Quote Originally Posted by erics0531
If you are starting from this point then yeah, I'd agree with almost everything that you say. 2 Channel music is your priority and you are willing to live with "good enough" for home theater. For others the percentage may be reversed and they would be willing to live with "good enough" for 2 channel music (not that a $200 WalMart "surround" system is going to be "good enough" at anything - but that's not a fair comparison).

In the $2000 range it wouldn't be difficult to put together a speaker system that is good at both 2 and 5.1 channel playback - not as good as yours at 2 channel, but pretty darn good and certainly a viable alternative for somebody who places less importance on 2 channel vs. 5.1 than you do.



Here's where I disagree with you (but again, this all goes back to your "good enough" feeling about movie playback). IMO the "wow factor" has nothing to do with it. It's all about getting immersed in a movie - and to me that means when it's raining in the movie it sounds like it is raining in the room, or if in a suspensful scene the character looks up when they hear something that is coming from behind the seating position, that's where I should hear it too. You just can't do this stuff as well with a 2 channel setup, and that's where I place my 95% weight.
I agree with you here as well. Obviously all or most of us live under a budget. If you place a higher value or even an equal value on home theater then it probably is best to try to start with a home theater system. What I'm saying is yoiu need to be caustious with YOUR OWN satisfaction level and where you think a good home theater system starts.

Lets say you and I HYPTHETICALLY believe that a VERY good home theater sound system(not incluiding TV is $3000.00US or $4000.00Cdn. Let's assume that this is what we would be totally satisfied by and probably would not feel the need to upgrade - at least not for many years. Now if you're budget is only $1000.00 does it make sense to buy something you won't be happy with or buy your set-up in bits and pieces? I choose the latter - because we can add to it later.

Now for me 2 channel music take priority and I found the right speakers and a very good amp(but not my ideal choice) but more than acceptable to me. Do I look at Audio Note or Reference 3a MM De Cpao and say well I love the sound of these speakers WAY more than the B&W N805 but because the N805 or other is made by a company that focuses most of their attention these days on Home theater I should make do with it?

All of these speakers are at the same price range of around $2,000.00 - $2,500.00US. But B&W is the only one that makes a matching center speaker - so theoretcially someone more in HT would take the N805 and build a home theater around that. If you love the speaker for two channel then this is what I would recommend you do. But if you're like me and the AN K or De Capo are MUCH better then maybe you can't live with Surround geared speakers.

I guess the issue I have is I am looking at music first and came to companies not gearing for Home theater. If it does music well it does everything well. But since no one disagrees about the IDEAL home theater which in my case would have Three AN K Spe across the front and preferably another two in back building in this way works best for me. Enter the budget problem. I don't want to spend $2200.00 on rear speakers and I don't want to spend $1100.00 for one AN K to put in the center. If home theater were CRITICAL to me I would do it - luckily Audio Note will sell one speaker.

That is why me personally I have a second system ready to be built around the Marantz 4300 and Wharfedales. Basically I need to buy two rear speakers run it in phantom mode across the front until i find some sort of match - or sell the Wharfedales and buy three front speakers. I'm loathe to the latter because it's tough to find something I'll like more than the Wharfedales for a reasonable price. Though I have found speakers in certain areas which are superior in certain areas.

Why start a second system. Well I dislike the sound of receivers - I don't want to run a receiver through my AN K. Ideally I want an Audio Note amp which are Single Ended Tubes - no home theater. The Wharfedales are ballsier than most subwoofers and rather than sell them for a song I may as well put em to h/t duty.

As for rear effects. Perhaps it is my room speakers or just the recordings but i don't think people have even tried surround with to speakers with a quality amp and quality speakers. In the movie the Thing there is a helicopter scene at the beginning when the helicopter starts behind the listener passes overhead and all around. with TWO speakers the Helicopter sounds like it is flying from behind and overhead just as it does in a home theater. In lesser home theater this sound is more directional which is actually WORSE because I know it is a speaker blaring at me. Using the rear wall the helicopter freaked me out because i know there is NO SPEAKER there - COOL MAN. When a gunshot is fired from behind your head in Saving Private Ryan and from all around your head again with JUST two speakers it has a cool factor rather than hearing the tizz of a speaker. I have had rear speakers and H/T in the past and I hear the systems a fair amount.

Part of this is because my listening chair is very close to a rear wall and this may not work as well in an open space - if your nowhere near a reflecting wall for a start you may not get any rear affect and definitely need a rear speaker.

I'm not saying that two channel is BETTER for rear effects but in my room with my gear you DO get rear effects that totally sound as though you are immersed in a surround sound system. It may not be as good but then it is also free.