[joecc]

Noob but shopping,


1). For home theatre, if L and R fronts can only be 5 feet apart (bookshelf), is there really a need for a center speaker ie: would 4.1 be just as good? I'll get better speakers if I only have to buy 4.


2). Can the two rear speakers (5.1) be of lesser quality than the fronts due to their more minimal use without significant sound quality reduction? Should I buy better fronts?


This is the advice a local smallbox (in business for years) gave me


Or, should I just set up nicer 2.1, see how I like it, and then add from there if I want too?



11 x 16 room but opens up on one side


thanks!

 

[localnet]

How much money are you looking to spend? Don't mix and match your 3 front channels, and get a good sub. The rear surrounds you can match up later on.


Five feet apart? Explain?


Mike

 

[shadyJ]

It sounds like that is a smaller room, you might be ok without the center channel. The front left/rights can image a center channel very well, but only at one listening position. If you don't have a large seating area, you might be fine. I don't know how that will affect media with surround sound formats though, such as DTS, since a lot of dialogue is mixed for the center channel.


Also, your fronts should definitely be where the weight of your home theater is, especially if you want them to carry the center channel too. The rears mostly just play ambient effects and spatial cues, but they rarely do any heavy lifting. They are not stressed nearly as much as the front channels.


Two good speakers and a good sub will always sound better than five lesser ones, in my opinion. If I were you, I would try 2.1 and see how you like it. I mostly use 2.1 myself, and I don't miss much when I listen to 5.1 setups. In fact, in my opinion, my 2.1 sounds better than the 5.1 of my friends and family (theirs are mostly HTiB deals), for movies as well as music, because it has much better range, dynamic response, depth, and LFE. I know they would agree because everytime they hear it, they are always asking questions about it.

 

[joecc]

"Five feet apart? Explain?"


Mike


It'a a pretty narrow room. there is also an entryway on the wall I really need to put the TV on, that gives me 8', maybe less for the set up...and I want to be able to center the "thing" per my seating arrangemnt. Th R will have to sit right next to TV and entranceway. Corner no good for set up. maybe $400-650... with sub, not including reciever. small is good


ShadyJ,


thanks for the info and advice. the more I think about it, a better 2.1 seems appealing and flexible. I don't watch a ton of movies