Gord, you're underestimating the CD as a format. The 44.1/16 sampling and bit depth characteristics it has are ample for the capabilities of human ears and the dynamic range of the music we listen to. Carefully controlled blind listening tests conducted a few years ago showed that SACDs and DVD-As of excellent quality were audibly just as excellent when their output was run through an ADC/DAC conversion process to "downgrade" them to the 44.1/16 CD standard. As has been mentioned, the problem isn't the capabilities of the format, but the quality of the recording, mixing and mastering used in producing a particular disc.
This applies to stereo source material, not discrete multi-channel, of course, but using modes such as DPLII to extract the natural ambience coming from directions other than the front captured by the microphones and imprisoned in the front channels(there was no place else to put it)can greatly increase the realism of the listening experience by sending it to the surrounds where it belongs. I always listen to 2-channel music sources in 5.1 or 7.1 surround with full enjoyment of the(almost entirely classical)music I appreciate.
