Stewart Pinkerton wrote:
Are you using a surround setup at home, and if so, are you happy with
music reproduction?

Only on the PC! :-)

Yea... I was considering this.

I have a projector system at home that's driven by a PC (hence the
receiver won't be used for video) and the surround audio will come from
the PC (via coaxial digital) to the receiver.

I was thinking about just using the PC for two channel audio too - i.e.
ripping my CD's as uncompressed wavs (or some lossless compressed
format) and again using the coaxial connection. It would save the cost
of buying a separate CD/DVD player, but I'm sure the audiophiles would
shudder.

OTOH, I have several friends with 'home cinema' setups, and current
Pioneer and Denon A/V receivers seem to do a very good job on
2-channel stereo music, as well as 'surround sound' music videos.
Admittedly, I'm talking about the 3804 and the monster VSXA10i, but so
long as you don't stress them with insensitive speakers and loud
playback, the cheaper models should now be pretty reasonable.

I have tested the speakers on a VSXA10i (owned by my company) and I must
admit I was very impressed with both surround and 2 channel
reproduction. Having said that, it even makes the Arcam look cheap.

With
multichannel, you do still get what you pay for (if you're careful!)
in AV amps up to the 2 grand mark or so. I do know a guy with a
Lexicon MC8 and several Audiolab 8000Ps and Ms, and his 7.1 system is
quite awesome, but I suspect that this has as much to do with the full
set of B&W N-series speakers as it does with the electronics.

Yes, common sense is very important, but if you can back it up with a
big wallet it's all the better

G.