Post #349190 by Hakalugi on Wed, Dec 12, 2007 3:27 PM

I have a 5.1 setup (with properly placed and matched Paradigm speakers)and I love it. I would definitely purchase any Exotica released in 5.1. I prefer SACD over DVD-A but it's more of a convenience thing as I have an SACD carousel and my DVD-A player only handles one at a time.

As far as most of the 5.1 mixes out there, it's true that many are not that adventurous. The most daring mix of anything mainstream that I have heard is the Who's Tommy. At times it has vocals in the rear speakers and sometimes the whole soundstage is flipped around. With most 5.1 mixes, the performance is typically confined to the front with the main vocals often isolated to the center speaker, rear speakers are maybe used for ambience or occasional effects. Another exception is "Dark Side of the Moon", but I hear that it's still pretty tame compared to the original quad version.

All in all though, I usually won't run my system in 5.1 unless I'm actually going to sit in the sweet spot.