So I did some price checking and a receiver capable of 11.1 output and DTS Neo:X decoding will set you back about $2200 - $3000 depending on model and store purchased from.
Plus add the upgrade in wiring and additional speakers up front (even the lower cost M2 in wall or on wall speakers), and you've got a pretty quick $2950 - $3750 upgrade just to hear the over-the-top effects in Expendables 2. Sure, other movies will eventually follow, but look how long it has taken to see movies coming out with good 7.1 mixes. They have just started to become *almost* the standard over the last couple of months.
It will be a long time before I upgrade to something more than my 7.1 setup. Prices will really have to drop on the receivers, but I also fear that I won't go with M2s should that day come. Someone will convince me that M22s are best and that is even more money.
By then, Dolby Atmos will be available for your home, and we will start setting up arrays of speakers in the ceiling too.
So maybe 7 speakers up front, 4 surrounds, and 6 or more overhead. Throw in a couple of subs, and it could be awesome, but expensive with a 17.2 DTS Neo:X / Atmos Home system. Axoim would have to start advertising some sort of "in-ceiling" speaker or something too. Crazy.
I would need to build a new house and have them dig down an extra 2 feet in the theater area to make room for everything.
At some point, the extra channels just don't make sense from a practical installation standpoint, let alone a price/performance point too.
