7.1 worth it over 5.1

xMEATx

I am considering adding two more speakers to my system. Is it worth it at this point? I have not seen alot of material that is 7.1. Your thoughts please.

Sami

Depends. I have the room now for 7.1 but I dediced to stick with 5.1, especially since I can get HD soundtracks only in 5.1. Room dimensions would be good background info.

xMEATx

The room is about 20 x 20.

engtaz

Acoustic nightmare. Box rooms are hard on reflections. Is that the dimmisions for all audio or are you splitting the room up. I like 7.1.

Serendipity

I only have a 5.1 system even though my receiver is 7.1. I'd rather have good speakers over more speakers.

jakelm

xMEATx wrote: »

The room is about 20 x 20.

Definatly 7.1 You have alot of space to fill up. And more and more movies are going 6.1

engtaz

With the width of your room you definitely need 7.1.

Sansui

What about a 12' x 13' living room? 7.1 "worth" it?

ben62670

appadv wrote: »

I only have a 5.1 system even though my receiver is 7.1. I'd rather have good speakers over more speakers.

Excellent point. Speakers, and amps in my case. Also setting up the side speakers (surrounds) next to you is annoying, and hard to adjust the levels if you have a couple people not sitting dead center. I like my surrounds behind me.

Enjoy Ben

dudeinaroom

Sansui wrote: »

What about a 12' x 13' living room? 7.1 "worth" it?

I've got about the same size room and I'm running 6.1 after running 5.1 for 2 years here. The improvement was definitely worth while. Stuff that was coming from behind you would sound like it started beside you and went forward, now it sounds as if if comes from behind or above you, and my rear center is sitting on the floor facing up(in an apartment and can not mount it on the wall).

Sansui

dudeinaroom wrote: »

I've got about the same size room and I'm running 6.1 after running 5.1 for 2 years here. The improvement was definitely worth while.

Do you have a 7.1 AVR like I do? If so, where to I find hookup info for 6.1? My manual only shows 5.1 and 7.1...

Willow

appadv wrote: »

I only have a 5.1 system even though my receiver is 7.1. I'd rather have good speakers over more speakers.

I'd rather have well positioned speakers over more speakers.

It won't hurt to go 7.1, you be set up for the future. But like I said I'd take a 3.1/5.1 which is set up the right way over 7.1 which is put up like ****

TN_Polk_Lover

My room is about 13 X 17 and I sit right in the middle of the room. I have set up 7.0 system (no sub-woofer yet). I am amazed at how good just regular old TV sounds (things with Music like American Idol) when running in Dolby IIxc mode. I guess some shows are broadcast in Dolby Surround mode and Dolby IIxc does a good job of spreading that out over the 7 channels.

xMEATx

I do have 7.1 avr. My set up is if I want to do 6.1, I use the left surround back out put. I dont know if that is the same as yours.

Nisqually Dave

Will srs 1.2tl work in a surround system

zingo

I can't stand surround modes when I watch TV. It just always sounds weird to me. Maybe I'm just behind the times, but I think that TV and music should be two channel.

Dave, there are many people who run SDA home theaters. I believe both of these guys use them.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=67759
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=70831

Eric W

I like 7.1 over 5.1, provided you can set up the 7.1 properly- this includes *not* having the couch backed up to the rear wall. But having both side and surround back speakers the same height, same line of speakers (ideally the same model) and less important the same distance from the listening areas.

The receiver/processor will sythesize the #6 and #7 channels based on the #4 and #5 channels to create an enveloping sound field.

FWIW I use 2 pairs of LSiFX in a 13.5x17" room and it sounds great.

engtaz

Use a sound meter and adjust as need to get the same reading on each speaker.-sub