I used to listen to music in multichannel off of my AVR a few years ago be it native or up-sampled by my AVR, before I knew any better.
One day I decided to listen to a CD straight through, bypassing any EQing or sampling, and I was shocked. The image was dead center and it sounded a lot better then I could have imagined.
That started my current obsession.
I have a hard time placing two speakers for accurate reproduction in my room; having to add three more for benefit is likely not an easy task.
Plus, I love analog!
I do use 5.1 for movies though.
?? Multichannel music IS analog. No one said you have to send this stuff to a mid-fi $300 AVR, just like no one said you must listen to cd through a Walmart player and speakers. The formats are not the issue, the setups (and based on this thread's comments, the perceived notion that it must be AVR or midfi based) are. I will put my Macbook SSD server >> firewire >> Weiss or Metric Halo DAC >> hi-end pre >> Modwright black anodized KWA 150 monoblocks >> SP Tech Revelation 2 channel system against anyones! And realize that the aforementioned system also supports hi-end multichannel music (add three more SP tech Continuums to make a classic ITU setup, and an EQ'd Paradign Servo 15 on Audiopoints...plus a modified Oppo and same Metric Halo 8 channel DAC, out to dedicated amps) and you have analog 5.1 multichannel surround music that I will also put up against most anyone....all without damaging the number one priority...2 channel. Oh, the movie stuff is 7.1 and uses Alon dipole wall/slope hanging sides and rears and their own dedicated amplification...so signal path is not hurt one bit.
Net/net, think outside the box. The ONLY two reasons I'd make a separate 2 channel room in my next house is so i can listen while the older kids wants a big screen movie starting at midnight (instead of the family room), and most importantly, the main speaker positioning is less problematic. I solved it, nonetheless, but it took going to a retractable acoustically transparent screen concept and a second row of seats so the viewing is more centered and I'm no longer concerned about pulling the main Revelations 6 feet into the room and blocking a side chair view.
