Quote:
Originally Posted by goonstopher /forum/post/15509193
My reciever can do 7.1 (onkyo 805) - But not enough sources have 7.1 and my room is limited in placement.
Basically I am stuck haveing to put my rears (paradigm studio 20's) on stands to the rear and close to the seating position. To offset them localizing I was thinking of adding a lower level pair of ADP's (di-polar speakers) and placing them higher on the wall in the rear. Basically making a 5.1 but having the rears each have 2 speakers so its a 5.1 with 7 speakers.
First, is this a decent idea?
Second do I need 2 external stereo amps or can it be done with one set being powered directly by the receiever and the second being done by an external amp?
First of all, let's get the terminology straight. The surround speakers in a 5.1 setup should not be called "rears", particularly for the purposes of this discussion. They are simply "surrounds" or "side surrounds". "Side surrounds" is an almost necessary terminology when discussing 7.1 (or the "5.1 with 4 surround speakers" you are proposing, even).
If you are going to use 7 speakers, then why not try and use them in a "7.1" setup? Not a "5.1 with 4 surround speakers" setup. Your logic is not entirely sound. The whole reason people add a 6th and 7th channel is to accomplish almost exactly what you are seeking; a more expansive and enveloping surround soundstage. Now, if a 7.1 setup is not really feasible for you, and you are seeking a more diffuse 5.1 soundstage, then maybe you just need to use dipole/bipoles for your 2 surround speakers. However, that would not be MY solution. If it were me, I would definitely use the 20s for my surround speakers in a 5.1 setup.
Do you have some diagrams of your room posted in another thread (I seem to remember that you might)? If not, can you provide something? That would be helpful. If you are dead set on using 7 speakers, and based upon the needs you are describing, I would recommend just spreading your side surrounds as wide as possible, even if they ARE to the rear and placing the other 2 speakers you are proposing closer together and if possible, further to the rear. Perhaps even right next to one another in the center of the rear. Be aware that many people with 7.1 setups use dipole/bipole speakers as their side surrounds, though, with direct radiators as the rears.
And why would you need ANY external amps? Your receiver is equipped for 7 channels of amplification. If you want the same exact info to be sent to the side surround and rear surround speakers when listening to 5.1 material, this is easily doable. But why? I would be tempted to at the very least TRY to apply DPLIIx to 5.1 material with the setup you are proposing just to see what it sounds like.
