Is all ch stereo of the same sound quality as 2 channel listening?

[markw]

Have you been to Madison Square Garden, or Nassau Coliseum? Or Saratoga Performing Arts, or almost any concert hall or garden? I have yet to ever go to a concert that did not have additional speakers around the room or field.

Is this really the type of sound you want in your home?

There's a difference between mult-speaker sound reinforcement to fill a venue (ususally with time delays) with sound and a multi-channel recording.

[GMichael]

Is this really the type of sound you want in your home?

There's a difference between mult-speaker sound reinforcement to fill a venue (ususally with time delays) with sound and a multi-channel recording.

Not necessarily. But the idea that all real music comes from only the front just doesn't ring true for me. People can prefer it. But it's no more real than surround. The way it was recorded is what's real. If it was recorded in 2 channel then 2 it is. If it was recorded in 5.1 then that's the way I like it.
I've tried the DSP's and don't really like them much. 7 channel stereo is OK if I need more volume (when I'm not in the room) but I do have the center cut to 0%. I don't like the center for stereo.
In the long run, I like pure direct the most for 2 channel. But this is in no way to be confused with how you would hear music at a real concert. More like how you would hear it at a recording studio.

[markw]

Not necessarily. But the idea that all real music comes from only the front just doesn't ring true for me. People can prefer it. But it's no more real than surround. The way it was recorded is what's real. If it was recorded in 2 channel then 2 it is. If it was recorded in 5.1 then that's the way I like it.
I've tried the DSP's and don't really like them much. 7 channel stereo is OK if I need more volume (when I'm not in the room) but I do have the center cut to 0%. I don't like the center for stereo.
In the long run, I like pure direct the most for 2 channel. But this is in no way to be confused with how you would hear music at a real concert. More like how you would hear it at a recording studio.

It was when we saw Paul Winter's Winter Solstice program at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine around 1998 - 99 or so. For those who have never been there, it's a giant, dark, gothic monstrosity and the performance venue consists of a long, dark hall, and I fully expected to see and/or feel bats flying around overhead.

IThey had the stage set up towards the back of the long hall. In the beginning, Paul pealed off a few notes on thhis trumpet. From the balcony behind us, way up by the roof, they had more trumpets answering this call. Later in the concert, they had Mickey Hart, and many others, banging on drums and other percussion insturments being pulled on a cart from the rear of the hall (behind us ) up to the stage.

...and that's about the only time I've ever heard anythong except room ambiance from anywhere else except in front of me.