In reply to:
I find stereo the easiest...without punishing my wallet....Do you agree that Axiom has an obvious motivation for pushing five channel music?...why does Axiom push the A/V receivers, such as Denon, etc.?
There's no question stereo amps are inexpensive. In fact Denon and HK make stereo amps, so by mentioning those brands Axiom is by no means precluding stereo.
However if you go into most A/V stores, it's often hard to FIND a stereo amp. It's not Axiom -- the multichannel transition is already under way, driven primarily by Home Theater. Multichannel music is also ramping up.
Most people can't afford a dedicated audio-only room. They have a TV area, hence their highest audio upgrade priority is typically multichannel HT, not stereo. Again, not Axiom causing this. It's a natural transition, promoted by many different forces.
I agree it can be quite frustrating at most A/V stores to find stereo equipment. It seems like it's non-existant or stuffed into a dust-covered corner.
Whether stereo is better than multichannel depends on the customer's priorities, tastes and preferences.
Consider two M80s vs a 5.1 config of M3/QS4/VP100 and a Hsu STF-1 (sorry, Axiom, no $300 sub).
The two are EXACTLY the same price. For stereo music, most would agree the M80s are superior.
However most customers aren't music only or stereo only. They want "surround sound" and their priorities tilt heavily in favor of HT vs music.
The above multichannel config well satisfies HT, yet is no slouch at music. True the M80s are better at stereo-vs-stereo, but most customers don't want that. Every friend I've spoken to asks about HT, not stereo. If a friend inquired about upgrading an audio-only, stereo-only config, and he wanted to stick with stereo, I'd (a) be shocked, and (b) direct him to stick with stereo and buy a stereo amp, M60s, M80s, etc.
If multichannel music is a factor, I'd argue that Dark Side of the Moon on the above multichannel config would rival downmixed stereo on the M80s in overall acoustic experience.
