Quote Originally Posted by kaneboats View Post
Yea, if I listen to music now I put on the DirecTV streaming channel and use the 5.1 system. The home theater speakers aren't bad at all and I'm not exactly rocking out when I'm making dinner. I just have a basic system in each TV room with a Pioneer receiver and Sony sub and speakers. Sounds great for movies and OK for music. If I crank it up at all it is out in the garage with the old 2 ch. stereo receiver and my outdoor speakers.
Claudia does this all the time to my home system. She leave it in surround then goes in the kitchen to clean or something, i come home and its cranked up and to me sounds like crap.

I go turn off the surround and then it sounds musical again.

Problem with surround when you play general music is the center chanel is a different type and tune then what a normal speaker is. Its designed to highlight vocal and sounds that make you feel like your in the room. The front side speakers are strickly sound effects, rear channels are only sounds behind you or light noises to make you feel more centered in the action and of course the sub is the boom and explantion opoint in an event.

When you play regular music threw a surround system it will play as its a movie and realy messes with the way the sound should sound.

To each there own of course and i know some system today can switch back and forth and sound great but the true big speaker 5.1 systems that have a deddicated center speaker wont sound good playing normal music.