For the high end audiophile...do you prefer...

I have always been a 2 channel listener.
For me a big part of this hobby is to see what sound can be created with only 2 speakers.
 
i have about 100+ concerts and some movies on dvd/bluray.

interstellar, parsifal, ramstein or pink floyd on 5.1 is great.

when my wife is out, i like to play them (very) loud.

it's complete different from stereo, but it's fun.
 
2 channel for both, all day long.

Center imaging from a 2 channel is like the center channel in HT and the sound difference on a good system makes it over the top.

Plus if you combine systems like I did early on, you pick up resonance in the second group of speakers in the room that do distort the 2 channel dedicated, subsequently after hearing is believing is when the HT 7:2 was removed


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Almost all analogue (vinyl and tape) is 2 track (there is some matrixed vinyl in four channel, and some four track tape). Since that is my preferred listening (including the vinyl and tape I have ripped to digital), two track is what I listen to most.

However, I have a parallel 5.1 system (using the same 2 channel amps and speakers and matching center and rear speakers from the same company (Avantgarde Duos for left and right front and Avantgarde Solos for center and rear L/R, with a Velodyne DD-18 sub.) The preamps are different - Herron 360 for stereo and CJ MET-1 for multichannel switchable with a custom Mercury switch built by Scott Rust of 512 Engineering. Also have a separate DAC (NADAC mch) to decode mch files from downloads (almost all classical from Channel Classics) and SACD rips (mostly classical but some rock/pop/jazz). Takes a lot of horsepower from my custom computer to upconvert mch files from DSD64 to DSD256 to produce the best mch sonics through my NADAC mch. A couple of years ago I bought the entire classical mch catalogue from Channel Classics (more than 200 downloads). I did get a volume discount on the purchase. Jared Sacks of Channel does the consistently best mch engineering in the classical mch arena, IMHO. Both Telarc and Challenge Classics have many excellent mch releases on SACD also. I haven't gotten their mch downloads. I also like the BIS mch SACDs which I have also ripped to mch files. The Suzuki Bach Cantatas are a real treat (IIRC after around album 30 they were done in mch. Before then, the mch SACDs were created from the stereo masters. Another interesting mch set of albums are the early RCA Living Stereo which were done in three channels (L, R and C) and mixed down to two channels for release on vinyl and tape. Many were released in mch SACDs with the original L, R and C channels (no rear channels nor subwoofer). I don't have the mch pop/rock remastered mch albums (like DSOTM) to compare to my safety master tapes in stereo.

Larry
 
bluegrassphile said:
Anyone here listen to 7 channel or 5 channel stereo...no HT DSP, just 5 or 7 channel stereo?
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I've never heard of five or seven channel STEREO. It is always multichannel. For example, mch files from Channel Classics have Left and Right Channels (similar to stereo) but also a center channel and two rear (Left and Right) channels for ambience. Usually that is 5.0. Sometimes it is 5.1, where there is a separate subwoofer channel. The recording engineer captures the recorded sound in 5 or 5.1 channels or they are mixed from more channels down to 5.0 or 5.1. I am guessing that is what you are referring to.

My mch preamp - Conrad Johnson MET-1, is just that, no DSP. It just plays the 5.0 channels or 5.1. Also my NADAC mch plays the 5.0 or 4.0 or 5.1 channels (it will go up to 7.1 but I only have 5.1 in the CJ, no DSP. So when I play my mch music files, there is no additional processing.

There is a second set of mch inputs in my CJ MET-1 to which I connect my Oppo 105, and that can play bluray movies, etc. and the Oppo has different settings and can decode Dolby and other processed sound in movies, but that is completely separate from my audio only mch music files. I rip all my SACD's to digital files, DSD64, and they get played through the NADAC mch (using Roon and HQP).

Larry
 
It is rare when I don't prefer multi-channel, either native (if available) or matrixed (if not). I have found that done right, like Theta Digital has developed for its proprietary matrix mode on its Casablanca IV preamp/processor, the extra channels actually provide enhanced dimensionality and stability to the sonic image and, of course, assist in ensuring the front speakers disappear. A terrific example of the benefit of native multi-channel can easily be shown by comparing the DTS-CD version of The Eagles' live concert rendition of Hotel Californa in 5.1 versus the same recording in CD stereo. The difference is simply shocking -- the stereo version seems dead in comparison to the 5.1 one. As for matrixed versions of stereo recordings, on my system the music almost always seems more realistic when processed into 5.1.
 
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7 channel stereo, or, some receivers call it "party mode" or "all channel" stereo. I'm not sure if it's stereo at all, it's just all the speakers playing. I suspect it is left/right and those combined into the center. It's not like having a dedicated multichannel mix.

But, if that's a mode a listener prefers, then rock on.

astrotoy said:
I've never heard of five or seven channel STEREO. It is always multichannel. For example, mch files from Channel Classics have Left and Right Channels (similar to stereo) but also a center channel and two rear (Left and Right) channels for ambience. Usually that is 5.0. Sometimes it is 5.1, where there is a separate subwoofer channel. The recording engineer captures the recorded sound in 5 or 5.1 channels or they are mixed from more channels down to 5.0 or 5.1. I am guessing that is what you are referring to.

My mch preamp - Conrad Johnson MET-1, is just that, no DSP. It just plays the 5.0 channels or 5.1. Also my NADAC mch plays the 5.0 or 4.0 or 5.1 channels (it will go up to 7.1 but I only have 5.1 in the CJ, no DSP. So when I play my mch music files, there is no additional processing.

There is a second set of mch inputs in my CJ MET-1 to which I connect my Oppo 105, and that can play bluray movies, etc. and the Oppo has different settings and can decode Dolby and other processed sound in movies, but that is completely separate from my audio only mch music files. I rip all my SACD's to digital files, DSD64, and they get played through the NADAC mch (using Roon and HQP).

Larry
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2 channel almost always, unless there some special reason like it was mixed specifically for 5.1 or something. (music) Movies I also prefer 2 channel.
 
I have a combined HT and 2 channel setup - so 2 ch for stereo and 5.1 for movies and multichannel audio. I do go to great lengths to separate the two - separate power feed and internet feed for the ht stuff. It all turns complete off when in 2 channel mode to avoid any interference.
 
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