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What will work best depends on the shape and size of the room and the materials and furnishings.
In general, inwall speakers are limited in sound quality and power output and should be avoided. On the other hand, some rooms don't give you too many options.
As far as specific products to recommend, that is a matter of all of the above plus your budget for the system and your objectives for its usage and performance.
In most rooms, IMO, going to additional channels when you already have 7.1 is not always an upgrade but a lateral move that will give you something different but possibly not better.
There is so little media that is actually recorded with that many discrete channels that I usually recommend against it.
I often find that upgrading the quality of the speakers you have makes much more sense than adding more channels. More is not the same as better. Some of the best systems I have ever heard are 2.1 or 5.1.
But only a detailed analysis of what you have and what you may be willing to spend can answer the questions that arise.
In general, inwall speakers are limited in sound quality and power output and should be avoided. On the other hand, some rooms don't give you too many options.
As far as specific products to recommend, that is a matter of all of the above plus your budget for the system and your objectives for its usage and performance.
In most rooms, IMO, going to additional channels when you already have 7.1 is not always an upgrade but a lateral move that will give you something different but possibly not better.
There is so little media that is actually recorded with that many discrete channels that I usually recommend against it.
I often find that upgrading the quality of the speakers you have makes much more sense than adding more channels. More is not the same as better. Some of the best systems I have ever heard are 2.1 or 5.1.
But only a detailed analysis of what you have and what you may be willing to spend can answer the questions that arise.
The rear speakers in my set-up are just as active as the sides. Sounds that would have phantom imaged behind you in a 5.1 set-up are instead extracted and sent to the rear speakers in a 7.1 set-up.Quote:
Originally Posted by snarks /t/1418759/7-1-which-speakers-are-used-most#post_22191011
i'm considering upgrading from 7.1 and I am curious which speakers are used the most in a system like this, sides or rears.
Wall mounting is prefered, since surround sound is intended (mixed) to be heard from around you, not above you. However, if you have to ceiling mount, then spread the side speakers as far apart as symmetrically possible and the rear speakers as far behind you as you can. This will give give more of an impression of the surround speakers being high up on the walls rather than overhead.Quote:
Originally Posted by snarks /t/1418759/7-1-which-speakers-are-used-most#post_22191011
I am aslo curious if wall or ceiling mounted are preferred
To answer your question directly, the majority of movies are 5.1 mixed natively. We are seeing more and more 7.1 mixed Blu-Ray tracks and some of them are quite dynamic, so if you are really into movies, 7.1 can certainly add to your enjoyment. You can also buy a receiver that will matrix 7.1 sound from a 5.1 track, but I have been less than impressed with these types of mixes vs a movie that was mixed with 7.1 in mind. A few caveats:
- I would focus my budget on the left, right, center, and subwoofer. Those are the most important speakers and where the vast majority of sound and dialogue will come from.
- Your room will dictate if 7.1 works. Some people just do not have the right room to fit 7 speakers.
- Ideally you want the tweeter ear level when standing for the rear channels. In-wall will work just fine as long as you have the right height and distance. In-ceiling would be less than ideal, than on-wall or in-wall but you can buy in-ceiling speakers like the Speakercraft AIM series that allow you to aim the woofers and tweeters to the desired angle.
It really just comes down to budget.
Quote:
Originally Posted by snarks /t/1418759/7-1-which-speakers-are-used-most#post_22191011
i'm considering upgrading from 7.1 and I am curious which speakers are used the most in a system like this, sides or rears. I am aslo curious if wall or ceiling mounted are preferred
To answer your question directly, the majority of movies are 5.1 mixed natively. We are seeing more and more 7.1 mixed Blu-Ray tracks and some of them are quite dynamic, so if you are really into movies, 7.1 can certainly add to your enjoyment. You can also buy a receiver that will matrix 7.1 sound from a 5.1 track, but I have been less than impressed with these types of mixes vs a movie that was mixed with 7.1 in mind. A few caveats:
- I would focus my budget on the left, right, center, and subwoofer. Those are the most important speakers and where the vast majority of sound and dialogue will come from.
- Your room will dictate if 7.1 works. Some people just do not have the right room to fit 7 speakers.
- Ideally you want the tweeter ear level when standing for the rear channels. In-wall will work just fine as long as you have the right height and distance. In-ceiling would be less than ideal, than on-wall or in-wall but you can buy in-ceiling speakers like the Speakercraft AIM series that allow you to aim the woofers and tweeters to the desired angle.
It really just comes down to budget.
I was considering these B&W ccm 7.5's for rears . I was assuming the angle of the speaker would make up for some of the other challenges in-ceiling speakers have. This the case ?
http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Speakers/Custom_Installation/CI_Series/CI-700.html
http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Speakers/Custom_Installation/CI_Series/CI-700.html
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