To 7.1 or not to 7.1, that is the question.

[socialxray]

A re-flooring project has my 7.1 system currently dismantled. While surveying the complete room I thought how much better the room would be served if I rearranged my speaker placements.

Unfortunately this would require that I go from a 7.1 system to a 5.1 system.

Has anyone on this forum done this before? If so how did it affect your movie watching experience?

 

[Pcar928fan]

Unfortunately this would require that I go from a 7.1 system to a 5.1 system.

Has anyone on this forum done this before? If so how did it affect your movie watching experience?

More speakers is ALWAYS BETTER! :haha1:

It would probably depend on how you have your 7.1 set up and how much info is actually going to the rear surrounds...

 

[Brad225]

I am guessing you never had 5.1 before 7.1. Having gone from 5.1 to 7.1 I would say if your speakers and processor are desent quality and properly placed you might not get 100% more surround information but it will be
-imho- 50-70% with the ability of sound to move from from behind to the sides and forward. Don't ever think evil thoughts like that again.

 

[Tj Bassi]

I reverted from 7.1 to 5.1 a year ago, feeling that a properly set up 5.1 system could offer about the same surround performance as the more complex 7 channel system. We have indentical speakers front and rear (ReQuests) and spend about 80% on multichannel music and 20% on movies. This scheme excels in stereo recordings played back with a DSP mode such as CSII.
Going back to 5 channel also saved a bunch when we upgraded our amps

Tj

 

[Munster]

I'm going to agree with TJ here, I lost virtually nothing losing the two

rears and moving the sides parallel to sitting area.

 

[SugarMedia]

More speakers is ALWAYS BETTER! :haha1:

Might I suggest a 10.2 set-up for you then?
http://www.avrev.com/equip/tomholman/

 

[socialxray]

I reverted from 7.1 to 5.1 a year ago, feeling that a properly set up 5.1 system could offer about the same surround performance as the more complex 7 channel system. We have indentical speakers front and rear (ReQuests) and spend about 80% on multichannel music and 20% on movies. This scheme excels in stereo recordings played back with a DSP mode such as CSII.
Going back to 5 channel also saved a bunch when we upgraded our amps

Tj

Another concern is music. What is the positioning of your surround speakers? Is it 90 degrees to the listener?

Also, I would like a 7.1 system but the couch is going to be against the back wall. I am thinking that in-walls above the listener might work. Anybody have any thoughts on that setup?

 

[lugano]

the couch is going to be against the back wall. I am thinking that in-walls above the listener might work. Anybody have any thoughts on that setup?

Forget the 7.1 setup in that case. Even 5.1 is going to be less than perfect. As its name implies , surround is about you, the listener, being at the centre of a sound sphere, surrounded by sound coming from everywhere. With the couch against the back wall, the maximum you can get is a hemisphere, and don't get me started on reflections from the back wall coming from the left and right surrounds. Below, a picture of what Yamaha suggests as LS placement with the receiver I got (RX-V2700)

 

[Tj Bassi]

Another concern is music. What is the positioning of your surround speakers? Is it 90 degrees to the listener?

Also, I would like a 7.1 system but the couch is going to be against the back wall. I am thinking that in-walls above the listener might work. Anybody have any thoughts on that setup?

Our rear speakers are set up exactly as the fronts.....about ten feet apart, slightly toed-in (per the famous Jim Powers toe-in technique), and about nine feet from the listening area. All four speakers are corner loaded but thats something we plan to fix during the construction of our new home.

Seems to work just fine on 5.1 movie soundtracks and great on multichannel music.

Oddly enough we've found that that is helps to have the front speakers set with a slightly different toe-in than the rears. It could be that the diagonal-facing speakers null each other out or something (???).

Tj

 

[Pcar928fan]

Might I suggest a 10.2 set-up for you then?
http://www.avrev.com/equip/tomholman/

YEA BABY! I should do that and then have a nice MBL stereo system too! Now, where is that winning lottery ticket?!