I'm not a fan of surround, although I think it can be pretty great. Discussions pitting the merits and flaws of each against the other often distills into the "authentic experience" debate. Macrojack hit the nail on the head: it's all self-deception, whatever allows us into the most enjoyable listening experience. The immersion of surround is pretty cool, and so is a wave brought on by a wall of sound, and so is the intimacy of bookshelves in a small room, and then there's the cool thing that planars do, etc.
For myself, just like when I experience live music, I simply want to experience the best (for lack of a better word) the space has to offer. That's a broad statement, and it suggests a broad range of possible experience. Each listening session can be so different. Perhaps this is less so for others--for some, there seems to be a very specific "place" they desire to be, and they painstakingly choose each bit of media and equipment to take them there. I can't disparage these lifelong seekers, as so many of them seem to be the ones we ask when we need advice. ;) I enjoy music and the stuff music comes from. I wouldn't want my equipment to "disappear" anymore than I'd want the musicians to disappear.
But I like two-channel better, even though I clearly believe that anything can be amazing. I think I narrowed in on why. It comes back to the same thing so many say. Whether it's the live musicians or hi-fi, I prefer a stage. I want the stuff producing the music to perform. I can sit up or slouch--a stage induces these and many other types of involvement. With surround, I feel that my range of possible experience is somewhat more limited, as it always feels to me like I should just sink into a bing-bag and take it in. The only time I've felt that surround is more correct is when listening to loud club music.
Is surround more akin to the headphone experience?
For myself, just like when I experience live music, I simply want to experience the best (for lack of a better word) the space has to offer. That's a broad statement, and it suggests a broad range of possible experience. Each listening session can be so different. Perhaps this is less so for others--for some, there seems to be a very specific "place" they desire to be, and they painstakingly choose each bit of media and equipment to take them there. I can't disparage these lifelong seekers, as so many of them seem to be the ones we ask when we need advice. ;) I enjoy music and the stuff music comes from. I wouldn't want my equipment to "disappear" anymore than I'd want the musicians to disappear.
But I like two-channel better, even though I clearly believe that anything can be amazing. I think I narrowed in on why. It comes back to the same thing so many say. Whether it's the live musicians or hi-fi, I prefer a stage. I want the stuff producing the music to perform. I can sit up or slouch--a stage induces these and many other types of involvement. With surround, I feel that my range of possible experience is somewhat more limited, as it always feels to me like I should just sink into a bing-bag and take it in. The only time I've felt that surround is more correct is when listening to loud club music.
Is surround more akin to the headphone experience?