Pick your poison...2-channel or multi?

Cdwallace,
My post was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but no one can ever tell on the 'net, so nevermind. Sorry you took it any other way.

The 7.1 surround format is mainly one of derived or matrixed 5.1 stuff, with side speakers helping to steer well-derived pans from front to back. I've been living in the 7.1 world with movies since Lexicon first intro'd Logic7 years ago. The first real true discrete 7.1 stuff will not be here until the newer HD audio formats are outputted 7.1 (HDMI 1.3 and /or 7.1 analog inputs become standard).

I appreciate any and all threads that discuss mch music. I love it. (but don't love it any more than great 2 channel.....always have to love both children the same, right).

Ted...no blood no foul. Glad to see someone else has at least considered MC. This is mindset I'm running to more and more with audiophiles. Few have even considered MC. Fewer have actually heard a setup. They hate it, partially because almost none have heard it done correctly to properly judge. My biggest goal is to push the envelope and try to give MC the much needed exposure. If that means posing questions such as this or trying to somewhat educate, then so be it. I just don't was MC to be written off so quickly without it being considered as "audiophile worthy" as 2CH.

Sometimes I have to take the more aggressive posture only to show the seriousness of the hobby. Besides, I don't want anyone to take my milk money anymmore. :) I've only been in this thing for 3 years; I have a lots of growing to do.

Thanks for you posting and happy listening, Ted.

CdWallace,
Sorry for waiting so long to get back to you. On a Reel to Reel the amount of tracks will refer to the amount of channels, but the most you can have is two (comerically).
With a 2 track, only two tracks are recorded and it takes the entire playable side of the tape. This results in a superior sound quality because there is more room to store musical information. 4 track means that the one playable side is split in 4 tracks, two for side A, and you flip the tape around for the other two tracks of side B. The last stereophile show in NYC they had a Amprex 2 inch 30 IPS original master tape and of what I heard this sounded astounding. I would wholeheartly suggest that everyone try to get a chance to listen to open reel tape. And if you dare, pick up a deck on Ebay and some factory pre-recorded Amprex, Magtec or columba at 7.5 IPS and judge for yourself. I had to upgrade my cartridge because of the superiority of open reel tape.

2 channel, hands down, especially at that price point. To add more boxes with such limited funds doom one to plastic dreck.

Wow...I must be doing something wrong here. I would've never thought $14k to spend on audio gear is considered "limited" funds.