Mono, stereo, multichannel, how many speakers do you need?

We were happy with just one speaker up to the 1950s, then we had to have two speakers, but then we needed even more speakers for movies, and now most folks are happy with one speaker again. Oops, I forgot to include SACD and DVD-A, but then again it's so easy to forget them.

[Chiroman]

Just Stumbled upon this Steve Video. Great Topic, timely for me too. I'm 70 yo, love Music, My Music, retired and use my stereo systems for 1) Listening and 2) to play while I play my Drums - a resurrected HOBBY for recreation in retirement after a 50 Year Hiatus.
The LR has: a NAD 1300 Preamp, NAD 2600 2600 Amp, Dual CS5000 TT with an ortfon 10 cartridge (to be upgraded shortly), a Onkyo 6 Disk CD changer/ Player connected to a Pair of KEF 104/2 Tower Speakers - all purchased in 1987 from a Stereo /HiFi store in Mt. Kisko m NY (the Cd player was replaced with the Onkyo some years later). No Sub Woofers, No Equalizers.
The Basement "studio" was created in COVID Hibernation during 2020 - early 2021, it has: Denon DRA-800H Receiver/ Amp, a IOTA PA3 Intergtrated Amp, SA3 Amp ; a Emotiva A300 Amp; a Tascam CD - RW 900mkII CD Player /Recorder, a Tascam Double Cassette Player /Recorder, a TEAC AD-850 CD / Cassette /USB player /Recorder (yes, overkill), an Audio - Technica LP120XBT- USB TT, Schiit Mani, SAGA, and LOKI units connected as follows: Denon to 2 different Pairs of Bookshelf Speakers A) 1 pair of KEF A350s & B) 1 Pair of Fluance Signature Series HiFi Speakers [right now wired in parallel to the A channel- I know a NO- No); a Monoprice SW - 60W connected to this speaker system; the IOTA / Emotiva connected to A) 1 pair of Elac Reference 6.2s and B) 1 pair of Elac Debut 2.0, 6.2s.- no SW.
Call me an Audiophiliac !! But When I play the 2 systems simultaneously (the Denon controlled system is in the rear nearby the Drums), the other is in the front.. WOW, Whatta Sound. No video is connected at this time. Sounds like a Concert Hall in this finished basement. So, Yes more Speakers do sound better - and I have different unmatched speakers playing in unison.
Happy Music To All.

[error]

I prefer to have two great speakers then many mediocre speakers.

[johnholmes]

you need two; one to rest your beer on, the other for snacks

[RogierYou]

Soundbars, HomePod’s etc have many speakers that actively analyse the reflected audio to create a stereo effect. I am often amazed where sound appears to cone from when listening to my HomePod.

[mondoenterprises]

I run a 5.2 system for movies, but mostly listen to music in 2.2. It is the road not taken, but that has made all the difference.

[hagbard]

Two. That's it. Two ears two speakers. BTW, home theatre is now way beyond 5.1. Dolby Atmos is like 12.1 speakers.

[mjjm]

I recently removed the center, not missed at all. All my speakers are 3-way, rolling off @ 70htz with two 15" subs.
And the majority of the time I am only using the stereo pair...for music, tv shows, movies. And quite often, depending on how a TV show or movie was recorded, will sound like surround with only the stereo pair on.
That comes as a result of perfect placement of very good imaging speakers.

[astrotrance]

Surround for life. I've been listening in surround since the pre-prologic days of passive Dolby Surround and while I still enjoy 2-channel (and mono) music, I prefer surround, both 5.1 and above and stereo upconverted to surround. Much more lifelike.

[BlankBrain]

I used a couple of speakers, which had been my main speakers, through a "matrix" for a while. I kept the volume on the rear speakers very low. I liked the sound. When the amp in the matrix pooped out, I never replaced it. I might try it again doing some fancy stuff in an FPGA.

[arongatt]

well i have a 5.1 kef system and i love steve wilsons multi channel mixing and mike oldfield .. once you hear a good 5.1 audio mix you wont regret getting a system like that

[ck]

Back in the 50s it was mono for sure but the single speaker was not of the size of today's bookshelf. Audiophiles then built huge mono speakers. There was a lot more DIY systems. The mono speakers I remember were extremely efficient being something like 4 feet high and 3 feet wide with a 10 inch driver with whizzer cone. The sound blasts from them I think probably started the hearing loss I now have today. I was a fun time with the kits from Heath, Lafayette, Allied. I think it's a shame that this audio phase is a bygone era where young people built their systems virtually from scratch and didn't cost a fortune.

[ridingdreamer]

For music, strictly 2.1. For movies 9.2 :) Love both.

[c_o_l_m]

I don't know why I love this thumbnail so much

[tobyhines]

17 speakers in total. 7.2 + 3 pairs and 2 for quad playback. But then I live with a Cat.

[avader]

Well when I grow up my dad had a quadraphonic system we used to play quadraphonic 8-track tapes and quadraphonic reel-to-reels and quadraphonic records that's all I thought there were until I got old enough to listen to music on my own I became a Beatles fan as all kids do in their teens and suddenly I was at stereo!

[bilguana]

A rare exception to most music surround discs not making much difference is the Beatles "Love" DVD-A. It is well mastered and mixed by George Martin and Giles Martin. If you like the Beatles, you will be delighted with hearing this in surround.

[kjmacdonald]

Thanks for the info, both artists put ONE out in 1968, did not know that, also Aime Mann.

[kenbelliveau]

One of th exceptions to this trend, I think, is in cars where the number of speakers and sophistication of the sound systems has grown. And for many people, that’s where they listen to music most often. There was a time when you had to make a great effort to source out good stereo equipment in the aftermarket for your car to have a good sound system. Today’s have a good system is a feature that comes in most cars.

[jeromemckenna]

Even people who have a single soundbar speaker listen on headphones, so stereo is the default form for a lot of folks.

[williamsharp]

At some point, 'speakers' became 'speaker systems'.  Not sure if this started with single but extended-range speakers or with separate speakers in the same enclosures, or the realization that the whole thing is a 'system' when cabinet design became recognized as a critical part.    Anyway, since no one had figured out a way to make sound come from different locations without placing a speaker enclosure in each location,  we ended up with multiple 'speakers'.  And more wires.  I had a quad system in the early 70's, and used four JBL Century 100's.   I took a lot of flack for not being 'pure', but Santana Abraxas sounded great, even though it was a stereo record playing via a 'variable matrix' thingy in my Marantz pre-amp.   Net-net, I think it added 'ambiance'.   Home theater certainly threw a new light on things, and I can remember at some point in the 90's when it became obvious stores like The Good Guys were no longer selling much in the way of 'audio' speakers, but rather systems targeted at home theater.   Today, I  experiment with 5.1 and the various sound processes for music, but invariably for testing and serious listening use two-channel 'direct' or 'stereo' (two-channel + sub-woofer) for music.   In fact, our 'music only' set-up is just two channel.    Thus, I think it can be said you need as many speakers as you want.   Heh-heh.