Stereo or Home Theater?

an emphatic Stereo

I have an extensive 2 channel setup that includes a proton 36" tv and dvd player. In the room I am using it in 14' by 27' it is more than adequate and the stereo sound is earth moving, friends who have been over have been quite impressed, and never missed the other 3 speakers

how many movies are truly recorded in 5 channel? a few action pictures. The only music DVD that took advantage of the 5 channel output is an eagles acapella on the Hell Freezes Over Disc. Many music dvd's throw the lead instrument in the back channels, it's very distracting.

the lovely thing is after a movie, I can disappear in great two channel musical reproduction

HT appeals to the masses not the music

Well, check out the latest U2 and Nine Inch Nails concert DVDs if you want to see current SOTA surround-sound music/video. Both are positively awesome. I saw U2 in Chicago and there were 25,000 people four nights running, all on their feet going nuts. It occurred to me that this was perhaps the masses getting into music. And I was loving every bit of the high-end investment I have put into my system to reproduce it - the better equipment made it a much more compelling experience. -Kirk

Unsound nailed it. If I ever do integrate multichannel with my stereo system, it will strictly be supplemental. My Line 1 has throughputs that should make it easy. I do wish a company would produce a high end multichannel processor and 3 channel amp in one box. It would work for most of us.

after several experiments, being interested first in music
, disappointed with with the commercail chip multi channel processing.
I finally settled on pre amplifier 2 channel
2 power amplifiers 3 and channels(ava omega star)
full range speakers front ,rear and center
and a efe passive decoder pro onewhich is good for music as well as surround sound.