Long Live 2 Channel audio......???

Long live what sounds best to you! I've got good equipment for both... for me. Krell and Aerial speakers, incl 10Ts. And I do know how to set up 2 ch! 5 ch is a bitch, and I don't think I will ever have it set up right. Well, maybe after some room treatments I will have it right. I know stereo imaging quite well, but how does that translate into 5 ch? Will I ever know which I prefer for rears, bipole, dipole, or monopole. Lots of variables!

You have to use room treatment to set up 2 channel correctly too, IM strongest O.

I think for folks who are serious movie buffs, 5 or even 6 channels do make watching the more recently made movies a more enjoyable experience. However, for those of us who are die-hard classical music fans, the program materials just are not there. I just may convert my system in the living room (the secondary system) to HT just to make my wife happy. But that system will never be my best system. By the way, I have four stereo systems at my house.

Over the next 5 to 10 years multi-channel will replace stereo as the dominate home sound format. However, stereo will not die out, but not because of a vocal audiophile minority, but due to its continued dominance in car and headphone arena. In much the same way the pop/rock music in stereo is mixed to maintain mono compatibility, future multi-channel sound will have stereo compatibility. While stereo can provide a reasonable fascimilie of a concert performance, multi-channel sound can provide even greater realism. It's important when discussing this topic to differentiate between multi-channel music and HT movie sound. Most future systems will by optimized for HT. My comments about greater realism apply to those multi-channel systems optimized for music.

Right now I believe that 2 Channel is experiencing a rebirth of sorts. Certainley it has never caught on with the true audiophiles,and for good reason.Even the best of multi channel sounds absolutely horrid.Way to much exageration on all ends of the audio spectrum. And lets be further candid,the audiophile and music lover that go to live concerts,know what instruments sound like.And to further illustrate the point we sit in front of the musicians or orchestras and the sound is left to right or right to left and center. Not from the sides the back and what have you,as in HT or multi channel. As for me 2 channel is the only serious consideration for music.