3 channel

[Petronius]

Colleagues,
I have been enamored with 3 channel audio (L,C,R) for some time now. It started when I purchased a McIntosh C-26 which had a center channel out. I was also aware of the Klipsch derived center channel, which was part of the Klipsch Wide Stage stereo system. I tried the center channel of the C 26, and I have never gone back to 2 channel. Of course in those days, (before the earth cooled ) 2 channel was the only stereo available. but then we got Quadraphonic
for good or ill, which never found favor with the masses.
As a classically trained musician, I thought the 2 of the 4 quadraphonic channels were misused.

As a performer, I am surrounded by other players, but as a listener the orchestra is in front of me and the venue surrounds me, and I do listen to the hall. 90d% or more of my listening to recorded music is classical, and I have become to prefer minimalist micing tecniques, as practiced by Mercury, the older RCA Red Seal, Decca, Telarc and more recently Reference and Delos. These labels used the Decca Tree, or some variant.

No matter how recorded however, the Violins are always jammend in to the left speaker and violas and cellos in the right. If I use a center channel of either Dolby PLxII or Harman Logic 7. it helps fill the hole in the center.

Recently I've been able to find 3 channel sacd's and blu-ray discs that have the missing center channel, and am now closer to audio perfection than before. It makes me wonder why we don't see more 3 channel recordings? Market I guess.
I know most high end systems are 2 channel, and the sweet spot is occupied by an Eames chair.
My question then is this: why? If any of you have an answer to this I'd like to hear your response. Also what kind of music you listen to would be helpful, and do you listen to 2 channel.