surround processor?

When surrond processors are being discussed it is relevant to talk about setting them up.

Except we were discussing getting better stereo performance in a HT setup Otto, not setting parameters for surround sound. You brought that one in from left field presumably because the topic at hand was beyond your grasp, but whatever. Your previous statement...

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.

I’d been trying to explain why this is a completely ignorant statement to anyone who understands higher-end audio, but Otto couldn’t get the concept and started the multichannel settings aside for some unknown reason.  So it goes...

Anyone not famillar with home theatre systems will likely not get timing.

Um, what?  That has nothing to do with the topic being discussed.  As far as assuming things, I’m very familiar with home theater and enjoy mine immensely, but before I had a dedicated listening room I incorporated a stereo preamp into my HT so I could have the best of both worlds — a setup you’re obviously completely ignorant of.  Maybe someday you’ll understand what’s being discussed here, but in the meantime feel free to reinsert your head back into the sand where apparently it’s most comfortable.  There, I hope I taught you something and opened your little mind to new ideas. 

From “A Fish Called Wanda:

Otto West : Apes don't read philosophy. Wanda : Yes they do, Otto. They just don't understand it.

No, what’s funny is when someone obviously doesn’t know what they’re talking about and blatantly flaunts it in front of people who do.  Joke’s on you dude. 

So what are the compromises multichannel processors make that undermine achieving that end?

Where to start? Ok, noise is a good one. Having the delicate stereo signal in the same proximity to all the noisy digital processing, etc. going on in an AVP is to say the least suboptimal. Then there’s cost. If you’re selling a $6k AVP, how much of the parts cost goes to the stereo preamp and how much to the processing, other channels, etc.? Answer: not much. Of course, this includes the pivotal power supply that if not shared with the AVP is usually specified to meet a price point rather than for better sound. So, putting a good stereo preamp in an AVP would raise the cost to the point where most people looking for a multipurpose system would balk. There are some very good AVPs out there, but now you’re looking at >$10k, and what are the odds the preamp section in those AVPs is a good match for both your tastes and the rest of your other prized stereo components? Good luck with that one. Speaking of power supplies...

The best solution is separate power supplies, but that’s an impossibility that’ll never happen.

Which brings us back to “if you only knew what you were doing.” Given your arrogance I’m not inclined to waste the time explaining it here (maybe another more charitable member will), but it’s absolutely possible.

Admittedly, I obviously have no idea what I’m doing. However, I’m satisfied with the results of my ignorance...people who use music to listen to their components in the belief they can buy and confect a system that will give them "realistic" sound reproduction are delusional...

I agree wholeheartedly you obviously have no idea what you’re doing, and that’s absolutely fine if you’re “satisfied” with your results. You are the reason I included “If you’re happy with the stereo performance of an AVP or AVR then rock on and it’s all good” in my prior post. But if you think “realistic” sound is a pipe dream then it’s you who are delusional and you really need to go listen to what a really good 2-channel system is capable of because a truly good one can drop your jaw to the ground. But ignorance can be bliss — I’ll give you that.

How many movie theaters have sound only coming from the front?  Not sure what else there is to argue about. 

If 2-channel is very important to you, IMHO it’s best to use a dedicated stereo preamp or integrated and hook the front L/R preouts of the AVP into it.