[squirrel_nut]

earn it like we had to...  damn! thats a hard line      since i consider expensive audio equipment a luxury, maybe i can help them out a bit?

[Freo-1]

No, two channel is not dead.  The audio market surely has indeed evolved no question.  It’s a lot more difficult these days to find a local (or not so local for that matter) haven to listen to music with components you want to audition in your system for potential purchase.  Those days are long gone.  One is left to their own devices (research, occasional trips to shows, fellow audio enthusiasts, etc).  Too much trial and error.
 
I wound up building a separate two channel audio only system AFTER I finished putting together a multi channel system I could live with.  I found it very difficult to get a multi channel system that was as enjoyable as a good two channel setup.  It’s certainly achievable, but costly.  In order to get the multi channel system where it was “good enough” to play both two channel and multi channel, had to get separates for preamp/processor and four separate amplifiers.  Now, with the right source media, multi channel can provide a most enjoyable listening experience.  For the rest of the media out there, two channel stereo is the “way to go”.
 
Most of my friends are into music, but not into the audio technology.  For many, the Bose surround system or a decent surround bar provides them with all the enjoyment they need for music and movies.  Many will tell me that their hearing is just not good enough to justify spending extra money on better equipment.  We (audio enthusiasts) really are a very small segment of the audio industry.

[michaelhigh]

Not in my place. I have seven 2 channel systems and zero surround systems.

Sounds like me, only MORE systems! (hehe)...

[michaelhigh]

Right, i should have added affordable. I love picking up like new used CD's for several bucks. Its a lot easier to swallow a poor recording when the investment is small. 

I take very few chances on CD's (or analog) I'm unfamiliar with, or that don't come highly recommended by a consensus of those in the know. I just can't afford mistakes. I buy MFSL whenever possible used, that's where the price vs. performance tilts in the cheapie's favor!

[K Shep]

No 2 channel isn't dying.  It is growing in some areas of the country.  I have friends in the audio distribution industry and though 5.1 is still fairly strong, stereo has grown as a whole here in Nor Cal.  Interested to see if our economy turns how it'll impact further growth.

[wyowolf]

A very interesting discussion. Growing up I had lots of vinyl records, then tapes.. then CDs. I guess I am coming back to quality in music again. I re ripped my CDS to either FLAC or Apple Lossless.

Bought the best receiver i could afford and and having a pair of Songtowers made as we speak.

I guess I want both, I want to be able to watch a nice 5.1 movie and listen to 2 channel. When i listen to music its just the 2.1 setup I use, and hopefully the new speakers will help with that.

I still have all my records and am considering getting back into vinyl and also getting a tube amp for the two channel part and letting my receiver handle the movie stuff...

very interesting discussion... thanks to all for your suggestions.

Frank
 

[squirrel_nut]

hi frank, and welcome to the  forum. reading your post made me think someone is playing a joke on me. you are pretty much right where i am. i am building my system for music. everything i've bought has been with that being the top priority, but my family enjoys watching movies together. it had to be able to deal with Dolby formats, a sub and multiple speakers. i chose an EAD pre-pro and parasound amp. my room layout doesnt really permit good placement of rear speakers, so i have a 3.1..  the EAD has modes for this configuration   
as far as vinyl, i also have alot of my records from the 60s through 80s. around 400 of them, not a bunch, but enough to justify something to spin them on. i just cant get back into the idea of LPs. back in the day i spent soo many countless hours getting up and flipping vinyl... i am still tired of it. i have been trying to figure out what to do with all these LPs. they arent worth much, selling them back to a record store, which is probaly why i still hold on to them. i do loan them out to friends for exstended periods, but thats not a reason to keep them around...
i also see a tube amp in my future for 2ch...  van alstine rules around here, and that may be the direction i go, but decware's Zen Tor2 is what i am drewling over.  there are so many quality tube components these days, its very difficult to decide.
jim has been working on my STs for 6 weeks now... wont be long!

[wyowolf]

thank you

I am anxiously awaiting my STs

Its funny since i just have my two speakers now, I listen to movies in 2.1 and actually its pretty good, but I imagine it will be better still when I get my STs.  But listening in stereo is not as bad as i thought it would be.

