Is it a Merger or Bust?

With the right room, and the right equipment, you can have an excellent stereo system, and a good sounding multi-channel system. It takes a lot of equipment to do it right, though.

I use a separate preamp for stereo, and a separate two channel power amp. My 2 channel line source feeds into my preamp-processor, the processor feeds into the 2 channel preamp. I can listen to very good analog through the two channel system, or digital, or multi-channel music also sounds great, with just enough subwoofering to make it sound right in my large listening room.

It may be more than most are willing to do, but I enjoy it greatly. 

Agree with @islandmandan

You can have both, and can combine and also completely separate 2 channel from a HT set-up with the right equipment. I do. Granted, I concentrate much much more on my 2 channel quality than the ‘wiz bang’ HT technology and tricks, so that’s just there to do it’s job when called upon when watching TV in my dual purpose living room.

Don’t believe those who say you can only do one, or the other. You can do both. For ease of integration though, a 2 channel pre or integrated with HT bypass makes things much easier, but in that respect, can be a limiting factor. Does not mean you cannot get pretty great sound though.

Well leave out the hoopla, and just hook up a stereo. TWO main speakers, left and right. Set up a couple of subs and go from there.

Make it simple..  I use two channels for everything.. If you want to listen to a recorded "live concert", works perfect.. 

Been a while for even 3 main speakers, for me.

For me... a trinaural processor was the best 3 channel.. set up I've heard.. Not a digital 3 speaker guy.. Analog is better..

Regards

That’s all great, but if you are like me, I detest and refuse to put my TV in between speakers......so....and my 2 channel is probably over 85% analog use. So, not sure why ‘digital’ is any reason to go one way or the other.