Thank you Townhouse, couldn't agree more. The only time I listen to two channel is with my Discman, and that's because that's the only way they make them.
I have listened to NOTHING but surround sound in one form or the other since the 1970's. 2Ch stero is like listening remotely through a window, so UNinvolving! Where surround sound (matrix or discrete) puts you in the place where it was recorded; soooooo much more involving!
For me I want my live recordings and classical music with ambient rears. But pop music, I want to be surrounded.
The most "lfelike" and involving recording in my collection of over 2000+ CDs, records,DVD -Audio, SACD, R-to-R and DAT tapes, are the 1970s Quadraphonic recordings of the Doobie Brothers albums (one of which is now available on DVD-A, although remixed).
Anyway, my point is, 2 channel was originally a compromise due to the records being limited to two channels in the 1960s (the original desire was for three channels, still a hole in the wall effect).
BSTAN, sorry to differ, but 2 CH just doesn't cut it for realizm!