Keep Stereo Track in Addition to Surround Sound?

[SamSlam023]

I've been ripping all my blurays with only the 5.1 track. I primarily play these files on a stereo setup so the surround sound track is being mixed together via software then played over my speakers. For my stereo setup would it be better to have the original steroe mix that comes with the bluray? And also have the surround sound track to still have the option when I play them on a home theater setup?

Or would the quality of the stereo mix be far worse than the DTS 5.1 mixed down since the surround sound track is closer to the master?

[Cornucopia]

Some mastering engineers & audiophile purists would say that a pre-mix down to stereo from 5.1 would be noticeably more optimized (esp. better with placement & EQ balance) than the auto-mixdown that is done upon playback of 5.1 into 2.0 systems.

Me, there may have been a handful of titles where I could tell the difference, but most I cannot. IOW, the auto mixdown is good enough.

You, depends on how discerning & picky you are.

I doubt if the stereo version (on a stereo system) would ever be WORSE.

Scott

[SamSlam023]

I figured that would be the case. I might keep the 2.0 track mainly as a completionist thing. Thank you