3.1 Surround?

jtoddaz
jtoddaz Posts: 37
edited June 2007 in Speakers
I'm thinking of switching to just a 3.1 system, because I rarely hear anything out of the rears and they are on speaker stands in the back of the room. My setup is Csi3 center, Rti6 fronts, psw10(i think) sub, and r15 rears powered by a HK 435 receiver. Any thought? Is this crazy thinking, or have you heard good left to right surround without rears?
Post edited by jtoddaz on
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Dennis Gardner
    Dennis Gardner Posts: 4,861
    edited June 2007
    I use a 3.1 type of setup in my living room since I don't want rears cluttering up the place, but if it was my only rig, I would find a way to have surrounds in the mix, since with certain films, the soundtrack is key to whole movie experience.

    For poor cable TV usage, no real need for surrounds, for DVDs, I prefer them.
    HT Optoma HD25 LV on 80" DIY Screen, Anthem MRX 300 Receiver, Pioneer Elite BDP 51FD Polk CS350LS, Polk SDA1C, Polk FX300, Polk RT55, Dual EBS Adire Shiva 320watt tuned to 17hz, ICs-DIY Twisted Prs, Speaker-Raymond Cable

    2 Channel Thorens TD 318 Grado ZF1, SACD/CD Marantz 8260, Soundstream/Krell DAC1, Audio Mirror PP1, Odyssey Stratos, ADS L-1290, ICs-DIY Twisted , Speaker-Raymond Cable
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited June 2007
    Keep it at 5.1. You have a setup problem. Have you calibrated your system? Also, check your settings.
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jtoddaz
    jtoddaz Posts: 37
    edited June 2007
    thanks for the input
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jtoddaz
    jtoddaz Posts: 37
    edited June 2007
    no, I was not able to calibrate with the microphone HK gave me. I heard sound going through all the speakers during the setup, but it would end early and say unsuccessful. So maybe that is the problem.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Bill Ayotte
    Bill Ayotte Posts: 1,860
    edited June 2007
    Your rear speakers may be too far from the microphone, making calibration unsuccessful....how far are your rear speakers in relation to where you put the microphone? I had a similar problem with a friends system...Placement can be a **** sometimes...
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jtoddaz
    jtoddaz Posts: 37
    edited June 2007
    It is a large great room. so I sit in the middle of my couch with the microphone which is in the middle of the room. the rear speakers are about 6 feet behind the couch and one of them is sort of behind a baby grand piano, so maybe with no direct line of sight between that speaker and the microphone, that is the problem. If it is, is there a way I calibrate it without?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Bill Ayotte
    Bill Ayotte Posts: 1,860
    edited June 2007
    The only other way is trial and error man....It takes some time, but sit in the prime spot and adjust the gains for the rears until they sound good to you....Even auto calibration sometimes screws up......So if you were able to get the auto cal. to work, it still may not sound good to you....It's all about trusting your ears, maybe have your better half or a friend sit on the other end of the couch to see how it sounds to her/him when it sounds good to you....I assume you don't watch alone....It may take some time and be frustrating, but at the end of it all you will be happy you took the time to do it...
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jtoddaz
    jtoddaz Posts: 37
    edited June 2007
    Thanks everyone for the replies. I will try that out.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Sansui
    Sansui Posts: 372
    edited June 2007
    You could get a Sound Level Meter from Radio Shack ($45.00 to $50.00) and set your front and back speakers to 75 or 80. I used mine after the auto-cal did it's thing. After using the meter all my speakers sounded "balanced" like they should for where I sit to watch movies.
    Be gentle, I'm new to all this...

    The mind blowing speed of the BRAIN TRAIN...
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Sami
    Sami Posts: 4,634
    edited June 2007
    I would also recommend getting something to put the speakers up to the wall, if possible. Having them on stands is too low and will affect the overall surround effect.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter