do you have a multichannel setup(rig)? Poll

I'm thinking the majority here are stereo only...hell maybe some have more invested in a mono rig.

but i see lots of members hyping the 5.1 mixes and such.

the question is do you have a setup to listen to 5.1 or (4.0 quad) music?

if you have a movie home theater system mostly for movies but use it to listen to 5.1 music mixes. that's cool too.

 

I've got two home stereos. I tried prologic in the 1990s and digital surround in the early 2000s. I didn't like the effects or the number of wires. Besides that, I figured I could get two really good speakers for the price of five inferior speakers.

 

Yes, use 5.1 for satellite TV and Blurays. The receiver is rigged to auto-bypass this for stereo and mono ("music direct" mode). Guessing a lot of people have that setup.

 

Up north I had a 5.0 setup. (No need for a subwoofer as the wife already thinks there's too much bass.) Down in Florida, the room doesn't lend itself to rear surrounds, so I've only got things hooked up as a 3.0 system. For stereo listening, I switch to just 2.0. For TV and movie watching, I use the center channel for the main dialog.

 

I have a 2 channel rig for music and a 5.1 rig for movies - in the same room.

 

5.1 on my PC.

 

Sort of: I have all the parts to build one, but it's currently split into two systems... using the mains for my primary stereo, and the receiver, sub, and old rears (pretty decent speakers in their own right) as a 2.1 system on the TV

 

I have 7.1 in the basement theater for movies - no DVD-Audio capability, only stereo SACD capability.
I have 5.0 in the bedroom (very modest system pretty much never gets used)

My main music listening room is my office, and I have a 5.1 setup there.

 

Bedroom 2 channel ancient Yamaha separates (my first "stereo" ) - Downstairs 5.1 Pioneer A/V unit. Not a $35,000 investment, but I enjoy.

 

Yes. 5.1 :

Harman Kardon AVR 154
Oppo BDP-103
Yamaha YST-FSW100 Subwoofer
5- Yamaha NS-AP7800M/NS-AP7800E s

.

 

This.

 

I do, but I don't listen to music through it.

 

For years and years but I've come to find I'm not missing anything listening to video through two channels. Two ears, two speakers, no problem.

 

I do as a separate system. My main is a two channel system, a mixture of vintage and contemporary. I just recently upgraded my AV home theater system with recent "vintage" components, Pioneer VSX84-TSXi receiver and Pioneer DV-79avi DVD/SACD/DVD-A player. Phenomenal sound with a great array of surround pre-sets. Oddly CDs sound best when played through the multi channel options rather than pure direct, but the sonics are impressive. I've been having great fun playing lots of multi-channel discs I've owned but had never been able to hear those versions before.

 

I've always been a two channel guy for both music and home theater. Now I'm in process of building a second, surround system. As a side-note, I once knew a chap who only listened to old mono recordings. He was quit content with a single speaker (forget what kind it was).

 

I'm a skipping CD but here goes.

I have a 17 year old Paradigm Atom V.2 based faux THX array with identical drivers and dipole surrounds. Bass is directed to a cheap Phase Technology 12" bass reflex subwoofer. Digital HDMI audio sources are decoded by a 2009ish Nick scratch and dent Pioneer Elite SC-25 receiver. The system is in the living room and is used EVERY day to watch TiVo, stream video, play HD 5.1 Wii U games, Blu-rays. When I get a chance I spin stereo and a variety of 5.1 discs.

 

I've had that DV-79avi since new and I've been very pleased with it. It's internal DAC seems to be very capable, particularly with SACD. It also sounds good outputting red book CD digitally to an external DAC.

For some time I had a 5.0 (no sub) setup with a Sony STR-DB930 as the main system, but I recently acquired a Mcintosh C2500 and MC275 for stereo/mono listening. I still use the Sony with the Mac's "pass thru" to watch movies and listen to multi-channel SACD and DVD-A. The Sony now just drives the center and rear surrounds and the MC275 drives the fronts. Sounds really good I think.

 

Sounds good. I had been using the Dv-79avi in my 2 channel system connected to a vintage Luxman L-85v integrated amp for playing SACD and DVD-A discs in two channel mose, the sound was superb. For CDs I use my Rega Apollo / Schiit Bitfrost Uber DAC combo. Still, the Pioneer DV-79avi's sound came awfully close to that Rega / Schiit combo, it's DAC is really good!

One great benefit of the two Pioneer units in my AV system is the iLink Firewire connectivity. All the multichannel sound for SACD and DVD-A is sent through that one small $3 cable, and the SACD's DSD goes direct into the receiver for decoding.

 

Yup.

I wouldn't be without my 5.1 system. The surround music releases in the last decade or so have been tremendous. My components are relatively cheap-n-cheerful, but they ring all the bells. I routinely play back redbook CDs in Neo:6 to great effect (mostly).*

I've been pursuing surround music since early-70s Quadraphonic. Movies are an afterthought, but nice to have.

*Well, of course I've got a separate 2-ch system! In another room.

Another shout-out for Pioneer optical disc players. At least the ones from the 90s-00s. Bulletproof transports. I'd probably have hung with them to this day if not for Oppo.

 

Yes. I have only the one system.

 

*
yes

 

2 channel and 5.0 setup in the same system. Xbox and Oppo connected to AVR with AVR front R/L preouts go to a line level input on my 2 channel tube preamp and 2 channel sources connected to the 2 channel preamp.

 

Family room: 5.1 family usage. Movies, BluRay, Direct Tv DVR, AppleTv and games.

 

My parents always have had a nice 5.1/7.1 system at their place, which sounds amazing for movies, I just feel stereo sounds better for music, even though I watch movies more than music.
Though my stereo makes movie sound a lot better than before (tv speakers).

I'll eventually get a 5.1 when I can afford 5 nice speakers/sub and a nice receiver.

Quality stereo is much cheaper than a quality 5.1 in my opinion.

 

I have a dedicated stereo system and besides a 4.1 setup (no center speaker) for watching movies.