Will check out Van Alstine, I was looking at amps by Jolida or Niteshade... the big Macintosh amps seem a bit out of my reach at the moment

I use XBMC and stream my FLAC/lossless through that to my Pioneer Elite SC35.

I dont have quite that many records, maybe twenty or so... not sure what turntable to get that is decent without spending mega bucks...

I do have a question, I see a lot of people talking about modern CDs being "bad recordings" what does that mean exactly? How do you know its bad?
What are some good ones?

Frank

[Nick77]

    I do have a question, I see a lot of people talking about modern CDs being "bad recordings" what does that mean exactly?                                                   

Frank, poor recordings are only most noticable with a resolving system. The better the electronics and speakers the more this becomes an issue. Mostly the CD will sound really compressed and unclear like looking thru a dirty window.

Diana Krall is one of my favorite artists especially since all her stuff seems to be recorded really well. Also alot of the newer stuff on HD tracks sound really good.

[charmerci]

What are some good ones?

Frank

At the top of this Salk forum, is a Outstanding CD's thread - great performances (subject to individual opinions, of course) with great sound. There's an summary list on p. 57.

[adydula]

squirrel_nut....save your pennies and get a AVA UltraValve for driving your SongTowers....its a marraige made in heaven to pardon the pun....

Alex
 

[thunderbrick]

I have no numbers to back it up, but with portable DVD players pooping popping up everywhere I think that home theater will fade.  Hell, if you are happy watching videos on your iPad in a plane (I see this a lot), why bother with a big HT system?

Same analogy could apply to the little iPods.  Why have a refuge where you can sink into fine music when you get commodity-level music all day long?

[Nuance]

A very interesting discussion. Growing up I had lots of vinyl records, then tapes.. then CDs. I guess I am coming back to quality in music again. I re ripped my CDS to either FLAC or Apple Lossless.

Bought the best receiver i could afford and and having a pair of Songtowers made as we speak.

I guess I want both, I want to be able to watch a nice 5.1 movie and listen to 2 channel. When i listen to music its just the 2.1 setup I use, and hopefully the new speakers will help with that.

I still have all my records and am considering getting back into vinyl and also getting a tube amp for the two channel part and letting my receiver handle the movie stuff...

very interesting discussion... thanks to all for your suggestions.

Frank
 

I highly recommend keeping the amplifier solid state and using the tubes elsewhere, such as in the preamp or DAC.  In my opinion bass response suffers when tubes are in the actual amplifier; control gets sloppy and it's noticeable with music.  YMMV, of course.  You can purchase a very nice tube preamp with HT bypass, which would allow you to bask in the full glory of just 2-channel, then move right over to movies without having to swap cables.  Win win!

[teetee]

I moved from 5.1 channels to dedicated 2 channels 7 years ago and never look back.

[Greymatter]

2 channel will never die. All one really needs is a source with line level, an amp and a pair of speakers.
I just scored a Van Alstien Pat 5 and an Omegastar 240 amp at a rummage for $100. And 2 channel is like new again! With some controlled room reflections its like surround to me!

[wyowolf]

Great, any pre amp/amp combos in particular you recommend for that?
sorry if its a silly question. My only experience has been the standard receiver ie Pioneer Elite SC35..

or could you explain how this set up works?

thank you!

Frank

I highly recommend keeping the amplifier solid state and using the tubes elsewhere, such as in the preamp or DAC.  In my opinion bass response suffers when tubes are in the actual amplifier; control gets sloppy and it's noticeable with music.  YMMV, of course.  You can purchase a very nice tube preamp with HT bypass, which would allow you to bask in the full glory of just 2-channel, then move right over to movies without having to swap cables.  Win win!

[wyowolf]

yes was just looking through that thanks!

Frank

At the top of this Salk forum, is a Outstanding CD's thread - great performances (subject to individual opinions, of course) with great sound. There's an summary list on p. 57.

[pstrisik]

Great, any pre amp/amp combos in particular you recommend for that?

I'd be interested in any recommendations for tube preamps under $1500 with phono stage and remote (at least for volume).

Thanks  .........Peter

[mark funk]

Here, take a look at this one,

http://www.avahifi.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70&Itemid=206



                                                                                         

[pstrisik]

Here, take a look at this one,

http://www.avahifi.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70&Itemid=206

Thanks, but I didn't think he put remote control capability in the AVA tube preamp.  Did I miss it?

............Peter