[rgathright]

My receiver has a 7.1 analog setup which is the reason I chose the Panny. In the past I have been using a 5.1 speaker setup with my surrounds setup as sides. Now I am in a different house and am considering buying my other 2 speakers and have a few questions. Right now my surrounds are in the rear, the 2 new speakers would be swapped with them and move the currents rears to the sides.


Will the audio be notable better using all 7 speakers even though there is no 7.1 sound tracks?


If the above answer is no what audio do I send to the surrounds now being used (which are in the back and having the side surround sent to them)?


If the audio is not notable better I will just save my money for now.

 

[madpoet]

Ok... lot's of questions here. Please understand that this is OPINION. I love PLIIx processing to provide 7.1 surround. I think it is more immersive than 5.1, especially given the size of my room. But you had better make sure your receiver can apply PLIIx processing to the analog inputs, because a lot can't.

 

[Jon Spackman]

OP-


where do you sit in your room? can you place speakers beside you and behind you with some distance between them? what are your room dimensions?


As Sanjay says "a good 5.1 is always better than a crappy 7.1"

 

[RioRebel]

I moved from a room that couldn't justify more than 5.1 (the seating was against the back wall), to a theater room with two rows of seats. In the new theater room, I started with the 5.1 setup, with the surrounds positioned appropriately a couple feet behind the main seat.


I eventually moved to a 7.1 setup. The main reason was to provide better surround audio to the other seats in the theater. In the process, I moved my original surrounds to more of a side position, and added two rears to the back wall.


Is the sound more immersive? Sure. Is it noticable? Yes. I like the new setup, and I can clearly hear a difference.


But those two questions don't necessarilly answer the third: Is it worth the cost and effort? In my case, it was, but partly because I was significantly improving the sound for my rear row as well. And I also already had the two extra speakers, and I had already run the rear wires anticipating the move. If you told me I would need to move two existing speakers, run wires to the back, and buy two more matching speakers, it would be close. I'd still want it, but it would be a little harder to justify.


If you do it, you probably did the right thing. If you don't, you shouldn't feel like you're missing a huge part of the experience.


Hope this helps.

 

[rgathright]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon Spackman /forum/post/0


OP-


where do you sit in your room? can you place speakers beside you and behind you with some distance between them? what are your room dimensions?


As Sanjay says "a good 5.1 is always better than a crappy 7.1"

The rears will be about 10' behind us and the sides will be about 4' from us on each side.

 

[sdurani]



Quote:
Originally Posted by rgathright /forum/post/0


The rears will be about 10' behind us and the sides will be about 4' from us on each side.

With the seating area away from the back wall, you're a prime candidate for a 7.1-speaker set-up. You have enough distance to get excellent rear-vs-side separation and wrap-around envelopment in the surround field. Difficult to do with only 2 surround speakers.


The problem is that feeding your receiver through its multi-channel analogue inputs won't give you 7.1 channels. You could use Y-splitters on the surround outputs of your player and feed each channel to its respective side and rear inputs on the receiver. But playing back each channel through more than one speaker doesn't mean you have more channels. So it's not really 7.1.


Plus you could end up with problems. Each side and rear speaker will be getting the same feed from the player, but those two speakers will be different models and will be placed at different distances. How will you find one calibrated setting on the player that will satisfy both sets of speakers?


You can try it (Y-connectors are cheap), and keep running that way if you like the results. However, if you want to hear what 7.1 is capable of, you'll have to (unfortunately) use the lower resolution tracks on your HD DVD or Blu-ray titles and feed them via a digital connection to your receiver. This way, the Panny will be able to apply Dolby Pro Logic IIx processing (which madpoet mentioned), and send independent signals to each of your 4 surround speakers (no dual-mono).


Good Luck,

Sanjay

 

[RioRebel]



Quote:
Originally Posted by sdurani /forum/post/0


With the seating area away from the back wall, you're a prime candidate for a 7.1-speaker set-up. You have enough distance to get excellent rear-vs-side separation and wrap-around envelopment in the surround field. Difficult to do with only 2 surround speakers.


The problem is that feeding your receiver through its multi-channel analogue inputs won't give you 7.1 channels. You could use Y-splitters on the surround outputs of your player and feed each channel to its respective side and rear inputs on the receiver. But playing back each channel through more than one speaker doesn't mean you have more channels. So it's not really 7.1.


Plus you could end up with problems. Each side and rear speaker will be getting the same feed from the player, but those two speakers will be different models and will be placed at different distances. How will you find one calibrated setting on the player that will satisfy both sets of speakers?


You can try it (Y-connectors are cheap), and keep running that way if you like the results. However, if you want to hear what 7.1 is capable of, you'll have to (unfortunately) use the lower resolution tracks on your HD DVD or Blu-ray titles and feed them via a digital connection to your receiver. This way, the Panny will be able to apply Dolby Pro Logic IIx processing (which madpoet mentioned), and send independent signals to each of your 4 surround speakers (no dual-mono).


Good Luck,

Sanjay

I don't understand this post. The Panasonic has 7.1 analog outs, and he said his receiver has 7.1 analog. Why does he need Y-splitters? Am I missing something obvious?

