I am just curious if most people listen to their music in 2ch or do you ever just leave it on whatever surround mode you have on?

Hope this is not a stupid question, but I was just thinking about that the other day when screening a new CD and had not switched over to 2ch on the receiver.

Lots of us listen in surround, be it DTS:Neo6, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Logic7, etc. Lots of other people only listen in stereo. I tend to go back and forth.

I'm sure you'll get about a 50/50 split on the subject. For music, I prefer 2 channel direct (well, 2.1 really), mostly because I lose dynamic impact in multi-channel modes on my system. That's more important to me than the surround modes.

I use Stereo mode on my Denon to preserve the crossover settings in the receiver. Direct modes run the mains as large.

Lase, assuming that I'm listening on a setup with surround speakers, I always use a mode such as DPLII, Neural Surround or Neo:6 to extract the natural ambience present to varying degrees in 2-channel material and send it to the surround speakers where it belongs. In the concert hall the majority of sound reaches us not as direct sound from the front but as reflected ambience from other directions. Hearing that from surround rather than front speakers makes the listening experience a little more realistic.

I have been mostly in 2.1 since getting the M80s. I will sometimes go 6 channel stereo when I want the whole area filled front to back with sound.

I used to listen with stereo or 7 channel stereo only until I calibrated everything. With my current crossover settings and levels, I now mostly listen to music in Dolby Pro Logic IIx. Setting the channel levels is key for these extended modes to sound good, imo.

I listen to 2.1 stereo 95% of the time.

I'm with Johnk. After listening to some good music swithcing back and forth between 2 channel and 5.1 I am a convert.

I was blown away by what happens to the sound stage when you add the surrounds.

Of course, I don't even own two speakers yet let alone 6 so... sigh

I use both 2.0 and 4.1 (cut out the center). In 4.1 I use various surround modes because which works best for me depends on the recording but most often Dolby Pro Logic ll sounds best.

I listen mostly to 2 channel with the sub from my 2 channel only SACD player. Occasionally I will use the DVD player for DVD Audio discs but I don't use it for CDs.

Most of my casual listening is done in 2.1 up in my living room open to the kitchen and dining room. Unless I'm sitting back on the couch reading a book, I'm rarely in a position to benefit from surrounds.

However, in my basement TV room I have grown to really enjoy DLP IIx for the extra envelopment that 5.1 gives you. Definitely most noticeable on classical as others have mentioned but I find myself turning it on more and more for other music varieties. I really enjoy DVD concerts, even if I'm not watching the video and since they have all 5.1 channels built in (some better than others,) I definitely use 5.1 for them.

Lately I've been playing Rockband on PS3. The music quality for the songs is actually quiet good and it's 5.1. The cheers (or boos) of the crowd all around you while you pound away at the drums.... Now that's an enveloping experience. heh heh.

I mostly use 2.1-channel. Some pieces, depending on how they were recorded, really benefit from PLIIx. I've even listened in 7-channel stereo which actually sounds good for certain pieces.

I think a lot depends on your room. My room is bright. 2.1 almost sounds like surround for many pieces.