Any one using 2 speakers(4 all together) for their side surrounds(not including the rears)????
Im not a big fan of dipole but having just one direct speaker doesnt blend as much as I would like. We have two for the rears, even when it was just mono, so that it sounded more dispersed.... and it works! Movie theaters do it, why cant we?

It appears Denon is incorporating this into their new Pre amp...
Also, the surround — we added some changes to that capability because now you can use Surround A and B as an array. If you have a longer-than-average room, and you have multiple seating in there, say, good theater seating, you can actually do a surround array to cover everybody, sort of like a movie theater.
http://www.listenup.com/Content/Partner_Stores/denon/Talmadge_p.2.php

I believe Yamaha and (cant think of them right now) offer something similar, but seems to be more for the front to give it a kind of "dialog lift".Obviously I cant afford the Denon Pre, but their technology always trickles down...

What do you think? Any other ways around it like putting 2 side speakers in series/parallel????

Are you running (or intending to run) them of the same amp - IE parallel, or running them of separate amps?

In a really big room, yes I think it could be made to work, but would need a slight attenuation for the rear speakers (distance pending).

If your running them in parallel (off the one amp) then you might have to attenuate the total surrounds to prevent the surrounds being too proud...

Mark

I havent run them like that yet, but it would be something I would be interested in. I cant believe all these people on here with there huge theaters arent doing this.

I really comes down to two things - one how long is your room, and two going with popular belief that for many years the experts have claimed that there is no benefit from using arrays in the home.

The reason I asked about the multi amps or running off the AVR is that the further back you sit, the more attenuation that part of the array will need.

If your going to do arrays you actually need a minimum of three speakers down each side wall at +/-60, +/-105 and +/150 degrees measured from a centre position between your seats.

The other choice of course a diffuse radiator, I use bipoles set to fire down the side walls. They don't get "lost" like dipoles can, and still work really well for MC music sources as well as film sound...

Mark

Im still not very serious about all of that, its just I cant help to think how much better the back got after I switched from 6.1 to 7.1.

Im still not very serious about all of that, its just I cant help to think how much better the back got after I switched from 6.1 to 7.1.


Ok the penny drops. Now yes 7.1 is way better than 6.1 simply because we image better at the back of our heads than we do at the sides.

When I added the second Back speaker, the first thing I noticed was that I no longer suffered the "pulling" effect if I moved of axis. Your not going to hear quite the same improvement to the effect at the sides.

Something to consider with 7.1 is that even with two rows of seating where the back row maybe slightly behind the LS and RS, your still in the sound field, where you would not be with a standard 5.1 set up...

Mark

I cant afford the Denon Pre, but their technology always trickles down...Denon has been doing A/B surrounds for a number of years on some of their up-model receivers. The intention wasn't to use both sets of surrounds at the same time but instead to have two options that can be configured based on source and preference. For example: the surround A pair can be dipoles placed directly at your sides for movie watching, while surrounds B can be monopoles placed more rearward for music listening. Either option can be used with or without the surround-back speakers. You can probably run both pairs of surrounds (A+B) simultaneously, but keep in mind that each side is running off a single amp.

Sanjay

Denon has been doing A/B surrounds for a number of years on some of their up-model receivers. The intention wasn't to use both sets of surrounds at the same time but instead to have two options that can be configured based on source and preference. For example: the surround A pair can be dipoles placed directly at your sides for movie watching, while surrounds B can be monopoles placed more rearward for music listening. Either option can be used with or without the surround-back speakers. You can probably run both pairs of surrounds (A+B) simultaneously, but keep in mind that each side is running off a single amp.

Sanjay
Right... I got tthe 3806. :) But it sounds to me like they are going to implement it in a way that can be used how I described.

Right... I got tthe 3806. :) But it sounds to me like they are going to implement it in a way that can be used how I described.

It will be interesting to see where they do go with this. I'd still say that you need some attenuation for the back row...

Mark

Clearly I'm looking past something. Don't all receivers that support 7.1 have two back channels? Or are talking about going to four rear channels?

BTW, I have a Yamaha 2700 and my friend (who's an audio semi-snob) said that he was really hear the difference with the expanded front sound field.

Clearly I'm looking past something. Don't all receivers that support 7.1 have two back channels? Or are talking about going to four rear channels?

BTW, I have a Yamaha 2700 and my friend (who's an audio semi-snob) said that he was really hear the difference with the expanded front sound field.
No... 2 on the right side, 2 on the left side and 2 on the back, as far as I can tell.

Go to this site http://dts.com/dts-hd/71-traditional.php and click through the various speaker setups. This will give some ideas.

Go to this site http://dts.com/dts-hd/71-traditional.php and click through the various speaker setups. This will give some ideas.
I know the various setups.... Denon appears to be offering something different.

Picture a 7.1 setup.... now instead of 1 speaker at the side, there would be 2. This would be extremely helpful for those who have long rooms.

I always thought of a 7.1 set up as having two speakers on the side. I'm probably missing something as was up late last night hunting down a rouge chipmunk in my home theatre area.

I always thought of a 7.1 set up as having two speakers on the side. I'm probably missing something as was up late last night hunting down a rouge chipmunk in my home theatre area.

You keep forgetting your front stereo pair :)

2 on each side, 2 in the back, 3 up front is 9.1

Typical 7.1 is 3 up front (LCR), 1 on each side, 2 in the back.