 

[sdurani]



Quote:
Originally Posted by RioRebel /forum/post/0


Why does he need Y-splitters?

Because there won't be anything coming from the surround-back outputs of the player, only the surround outputs; which means that 2 of the 4 surround speakers will be silent. I don't know the specifics of the player but, when playing back 5.1-channel soundtracks, will it send each surround channel to the surround and surround-back outputs?


Sanjay

 

[sdurani]



Quote:
Originally Posted by sdurani /forum/post/0


the Panny will be able to apply Dolby Pro Logic IIx processing

Typo: meant to say the receiver will be able to apply PLIIx.


Sanjay

 

[rgathright]

My receiver also will play PLIIx.


But will the audio come out of all of the speakers?

 

[madpoet]

If it can apply PLIIx processing to the analog inputs, yes.

 

[rgathright]



Quote:
Originally Posted by madpoet /forum/post/0


If it can apply PLIIx processing to the analog inputs, yes.

My receiver does do PLIIx, but I have to set my receiver for PureAudio (to make the analogs work) which actually takes it out of the PLIIx mode.


Is this correct?

 

[sdurani]



Quote:
Originally Posted by rgathright /forum/post/0


I have to set my receiver for PureAudio (to make the analogs work) which actually takes it out of the PLIIx mode.

That's how the analogue multi-channel inputs work on most receivers. It's a simple pass-through with volume control. So no bass management, time alignment, surround processing (PLIIx), etc. In which case, there's no way to convert 5.1 soundtracks to 7.1 channels.


Sanjay

 

[rgathright]



Quote:
Originally Posted by sdurani /forum/post/0


That's how the analogue multi-channel inputs work on most receivers. It's a simple pass-through with volume control. So no bass management, time alignment, surround processing (PLIIx), etc. In which case, there's no way to convert 5.1 soundtracks to 7.1 channels.


Sanjay

So in a nutshell it will not sound any better by getting the 2 additional speakers until there is a 7.1 soundtrack?


Now this is not bad, but do not want to take the time and spend the money to setup the other speakers for no return.


But here is another question that is not BD related. Will any digital audio from either OTA-HD or digital D* give me audio out of the extra set of speakers?

 

[madpoet]

Yes, with PLIIx.

 

[Jon Spackman]



Quote:
Originally Posted by rgathright /forum/post/0


So in a nutshell it will not sound any better by getting the 2 additional speakers until there is a 7.1 soundtrack?


Now this is not bad, but do not want to take the time and spend the money to setup the other speakers for no return.


But here is another question that is not BD related. Will any digital audio from either OTA-HD or digital D* give me audio out of the extra set of speakers?

If you have a 2 ch source, you will get sound from all 8 speakers, with a 5.1 source (say optical from a SAT box) you will not use the back unless you have a receiver that will apply PLIIx even to 5.1 sources (like my Yam 2700 does if you select that option on the remote). otherwise you will have 5.1 and the other 22 speakers doing nothing.


You will likely enjoy using optical or coax out from your HD discs and using a reciever that will apply PLIIx (or logic 7) to 5.1 sources. That will give you 7.1 sound from all dvds and HD discs. Sounds very good.


Besides, 99% of movies are mixed for 5.1, so the only way to get 7.1 is through processing somewhere anyhow. SO why not let it be in your receiver instead of waiting for the studios to offer that processing. Its coming from 5.1 anyway you look at it.

 

[sdurani]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon Spackman /forum/post/0


you will have 5.1 and the other 22 speakers doing nothing

Sure, but when DTS releases the new 27.1-channel re-re-re-master of 'The Haunting', those other 22 speakers will kick in and make the rest of us look like amateurs.


Sanjay

 

[Jon Spackman]



Quote:
Originally Posted by sdurani /forum/post/0


Sure, but when DTS releases the new 27.1-channel re-re-re-master of 'The Haunting', those other 22 speakers will kick in and make the rest of us look like amateurs.


Sanjay

haha, meant 2 not 22.

 

[rgathright]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon Spackman /forum/post/0



You will likely enjoy using optical or coax out from your HD discs and using a reciever that will apply PLIIx (or logic 7) to 5.1 sources. That will give you 7.1 sound from all dvds and HD discs. Sounds very good.

So if I connect it using optical and PLIIx it will work for all 8 speakers and sound better than using analog and 6 speakers? This is with a 5.1 soundtrack. How would a 6.1 soundtrack work?


Just checking being so many posters have been raving about using analogs.

 

[sdurani]



Quote:
Originally Posted by rgathright /forum/post/0


So if I connect it using optical and PLIIx it will work for all 8 speakers and sound better than using analog and 6 speakers?

Yes, it will use all 8 speakers, sending unique content to each of the 4 surrounds. As for whether it will sound better, that depends on your priorities.


Using the optical connection means you'll be listening to the lossy DD or DTS track. With the multi-channel analogue connection, you can listen to the uncompressed PCM soundtrack. The former will give you 7.1 playback, the latter will give you better fidelity.


You'll have to choose what's more important to you.


Sanjay