I believe this is the article to which the OP refers:
http://www.axiomaudio.com/5.1ChannelMusic.html
To artificially enhance the sounds that come from the back and sides is just that, artificial.
Discrete 5.1 audio is no more artificial than discrete 2.0. I recently picked up Roger Waters “The Wall” Live in Berlin 5.1 SACD. So far it’s the most “real” sounding concert CD I’ve ever heard. There is simply no way my 12x20x8 listening area is going to convincingly reproduce the sound of an arena that big.
But that said I still find listening to music in stereo is more natural.
For quality stereo recordings I agree with you. I’m finding that except for some classical concerts I prefer stereo 2.0 over PLIIx or DTS Neo6. The added ambiance to the classical concerts generally makes them sound better to me. However, for most other recordings the smearing/muddying of the front soundstage I hear when PLIIx or DTS Neo6 are engaged is a deal killer. One exception to this has been poor quality stereo recording which do generally sound better to me with some form of digital processing.
I was very skeptical of 5.1 audio until I started listening to some good recordings and now I’m hooked. I was even more skeptical of SACD stereo until I started buying some good ones and wow was I impressed. PLIIx or DTS Neo6 is more problematic for me and very dependent on the level of ambiance and quality of the original recording.
In the end enjoy your music the way you like it cause that’s what it’s all about. But coming form a recovering skeptic give 5.1 a chance with some quality recordings.
