Back in the quad days, we decided that using 4 average sounding loudspeakers was not as good as using 2 very good loudspeakers and the total cost was the same. I understand the room filling phenomena of using rear speakers but it doesn't last long when you upgrade your front speakers and your rear speakers can't keep up. Don't get me wrong, more drivers does offer this room filling sound.
4 speakers/two channel
In my system, i run four speakers --- two in front and two in back -- driven as two channels. I drive the back speakers (Vandersteen 1c's) through the pre-out of my main integrated amp (an Ayon Spirit 2) into a McIntosh integrated. The main speakers (PBN Montana EPS2's)are driven by the Ayon. This way, i can tailor the volume of both sets of speakers.
With the four speakers in 2-channel, the stereo image is 16 feet wide (going from 3.5 ft to the left of the left speaker to 3.5 feet to the right of the right speaker). When I shut down the back speakers the image collapse to ca. 9 ft wide. With all 4 speakers playing, the front speakers disappear (you just get a wall of sound.. w/o hearing directly the back speakers either). When I shut down the back speakers, and only the front speakers are playing, I stare at the speakers as I see precisely where the sound emanates. 4 speakers and you get an instrumentalist at size X, with the distance between instrumentalists at Y --- go to two speakers those numbers go to 0.6 X and o.6 Y. Fullness, body, palpable presence all are dramatically better with 4 speakers.
Once you go to the 4 speaker/2 channel mode (done right) --- the difference is staggering. Listening to the two speakers sounds like a veritable miniature toy in comparison.
Has anyone else tried this?
With the four speakers in 2-channel, the stereo image is 16 feet wide (going from 3.5 ft to the left of the left speaker to 3.5 feet to the right of the right speaker). When I shut down the back speakers the image collapse to ca. 9 ft wide. With all 4 speakers playing, the front speakers disappear (you just get a wall of sound.. w/o hearing directly the back speakers either). When I shut down the back speakers, and only the front speakers are playing, I stare at the speakers as I see precisely where the sound emanates. 4 speakers and you get an instrumentalist at size X, with the distance between instrumentalists at Y --- go to two speakers those numbers go to 0.6 X and o.6 Y. Fullness, body, palpable presence all are dramatically better with 4 speakers.
Once you go to the 4 speaker/2 channel mode (done right) --- the difference is staggering. Listening to the two speakers sounds like a veritable miniature toy in comparison.
Has anyone else tried this?