Question For Those That Watch Movies/TV Through Your Two Channel System

I concur with Tony1954. And there is a good YouTube on this very subject from New Zealand. He demonstrates home theater bypass function on Arcam SA20. Good luck. 

ericsch

I would never use AV receiver for a dedicated 2 channel music system.

But, starting with a Video System, and also wanting 2 channel stereo music from it can be done, and your original question indicates how confusing it can be.

Let’s not forget, golden eared reviewers, equipment behind a curtain, could not tell a low-fi Pioneer receiver from high end separates way back when, and it would be even harder today.

They are very complicated, I know this stuff, read and underline the manual, and still need to call the help lines to clarify options, usually restrictions.

Video Sound, small home theater:

I have used and currently use AV Receivers for a lot of years, there are many very good ones. Onkyo, Pioneer, now Sony. I select them based on features, typically wait for a sale when new ones come out, staying 1 generation back.

AV Receivers, for me, do either 5.1 dolby surround sound, which can be very involving if original was created and properly reproduced 5.1. BluRay DVD best, HD monitor, AV Receiver capable of 5.1 is needed.

The receiver SEPARATES the frequencies as intended/coded, the center channel information is NOT present in the mains, so a center channel speaker IS required for 5.1. The rear channel information is NOT present in the mains, so Rear channel speakers ARE needed.

the .1, the sub, is optional, for 5.1 sound, and it’s hookup and AV Receivers are critically important using the system for 2 Channel sound, both 2 channel video and 2 channel music.

Depending on the bass capability of your mains. IF you tell the AV Receiver’s brains that you will use a sub, then it does NOT send low bass to the mains. This is critical to how you hook up your sub, because

WHEN using the AV Receiver’s 2 channel stereo mode:

EITHER no low bass is sent to the sub, mains try to do low bass, whatever their size,

OR, your setup has stripped the low bass out, and low bass is NOT sent to the mains and missing because the sub is/may be OFF.

Much 5.1 content, movies particularly, specifically create low bass typically below MOST main speaker’s capability, and a SUB IS needed to get the effect i.e. Dinosaur Stomp.

If the original was/is 2 channel, then I/you use the receiver’s 2 channel mode.

IF cable has created psudo surround, or your AV receiver’s brain randomly, inadvertantly creates Pseudo surround from a 2 Channel original, pay atteention, change your AV receiver to 2 channel mode, most often it is better.

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1 or 2 subs: I am quite happy with my single sub added effects for video, and, my mains have enough bass for 2 channel bass when it is off. 2 subs could be better, not for me.

btw, Don’t forget to tell the AV receiver’s brains what size your main l/r speakers are, mine are LARGE (10" woofers), so it knows it can send more bass to them.

IF wanting best 2 channel sound out of a small home theater (limited size mains probably) then I would want a stereo pair of subs, adjacent to the mains, capable of creating stereo bass, creating imaging via the fundamentals and overtones.
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Now we have the ’how wide a center image for Video sound? for 2 channel Audio only? Enough for 3 people wide, on a couch or separate chairs.

The center channel speaker MUST anchor the dialog to the Video Image, I find just below the monitor best. For 2 channel, the mains MUST create the phantom center and various balances l/r to create imaging. Imaging for how many people?

The best movie/TV sound I ever had was two-channel: Quad ESL 57s, Townsend supertweets, REL subs, with an ARC Ref III pre, and VT100 amplifier.  It didn't play loud, but the sheer intelligibility of dialogue and realistic 3D soundstage more than made up for it.  There was no reason to add a center channel. 

My tastes run to classic Hollywood, indy, and foreign films. If you love blockbuster, spectacle type movies, then it makes sense to go multi-channel.  Efficient speakers, like Tektons or Klipsch, will give you the effortless dynamics of a movie theater with reasonably powered amps.  

FWIW, my main rig is in a dedicated listening room with only one chair.  I have a 7.2.4 Atmos setup, but my AV pre/pro’s LR outputs feed the HT bypass inputs on my separate stereo preamp.  I sacrifice nothing with my stereo listening this way.  Since I only have one chair in there, I don’t necessarily need a center channel speaker, but I decided to keep it nevertheless.  My stereo speakers are 4ft into the room and the center image is so good, so holographic, that it seems to float on its own detached from the screen.  Technically, the phantom center sounds better, but I prefer the dialogue to seem more like it comes from the actors’ mouths on screen.  Without the Center speaker, it sounds like the actors are a few feet in front of the TV in my room with me.
Now, I have a second system in the family room where there is also TV.  I had the opportunity to use an older AVR there and set up surround sound.  I chose not to and, like you’re considering, purchased a nice stereo integrated instead.  I don’t regret it at all.  To me, it’s better to do stereo well than mediocre surround, even for movies and TV.  I find that a good full range set up with adequate subwoofers is really what “wows” me when watching movies.  So I focused on getting good full range stereo in that room.  

Erik, perhaps I should have explained myself better. For two channel hi fidelity listening a center channel is detrimental. The only time it has merit is when the two channels are so far apart that you wind up with the proverbial "hole in the middle." Klipsch had this problem with K horns as they had to go into the corners and were frequently too far apart to image the center. Thus, he came up with the concept of the center channel in the late 50's. Now, if a good two channel system can image a singer to the center it can certainly image a speaking voice to the center. The problem comes when you are sitting off axis out of the listening position. The center image becomes blurred and the voice may or may not appear to come from the center with your eyes closed. But, as soon as you open your eyes the voice will snap right to the image, a trick our brains do automatically for us. 
In short, all these extra channels are just the audio manufacturer's way of trying to shove more speakers and amplifiers down our throats.
Erik, if you want to have a video game hi fi that is your prerogative. I do have a 5.2 system. it is up in my exercise room.