surround processor?

I too believed that 13 channel home theatre systems were excessive and unnecessary, but after experiencing the additional channels I discovered they do enhance movie experience irrespective of room size as they provide a smooth transgression, rather than jumping from speaker to speaker.

What I fail to comprehend is how and why dedicated stereo system are always assumed to be better than home theatre systems in stereo mode. Home theatre systems have decent DACs and by selecting stereo mode the multi channel processing is removed.

Could it be that as soon as multi speakers are observed there is an automatic assumption the sound is always going to be inferior? It just seems irrational and I hope someone can explain it. Perhaps the issue is with the word theatre as sound in theatres is always a compromise.

Hello,
Just like MC I have tried to squeeze every two channel sound out of a surround system by itself. Some stuff helped the sound quite a bit like a better cables. Especially a better power cord. After listening to other systems at friends and stores I knew I needed to do something different. I like the Denon H3600x ($900) or the H3700x ($1100 and does up-to 120hz. In 4K) for the surround sound receiver. It is one of the few SS receivers that you can divert the amps from the front and use them for the surrounds. Then you can look for a two channel option with a decent bypass. Just so you know every time you use one of the amps inside you are probably cutting the watts per channel to all the amps you are using. It’s just plain physics. I use the Emotiva XSP 1 preamp with a Marsh Sound Design amp. It is full linear differential balanced. It even has a built in crossover for the subs. It is great for  the $1100 new price tag or $800 used. I bought mine used. This system works great. I tried the Rogue RP7 preamp but it did not work well. It loses 10db when you use the bypass feature due to you are turning the preamp off to use it this way.  I will be upgrading to the Ayre 5 series separates but my existing system is so good I am going to keep it for another room after I get my Ayre components which has HT Bypass and works perfect.  I know the best sound you can get for 2 channel is not having your HT being connected to your two channel at all. My system sounds really good even though it is all hooked up together.  You will have to decide what is important to you. 95% of the time the room is 2 channel only. My music system has gone from Meh to holy &?!@ over the past couple years. I just added the JL Audio CR1 crossover with two F110 subs. After I get the Ayre gear I should be done with the base of the system. Seriously the Emotiva Preamp is worth it all day long. If you want an integrated amp then the Parasound Hint 6 is one of the best values out their and it has a DAC and Subwoofer control on the remote. Except for the Emotiva the rest of the gear in this post can be bought from this store in the Chicagoland area:
https://holmaudio.com/
they have a try before you buy. Right now I am demoing so of the IsoAcoustic gear. This stuff is really amazing. Townshend stuff for isolation is great too. I would like to try that gear too. I hope this helped. 

I suspect the impact digital processing in the next decade or so will make multichannel considerably more of a 'player' to the SOTA enthusiast....not HT as we experience it, but more 'immersive'; the club in your space, concert hall acoustics replicated, the outdoor 'indoors'...

Keep listening, and we'll hear what happens....;)

It is a matter of simple logic to prove a surround system will never outperform stereo. Fact: better components cost more. Fact: no one has infinite money. Therefore, for however much money you have it will buy better components the fewer of them there are to buy.

Surround components never can be anything but equal to stereo, for the simple fact whatever technology is used in surround can be used in stereo- but not the other way around.

So it does not matter whether you have $5k or $50k, or $500k- or $5M. Divided into two speakers buys better sounding speakers than divided into 5.1 or 7.2 or whatever. Same for amps, cables, everything.

Quality rules. Surround sucks. Simple as that.

The most musical fidelit amplifiers has a pass through that's the best option. Intergrated with the Denon 3700.