Quote Originally Posted by Sir Terrence the Terrible View Post
"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".

RGA,
I am consistently hearing this argument, and I quite frankly don't buy it. Last week I auditioned two mini-monitor based multichannel systems, one featuring the Sunfire CRM-2, and the other based on a custom design. These systems were assembled for me, and what surprised me was the quality of the sound I was hearing from the components(they both used receivers, and a PS3 for playback). Total cost for the speakers systems was about $5800, the receivers about $1200 a piece, and the PS3's were the older fat boys with SACD playback. The entire system cost less than $10k, and the sound was just magnificent from each of these systems. Going from my system in my signature to these systems never made be feel like I was losing anything. They sounded excellent with two channel music as they did with multichannel. I had just one complaint with the Sunfire speaker system. Their cutoff point was 115hz, so you had to use a 120hz crossover point to the sub. On occasion I was able to locate the sub because of that high crossover point, and the sub position in the room(It sat right behind the center speaker in the middle of the front wall)

This listening session taught me a very valuable lesson. High quality can be had at many price points, and system synergy is as important as the quality of the individual components. The guy who put this listening session together carefully chose components that work very well together. As you can see, the system was not all that expensive.
Maybe I didn't say it well. The Audio Note AX Two is a $700 list pair of speakers. I could buy 3 sets of those for $2100 - add a processor and a couple of subs - the bass of the standmounts likely go to 60hz. Perhaps for the front L/R I could get the AZ Two standmount which run about $1300 and Hi-Fi Choice measured them down to 20hz in room and flat at 26 or 28hz. Not bad for small floorstander in an OB/Transmission line/Horn design.

I could be happy with with them in two channel. The problem is that most music is recorded and meant to be played in 2 channel. So when a person listens in 2 channel - the choice becomes do I want the best 2 channel reproducer or am I going to handcuff it with a lower model L/R speaker to gain the advantage of the much fewer MC recordings.

Not everyone has speakers they can add like sounding (ideall the exact same speakers) in a surround set-up. The only truly good set-ups I have heard for MC was when all the speakers were exactly the same speaker - those cneter channels that lie sideways - yet to hear a good set-up for music in such configurations.

I know from a retired dealer that George Lucas favored M&K for such applications and they're not all that expensive at all - a whole system can easily be had from them for under $8k including subs.