[Davecraze]

My room is 17 long by 13 wide and I have one row of seats that will be 14 feet from my screen and 2.5 to 3 feet from the back wall. Any advice on whether my room is too small for 7 channels (vs 5?). Thanks

 

[quadriverfalls]

Dave-


The room isn't necessarily too small, I think it would more depend on the ability to place the two side surrounds in the correct position directly beside and above the listening position. There is plenty of room behind the listening position to put your surround speakers.


Take a look at the Dolby and THX web sites for their placement recommendations and compare them with your room. I'll say this again as I often have.... a properly laid out and calibrated 5.1 system will sound far better than a poorly laid out 7.1 system will. Adding speakers doesn't always make things sound better.


Good luck with your layout.

 

[Davecraze]

Thanks. I have read that the rear surround speakers should be 5-6 feet behind you in a properly set up 7 channel system. Was curious if people are using them 2-3 feet behind them, as my room would be set up.

 

[SoundChex]

Here are some posts I made recently on this topic in another thread...

Quote:
Originally Posted by SoundChex /forum/post/16817507

Quote:
Originally Posted by DogEarz /forum/post/16806756

Quote:
Originally Posted by SoundChex /forum/post/16804692

Quote:
Originally Posted by SoundChex /forum/post/16798556


I have an 11' x 11' home office in which I run a 6.1 plus 2x Yamaha Front Presence speaker config. I get very different results from the 5.1, 6.1, and 5.1 plus Presence playback configurations. I use all direct speakers, but you might [also] consider bipole/dipole, or co-located Lb/Rb configurations before you totally dismiss a 7.1 setup.

I'm sitting here [in my 11' x 11' home office] listening to "Remember That Night/ David Gilmour/ Live At The Royal Albert Hall" DVD in DD5.1+DPLIIxMusic and I can clearly distinguish audience applause from each of the Ls/Cs/Rs speakers individually.


[Mains: 2x Yamaha AST-S1; Center, Ls, Cs, Rs, Front_Presence(2): 6x Polk R15; Sub: Infinity TSS-450SUB.]

Yeah, but are you sitting against the back wall? That's the main concern with the OP's situation. For the OP to get the most from 7.1, they need space behind them to really get any advantage.

Since you ask, and just to see, I played the first cannon engagement from "Master and Commander" [SD, dts5.1] and sat under the center surround while I cycled the receiver through dts5.1 [i.e., no post processing], and three available post processing surround options: dts-ES(matrix), dts+DolbyEX, and dts+DPLIIxMusic. There was a "noticeably fuller" rear surround field when any surround post processing was engaged... [Cannon balls overhead!!!

]