Call me a holdout, but I am still not won over by 5.1 HT. This link is close to my thoughts on the matter:
http://www.jolida.com/tube/hometheater.shtml
I am also waiting for the media sources to catch up; the Pretenders still sound much better on VHS than DVD in some cases. I'm sure audio hi fi quality is not a criterion for the mass market yet.
Still, I wanted to give a fair hearing to motion picture audio's contemporary strengths - the low, low frequency slam and ultra dymanic range found perhaps nowhere but in soundtracks. I've heard it ad nauseum on 5.1 in homes and shops, but I finally got the opportunity last night to "two channel classic JBL" it.
The family was out of town and a new DVD of War Of The Worlds was at hand, as were my 4333's. Denon 80 wpc was chosen over my usual tube rig. I set the volume to "live" vocal levels and didn't turn it down no matter how loud it got. It did get pretty damn loud. I set the playback to 2.0. I hadn't seen the film yet, so I was open to an unknown experience.
OH MY GOD. Was it great. With the presentation and sensation that resulted, I felt more than surrounded, I felt totally immersed. The soundstage was all over, but pinpoint in source when that was what was supposed to happen. I'm going to be harder to convince now, because 5.1 seems to have NOTHING to add to big JBL's on 2.0 as far as I can tell. I can only assume the quality - and size, frankly - of the transducers has more to do with the theater experience than surround technology and esoteric placement of the elements. Besides, who among us can tell with our eyes closed, or glued to a movie, where 30hz is coming from? Maybe James B. Lansing's quality execution of big cones plus horn in movie palaces wasn't so easy to improve after all...
I have an open mind, I'll keep listening, but I'm not shoping for a 5.1 rig anytime soon.
Clark in Peoria