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


This post is just to get a general ideas among audiophiles and audio enthusiasts; to see who really likes what. Here's the catch!

If you were restricted to a budget of $10,000, and wanted to assemble a system, from start to finish, which format would you choose, 2 channel or mulichannel?

I'll go first and say multichannel. I've has to opportunity to hear a multichannel setup done right and can't see myself going back to 2-channel. I'm even taking my system posting down and will repost it as a multichannel system.

So...pick your poison! Which one will it be, 2-channel or multichannel.
cdwallace
Wow...I must be doing something wrong here. I would've never thought $14k to spend on audio gear is considered "limited" funds.
Multichannel/ 2 channel integrated--

Mirage OM6 omnipolars mains-
Mirage OM10s surrounds-
Mirage MC2 center channel-
2 Bag End 18 inch Stereo Infrasubs w/8htz. response
Mirage BPS400 .1 effects sub

2 Plinius SA102s in Xlr Dual mono, Pure class A 1 silver/ 1 black - powering mains
Plinius P8 200 Watt Class A/ab for center
Plinius SA100mk3 Pure Class A-- surrounds
Plinius M8 W/HT. Bypass 2 Channel preamp

Pioneer VSX-74TXVi Surround Receiver used for processor
Pioneer 59 AVI DVD SACD/DVD Audio
Toshiba SD3109 w/HDCD
2 Sony CDPCX 400 jukeboxes foe pcm redbook
Monarchy 24/96 DIP
Sony C222ES SACD 2 Channel/ Multichannel

Pioneer 730 65 inch CRT HD

Magnum Dynalab 102 Triode tuner w/remote / Mullard nos,match.pr Gold faceplate
Kora Hermes 24/192 DAC with 1975 Mullard cryovalves match pr.

Speaker Cables / High Current dumping...
Transparent Bi-cables on mains
Transparent Plus Bi-bis on center
Transparent Plus Bis on surrounds

Siltech SQ28 from 102s to M8 pre-
Transparent Ultra from 2 Channel sources to Plinius M8-
Also from processor mains front channels to M8-
Transparent Super powercorsd on SA amps and Kora DAC-
Glass toslinks for CDPCX 400s-
3 dedicated 20 amp/220 volt outlets-
Current design pc plus surpressor/ protection

Cable Elevators
Cardas logo caps

Lovan Classic Series component stands flanking monitor
Adona Amplifier stands Silver w/wt. marble for silver SA100mk3/102---Black w/ blue pearl granite for black 102...

I see things going multichannel per sound in life is 360 degrees so it shall eventually be in home reproduction feeling that once proper microphones are placed accordingly for live music etc.. art will eventually imitate life.

No compromises in my system, wonderful. Im ready....

Enjoy ;o}

Regards /// Tim W...///
Tim...thanks for the very thorough breakdown of your system. Looks like you've dropped a nice penny into it.

Hows the performance?
Greetings Cdwallace;

First my apologies as I'm currently well outside your budget of ten thousand dollars, didn't read your initial post before responding.

While I'm sure we could all spend more to obtain that next best component or upgrade, whats important to me may not be important to you or others.

Fair enough, now in terms of whats important to me in the context of my system and its overall performance relating to both movies as well as multichannel...

Full range sound with appropriate dynamic scale for both musical content as well as the movie effects...

To keep the main channels, center channel and surrounds cone driver properties identical along with amplification for final voicing for seamless surround....

A wide dispersion speaker for various listening positions off axis very conducive to hometheatre minus the penalties of sweet spots...About all I feel it gives up are pinpoint imaging and perhaps it doesn't reach the heavens in uppermost frequencies the way a ribbon Magneplaner will...Although separation and general location of performers is rendered complete..

Plenty of Quality power on tap along with plenty of cone drivers to handle the power and deliver proper SPLs, Plenty of headroom available for dynamics...And with two Bag End 18 in. subs along with a Mirage BPS400 for .1 effects....

The performance really speaks for itself and is really a must here for final listener dependant specifics, but safe to say in my world it truly satisfies with excellent renditions of performers playing , instrumental tones along with what I feel is tremendous dynamic shading, suspending disbelief, allowing you to really become immersed in the recorded event, be it multichannel movies, concerts or two channel listening.
The combination of tubes in my sources and Plinius amplification are almost magical and very satisfying never imparting any sense of fatigue. System involvement takes on a new level as many instances it becomes hard to remove yourself from the afternoons playback, turning it off almost induces a feeling of regret.
Now with that being said this system is a labor of love on my part that took many countless hours of research, auditioning at various dealers, and final tweaking of speaker placement, tubes nos, interchanging and mixing of cables, powerline conditioning, etc... and is very much a sum of all the parts synergisticly performing as one to achieve my desired results. Not to mention the cost which incidentally was substantial as I prefer buying new, knowing very well I wont be letting any of this go. Hows it sound?

Very musically satisfying as well as involving, TREMENDOUS!!!

Regards /// Tim W... ///