a stereo soundstage isn't artificial??!!

the exciting thing about 5.1 isn't as much the soundstage as it is the available headroom.

stereo provides only 2 channels into which to mixdown 24, 32, and more tracks of music.
saturation of the 2 channels is the most frustrating limitation of the stereo format.

5.1 allows for the low frequencies (the largest cause of saturation) to be mixed into it's own discrete channel, allowing the remaining tracks to be mixed into the remaining 5 discrete channels.

this is the most exciting advance in recorded music's history, to me, and i am sure there will be many new discs that will be taking advantage of this format.

unless, of course, your music collection will forever consist of only live recordings of acoustic sets, in which case....sheeesh.

what the hell is a neophyte?
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"Time wounds all heels." John Lennon