[MannyE]

7 speakers...


Just thinking ab out it makes me imagine a mansion with a huge custom HT designed by top engineers and architects. A room decorated with an authentic pair of ruby slippers a working light saber and one of the real Harryhausen King Kongs sitting in a glass case.


I say that because after 17 yeas of enjoying a great 5.1 (well... 5.2 really because of the DefTech BP 2002 towers) I still see no way I can accomodate two more speakers in my 25x17 room... or is there?


It just seems to me that my room would have to be at least 10 feet longer to really take advantae of adding two side speakers to the rears.


And now that I'm upgrading after so long... moving up to a Mythos Supertower front end... I'm thinking about those two extra outlets in the pre and a stereo amp that would be prefect for powering those two extra channels... is it worth the effort? How much better can it get?

 

[lefthandluke]

i recently sold my back surrounds, leaving me temporarily with 5.1...i will tell you that i mss 'em. you have a nice size room... mine is similar at 24x14. depending on layout you should have ample space behind. if music is your priority, 5.1 will be fine...and don't get me wrong, 5.1 is usually outstanding for movies. but a true 7.1 title, like "super 8" makes a good argument for a 7.1 setup...

 

[Mike Garrett]

If my dedicated room was the size of yours, I would definitely have a 7.1 system. In my family room set up (larger room) I do have a 7.1 setup.

 

[sdurani]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MannyE  /t/1417206/5-1-vs-7-1#post_22161435


7 speakers...


Just thinking ab out it makes me imagine a mansion with a huge custom HT designed by top engineers and architects. A room decorated with an authentic pair of ruby slippers a working light saber and one of the real Harryhausen King Kongs sitting in a glass case.

Adding just 2 speakers to your current set-up makes you imagine all that?


My first 7.1 set-up was in a 11x13.5 spare bedroom. My futon was 8 feet from the front wall, giving me at least 5 feet of separation between the side and rear speakers.


That was 21 years ago (4 years before any discrete multi-channel material was released on laserdisc). Due to that, I've never associated 7 speakers with a huge custom HT, let alone a mansion. Just thought it was an easy way (adding 2 speakers) to get wrap-around envelopment and stable rear-vs-side imaging in the surround field.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MannyE  /t/1417206/5-1-vs-7-1#post_22161435


...is it worth the effort? How much better can it get?

Depends on several factors, including seating location, speaker placement and your hearing. If you can tell the difference between sounds coming from your sides vs sounds coming from behind you, then you'll be able to appreciate what a 7-speaker layout adds to the experience.

 

[C0rk]



Quote:
It just seems to me that my room would have to be at least 10 feet longer to really take advantage of adding two side speakers to the rears.

In a 5.1 system, the surround speakers go on the sides. So what would be really worthwhile is moving those rear speakers over to the side where they should be.


As for 7.1, it's really more of whether you have room behind your listening area, not so much room size.