Wanna take it to the next level? Buy MORE speakers!

@deep_333 

Why don’t you spend a minute or two describing to us “two channel guys” your awesome multi-channel rig. Obviously you have achieved this nirvana you describe.

I’ve listened to pretty much every configuration (5.1 through 13.4.4) and while it provides a cool effect it doesn’t move me in the way that even a mediocre two channel system does. Movies? Sure - give me that immersive feeling with planes flying overhead, the sound of bullets ricocheting through the side, rear, and atmos speakers - it makes sense for this kind of foley info to come from all sides. For music however it just sounds gimmicky and fake. I’m speaking for me of course and shouldn’t influence even a single member of this forum. I also don’t have much interest in others telling me what I should and shouldn’t enjoy. Like ketchup on hot dogs or black licorice. Someone making a face and pretending to be disgusted doesn’t impact my enjoyment one whit. Plenty of people here describe the process of procuring, cleaning, and listening to a record (including having to get up to flip it after 22 or so minutes) to be a horrible, exhausting experience. I can’t get enough of it, and the joy of hearing music come from a spot where a speaker isn’t still seems magical to me. There is an evolutionary reason our ears are shaped the way they are and two channel setups are optimized to take advantage of that physiology.

You probably heard some rig set up for movies by a "HT enthusiast"? If so, that’s never a good example. Such rigs are typically set up to get everything exaggerated/make adrenalin pour like the niagara (i.e., wanting that helicopter sound to pan from top front to top back, effects everywhere, panning sounds around a grid, etc). Some of these HT guys are in the habit of setting up six 18inch subs in a small-ish room and tearing up the drywall (Hint: avsforum). Everything would indeed sound gimmicky, awful and fake for music. A lot of parameters change though when you have to set it up for music.

For instance, many guys have figured out by now that you need to put subwoofers, in specific spots in a room? i.e., the optimal location for a low bass transducer is not where your speaker is? The room decides it, physics, acoustics, etc come in play, etc? It wasn’t so back in the days...

Similarly, a certain fulfillment of soundfield requirements can’t be met by setting just 2 speakers up front.. It requires additional speakers in other optimal areas of the room. It’s just the science/technology behind how it works out in a room.

@deep_333 

Why don’t you spend a minute or two describing to us “two channel guys” your awesome multi-channel rig. Obviously you have achieved this nirvana you describe.

Everything should be listed on my profile...Like i said, i didn't even spend that much on my multichannel rig. A lot of it is relatively affordable/high value stuff bought on closeout, nitpicked over time, etc (probably spent a whole lot more on stereo). I'm sure someone around here with deeper pockets could beat it out if he did explore that route.

I've been in the audio industry, both sales and as a buyer, for the better part of 40 years. Yes, I've heard multiple speaker arrangements optimized for both movies and music.  I thought the Synthesis facility in Northridge sounded the best of what I've heard (also went to France to hear Focal's offering, England for Bowers & Wilkins, as well as Lawrence, KS for Martin Logan's take on the concept). They all sounded fine but took me out of the performance. This isn't about "right" and "wrong", it's about preference. I have listened to literally thousands of setups in my lifetime, and a two channel configuration is what I prefer for music.  

“2 channel and surround are differen

They are not different. The ultimate hope of a 2 channel rig (as you spend more and more and more) is that it hopes to provide the soundfield, spatial nuance and detail characteristic of a correctly setup multichannel rig

I’m sure someone around here with deeper pockets could beat it out if he did explore that route.

@deep_333

First you say “it’s the same” then later admitted “it can be better - if spend more”.

And your title “Wanna take it to the next level? Buy MORE speakers” implies improvement for surround speakers vs 2 channel.

Surround “envelopement” and “fidelity” are two different objectives- one is NOT objectively (factually) better, but you may have personal preferences favoring one