First of all, I appreciate the feedback, instead of just blanket statements that we often get. Now the facts: It does
not force you to set 5.1.4 or 7.1.2 so I think you might have misunderstood the onscreen instruction or something.. Also, you do
not have to run all 8 positions. You have the choice to do 1,2,....or 3, or 4...positions, up to 8 positions maximum. Doing 8 positions have
nothing to do with the number of speakers you have, it is to do with allowing the AVR to collect more data about your room so it can do a better job figuring out the best possible filters required for your particular setup. To be clear, Audyssey does give you to choice to run just one position but the result will likely not be as good in terms of accuracy/neutrality, but it doesn't you won't prefer the result either. In fact, it is possible that many users do not prefer the much flatter low frequency response that Audyssey typically would achieve.
@AcuDefTechGuy, I don't mean to be repetitive, but thanks to Ken32 who provide more details of his rationale about the negatives (perceived by him) than like some other users who just say "I hate it, it took the live out...its sterile, it makes the sound thin harsh etc etc...., making it clear to the more experienced users that in many cases it has a lot to do with users misconceptions, and/or not doing it right.