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Have a NAD/Rotel/Mirage stereo system in one room, and a 5.1 HK/Denon/Mirage system with 47" RP TV in the living room. While this system is regularly used for music, it's still always stereo.
Multi-channel music releases may have slowed to a trickle, but with home theater still going strong, reader Greg Abarr is curious: "How many people use their systems for both two-channel and 5.1 or 7.1?"
I really love my vinyl and two-channel CD. My Marantz 7.1 receiver feeds four full range Wharfedale Pacific Evos and a huge Opus center. Two large subs handle 60Hz and below. No one who hears Linkin Park's Reanimation, Deep Purple's Machine Head, Steely Dan's Gaucho, Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues, Beck's The Information, John McEuen and Jimmy Ibbotson's Nitty Gritty Surround, Seiji Ozawa's Bartok: Concerto For Orchestra, Haitink's Beethoven: The Pastorale, or any of the Mercury Living Presence analog mastered three-channel recordings thinks they sound "gimmicky." Not only are musical veils lifted, but blankets and drapes are removed. You not only hear things you've never heard before, but you hear them in foreign languages—and you understand the words. Sensation and vibration turn to lucidation. I can also hear the laughter and moans of two-channel purists. And then a child flew past me riding in a star. It's really quite satisfying.
As I have the dreaded "L"-shaped listening room, it was hard enough to get two-channels set up properly (Fine Tunes #5 was agreat help). There simply isn't any place to put a center channel or surrounds even if I was so inclined. But I am still from the five (or seven) average channels for the price of two really good ones.
I have a multichannel system in the living room and a two-channel system in my bedroom and office. The two-channel system is way better for music! There are no releases I care for that are multichannel, so why bother? Movies, are another story. The two-channel systems do that well too for small rooms!
I have a two-in-one system. Stereo is a pair of Martin Logan Prodigies (built 2001) with a pair Bryston 7Bs that still impress me every day. Center is a Sonus Faber Cremona Center (new), and surrounds are a pair of Sonus Faber Electa (from 1993, my old stereo pair). I'm using a Denon 4308 for processing and as an amp for the center and surrounds. Also an old Velodyne 18" sub sits center rear. Sony SACD (analog outs), Denon DVD-3930 for DVD-A, SACD, and DVDs (via HDMI and DL III), a PS3 for BD, SACD, and DVDs. My CDs are stored on a Mac G4 with a MOTU 192 audio board, uncompressed. I'm very happy with my system and it's been a very good investment as I have not heard anything better in a long time. (PS the Denon 4308 replaced a bunch of Lexicon, and Sound Stream equipment with great results).
Used to have the full surround with Sonus Faber speakers throughout (EA2s front, Concertinos rear, & Solo center). For all the fuss & clutter, it was a marginal improvement to my ear. Now back to two two-channel systems in two different rooms with the very nice center in the box in a cupboard. Maybe I'll try it again one day, but for the moment I'm more than happy with stereo.