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Originally Posted by Poitive

Would it be convenient to give a simplistic idea about how to interpret specification numbers?

IMO for music, 5.1 systems don't sound as good as a 2 speaker setup, which gives a wonderful sound stage. They also sound better on the whole.

Brand names may only help in shortlisting some stuff from the extensive range in the market.

1. I rarely look at numbers. Like I said in post 28 it is a chicken and egg syndrome.

2. 5.1 systems can sound as good as 2 channel systems but to do that one would have to consider 5.1 budget that is 2.5x that of a similar 2 channel system.

Say consider a 5.1/7.2 system using the following.

Front channel (80 liters tower)
1 x T25CF002
THE ART OF SOUND PERFECTION BY SEAS - E0011-06 T25CF002
1 x W16NX001
THE ART OF SOUND PERFECTION BY SEAS - E0049-08S W16NX001
2 x W22EX001
THE ART OF SOUND PERFECTION BY SEAS - E0022-08S W22EX001

Center and Rear channels (10 liters each)
1x C16N001/F
THE ART OF SOUND PERFECTION BY SEAS - E0051-04/06 C16N001/F

Subwoofers (80 liters)
2 x L26ROY
THE ART OF SOUND PERFECTION BY SEAS - D1001-04 L26ROY
2 x SL26R
THE ART OF SOUND PERFECTION BY SEAS - D1003 SL26R

It is not diffcult to DIY amplifiers and speakers. And with a little help one can build some seriously good tapedecks, turnables (Garrad/Throens/Duals were easy to upgrade), and CD players (like say the CD63Ki). The first tape deck I modified was a Sony TCK 1. It had a huge box which allowed me to upgrade the entire power section and later upgrade Dolby chips etc... Then I was gifted a dead 680ZX so I tore that apart too. Eventually this became a madness of mine but that is another story.

3. Since I did not have access to a lot of testing and/or measuring equipment on hand I had to start relying on my ears. Brands were damned.