it's on, until ewe turn it off. this was a class-a s'phile rated product when in production; their take on it was that it was sonically far superior to anything similar offered, including lexicon, yamaha, etc. i, for one, don't know why this technology didn't prosper - two-channel software is all that's needed, & it doesn't do unrealistic sonic-mess spectaculars that so much typical 4-channel commercial crap does, which is why i think mamy audiophiles have rejected conventional surround-sound. doug

I recently auditioned an amp that took out (DC) one of my speakers. Living in New Zealand means terrible repair services and so I had a long period where one of my systems had just one speaker. I found that concentrating on the music was much less necessary for musical enjoyment, and that I was in fact a far more relaxed listener. Then I realise that the interest in the stereo gave way to musical enjoyment. I went back to stereo when the other speaker arrived back. But I can't help thinking that multi-channel is a trade-off, between spatial reality and musical sound. By "musical sound", I guess I mean my ear-brain did not have to work so hard with a single sound source and so there was much less in the way between me and what the artist had to say.

Listening in mono is a very severe test for a speaker. Stripped on the majority of spatial information leaves the speaker "naked" and its ability to accurately portray the tonal and rhythmic qualities of music are laid bare. When first introduced 2-channel sound was not universally hailed as an advance. Similar arguments to those expressed above were voiced..."it may be good for movies, but". Maybe we should start a BACK TO MONO movement?