Wow. What a thread. My only comment is that when you watch the sound engineers mix the sound tracks- its done channel by channel for the most part. ( Lots of playback and reworking and balancing to be sure). But the information, from an audio standpoint, is crafted for, in most cases but not all, a 5.1 channel balance.
I do think you can have a decent movie audio expereince with high end 2 channel, but the digital 5.1 sound tracks are made to be heard through 5.1 channels. Anyone who is missing out on a quality center channel has missed the boat. trying to do 5.1 through 2 channel means you can never hear how the soundtrack was designed to be heard.
Just like trying to take a good 2 channel recording and play it through a 5 channel stereo option leaves a less than desired result, trying to hear a 5.1 designed soundtrack through a 2 channel set up, while gratifying through high end speakers, falls short of hearing the movie audio experience as it was designed to be heard.
My only other comment is that I really don't personally enjoy the bass reproduction on the Def Tech line of speakers. That's just my opnion.
I do think you can have a decent movie audio expereince with high end 2 channel, but the digital 5.1 sound tracks are made to be heard through 5.1 channels. Anyone who is missing out on a quality center channel has missed the boat. trying to do 5.1 through 2 channel means you can never hear how the soundtrack was designed to be heard.
Just like trying to take a good 2 channel recording and play it through a 5 channel stereo option leaves a less than desired result, trying to hear a 5.1 designed soundtrack through a 2 channel set up, while gratifying through high end speakers, falls short of hearing the movie audio experience as it was designed to be heard.
My only other comment is that I really don't personally enjoy the bass reproduction on the Def Tech line of speakers. That's just my opnion.