Sir T

You're an audiophile - audiophile = sound lover.

It doesn't matter if I like SET and HE and you like multi-channel high power SS - because the word Love has a huge dose of subjectivity to it. I like tall women (err won't say no to short ones either :-) - but some guys like certain types. You get the idea.

And I may be a SET guy for two channel music but I am quite happy to enjoy a big baddass multi-channel rig.

Soundhounds is a long time dealer and they made a system using AN E's in corners - AN J as paired Center channel speakers and rears. No Sub necessary. I did not hear it but it worked unbelievably well in their set-up with SACD and home theater.

I think MC gets knocked largely because of the expense involved. I have heard lots of multi-channel set-ups but if I don't like the sound of the speakers in 2 channel - I don't see how adding 5-6 more of those speakers is going to make it better. And the speakers I like cost a bomb.

Further - you go to places like CES and no one demonstrates what such systems can do. You have the opportunity to hear it with high quality ATC speakers - and you don't seem to have a normal budget for this gear.

You kind of have to put yourself in the average non top 1% of income earners and realize that most people who judge multi-channel sound are listening to it on a $700 Yamaha Receiver with a bunch of $400 loudspeakers and a $500 subwoofer. Err a glorified home theater in a box set-up. It sounds bloody awful - passable for an explosion in Terminator 2 in that passable is better than the TV speakers but it's not good in any music terms.

There will always be the 2 channel purists - but if you're music was recorded in 2 channel and most of it is - then you judge the reproduction in 2 channel. For me to equal that in multi-channel I need to buy 4 sets of my speakers which jumps from $5k to $20k just in speakers - then I need an amplifier that doesn't sound like a Bryston. I know you like it but I don't - for me to be happy it has to sound like what I perceive to be "correct" even if that is different than your perception.

The amount of money would be ridiculous. The alternative is to build a dedicated second system strictly for listening to multi-channel.

I actually considered this - In this most recent issue of Hi-Fi Choice they reviewed the new budget system from Audio Note. I coold handle that and then add a multi-processor to the mix and the speakers are cheap and cheerful to listen to. I could have my mix of old school tonal richness and designed by someone who actually listens to music not just reading from a graph on a test bench - whilst adding the cutting edge processing to process the recordings. And perhaps do it inexpensively since my room is not the size of a Gym.

Bottom line - there is room for it all. Amazingly people don't always agree with my views - I can't imagine why since I am right but what can I do LOL.