Sander deWaal wrote:

"Andrew" said:

thank you Sander and TCS - they are the answers...however please make me
sure - does it mean that surround at that price always offer worse speakers
and so on...??

It's just the split budget.
$2000 buys you two good speakers or 5 mediocre ones.

I concur with TCS and Arny in this matter.

My respect for Arny notwithstanding, I do not agree. At the
upper end of this individual's price point, a 5.1 package
has the potential to sound more realistic than a stereo-only
package at the same price point.

Howard Ferstler
Writer for The Sensible Sound