Two-channel is inferior to multi-channel, no?


I think that 2 channel is inferior, though, of course, my ears and reason may be mistaken.

Feedback please!

The obvious reason, I am thinking, it is that two channels are less representative of infinity (live music) than 3, 5 or 7, etc. This is the case even if the transducers, amps & speakers, and room acoustics, are perfect (dream on...) in the 2-channel mode.

In my own system, two Revel M-20s as center channel, vertically arrayed, with Revel M-50s on either side, there is the occasional CD (jazz is my thing) that sounds better in stereo, than with 5.1 processed sound, but this is rare. Most sound better with the center channel prominent (either in Dolby Standard or Music modes).

It's possible that I simply need better equipment.

But then why do I find that the best sound (in my system) is from digital sources, e.g. DVD, Blu-Ray, SACD, whether the sound reproduces music or movies. Would better equipment neutralize (and even flip) this negative comparison of stereo to multi-channel reproduction? If so, what is the explanation?

What I find in particular (for music and movies) that is that digital sources in multi-channel mode give full breath and focus to the center channel, placing this important sound component exactly where it should be: precisely in the center of the room. And giving the other channels 'room' to shine (though, in my system, given the amplification available, this should not problem).

What am I missing in theory?
pmcneil
That sounds reasonable. However, the topic is not affordability or, even, effectiveness of expenditure but superiority (or inferiority) in reproduction.

As for one's collection being predominantly 2 channel, my MCH plays stereo recordings very well and, as time passes, my MCH collection is approaching my stereo collection in quantity.
I wish professional audio-reviewers would have supported SA-CDs when they first came around, as they do now to Multi-channel and DACs. We would have gotten a lot more multi-channel contents (with very good mastering) and would have found more audience for multi-channel. It is not that they did not support. But they did not put full weight behind that format, as they do today to the hi-rez downloads and DACs.
But I am glad that they are not sticking to just one format and are embracing to other formats. I am sure they must have learnt this lesson from what happened to SA-CD/DVD-A.
I do not think that anyone culpable for this has learned much and that includes big record companies, equipment manufacturers and reviewers. Each still has a narrow view of the options.
No...inferior is a bad choice of words. Surround and analog are totally different and have there own place. Since you posted under theater I would prefer surround for that application, for music I prefer two channel. I'm sure several have pointed that out in the above replies.
Notso , stereo is supposed to sound three dimensional,ad d to it, there has to have been something wrong to begin with
this is for music, non consider movies