7.1 ch as good as a 2 ch?

[Feanor]

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The "if I had the money" statement can go either way.

My 2 main systems are 7.1 and 6.1 systems. If I had a little more money, I would update my cheapish 2 channel system for just music. But if I had a lot more money I would update my 7.1 system to play SACD's as well as HT. The second would cost much more due to the need for so many HQ speakers & amps.

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Great point, GM.

Mulit-channel brings to music a sense of reality that stereo can't match even from the finest systems. Listen to well-recorded m/c music to understand this. For classical music, m/c brings you from the back of the hall to front orchestra.

My ideal would be a 5.1 pure music system for SACD playback. This system would have no DSP and would necessarily rely on speaker placement to get the sound right. This isn't an easy thing to achieve in a typical, nor overly large, listening room. BTW, there are a few non-DSP six channels preamps out there, e.g. a tube one from Conrad-Johnson, the MET1, (which would be about ideal, but which I won't be getting any time soon) ...
http://www.conradjohnson.com/It_just...-products.html

[E-Stat]

BTW, there are a few non-DSP six channels preamps out there, e.g. a tube one from Conrad-Johnson, (which would be about ideal, but which I won't be getting any time soon) ...

Speaking of which, that is what HP uses with his MC system along with an EMM Labs front end, Krell processor, Edge amps, Maggies all around, and (naturally) Nordost cabling throughout.

rw

[GMichael]

Speaking of which, that is what HP uses with his MC system along with an EMM Labs front end, Krell processor, Edge amps, Maggies all around, and (naturally) Nordost cabling throughout.

rw

A system well worth drolling over.

I believe that Sound labs makes a nice center channel as well. A couple of Majestic 945's, the Marquee center, and a couple of MiniStat's to round out the system must sound incredable.