You get a balanced, deep, hearty sound without the surround sound effect which I've never liked

Still recommend surrounds.

If your DVD/blue-ray/other players don't support original Dolby Digital then the best you will ever have is stereo going to the playbase, which it then converts to fake surround, which means no true 5.1 experience

However, if space and budget is not an issue then go for the surround sound like a 5.1

FAKE SURROUND - Getting true surround sound to your playbase can be a nightmare

The fact that it actually delivers fantastic surround sound that is clear and dynamic makes this an even more satisfying purchase.

So after you get used to what is great surround sound for your movies, then you flip on some music; and, the settings just change over automatically.

They support 7.1 surround over HDMI and 5.1 over optical cable

Paired up with a set of smaller Sonos speakers for a great surround sound!

I no longer need a booming 5.1 surround sound system as I live in a smaller condo.