5.1 vs 7.1 Setup??

reubenray

I am debating on setting up a 7.1 system in my permanent home or not. I will be using the FXi3 and FXi4 speakers for the rear and side surrounds. My concern is the space between the side surrounds and the rear surrounds will only be 4'. This is using the Dolby setup where the back surrounds are in the corners. Now if I use the THX setup (which shows the back surrounds being together and in the center of the room) the speakers will be further apart.

So will setting up a 7.1 system be worth it or not?

JohnLocke88

If you have the speakers, try it out and make the judgment call yourself. Your ears, not ours.

That said, as a general rule of thumb, a better positioned/calibrated 5.1 system WILL SOUND BETTER than a poorly positioned/calibrated 7.1, factor in that most movies still don't have 7.1 tracks (so you're dealing with matrixing... which still can sound pretty damn awesome mind you), and you have a situation where 7.1 MAY not be the best.

If you'd like, post some pictures of your set up, including listening position, or perhaps draw up a quick floorplan with distances. Doing so will help immeasurably when determining if 7.1 will work for you.

kuntasensei

Theatrical movies will never have 7.1 tracks, because they aren't necessary for the theatrical space. 7.1 exists primarily to achieve in the home what 5.1+EX achieves in the theater.

In my setup, I split the difference between the THX and Dolby placements, and I'm pretty happy with it. I also pulled the side surrounds very slightly forward of the listening position (using direct radiators, not dipoles), which most people will tell you is a no-no, but given the dispersion of my speakers, doing so gave me outstanding sidewall imaging and very precise panning around the room.

If you're using the FXiA4s on the back wall, change them to BIPOLE first. If you can place them strictly per Dolby's angles, do so and use DPL-IIx Movie to handle the matrix processing. Also, you might try running your side surrounds as bipoles once you have the rears in play, since you no longer need the dispersion of dipoles once you have a 4-speaker array handling the surrounds.

Ultimately, it'll all be about how it sounds to you though. Good luck!

reubenray

JohnLocke88 wrote: »

If you have the speakers, try it out and make the judgment call yourself. Your ears, not ours.

That said, as a general rule of thumb, a better positioned/calibrated 5.1 system WILL SOUND BETTER than a poorly positioned/calibrated 7.1, factor in that most movies still don't have 7.1 tracks (so you're dealing with matrixing... which still can sound pretty damn awesome mind you), and you have a situation where 7.1 MAY not be the best.

If you'd like, post some pictures of your set up, including listening position, or perhaps draw up a quick floorplan with distances. Doing so will help immeasurably when determining if 7.1 will work for you.

I have been looking for a free program that would let me draw up my floorplan, but have not found one yet.

DeusExa

Google Sketchup.

wutadumsn23

reubenray wrote: »

So will setting up a 7.1 system be worth it or not?

Placement guides aside, my most important factor to 7.1 is room size. If your room won't support it, then a properly setup 5.1 will outperform a cramped up 7.1 anyday.

-Jeff

cnh

+1,

But there are some people here that 'think' their living room is the size of an iMax theater. They have a half dozen subs in there--and even in their walls and floors, arrays of sides--rears--and even ceiling speakers, the latest 9.2 AVRs...and it's still not ENOUGH.

My advice! You want iMAX go buy a ticket or else your wife, if she has any sense, should divorce you! There are hobbies and then there are OBSESSIONS!!!

Intoxia Surroundus!! The opposite of anorexia for audiophiles.

cnh

wutadumsn23

cnh wrote: »

+1,

But there are some people here that 'think' their living room is the size of an iMax theater. They have a half dozen subs in there--and even in their walls and floors, arrays of sides--rears--and even ceiling speakers, the latest 9.2 AVRs...and it's still not ENOUGH.

My advice! You want iMAX go buy a ticket or else your wife, if she has any sense, should divorce you! There are hobbies and then there are OBSESSIONS!!!

Intoxia Surroundus!! The opposite of aneroxia for audiophiles.

cnh

LOL, I am with you on this one. 5.1 is plenty in a normal sized room, for both you and your wallet, lol.

-Jeff

Knucklehead

cnh wrote: »

Intoxia Surroundus!! The opposite of anorexia for audiophiles.

Thats some funny stuff....:D

kuntasensei

cnh wrote: »

+1,

But there are some people here that 'think' their living room is the size of an iMax theater. They have a half dozen subs in there--and even in their walls and floors, arrays of sides--rears--and even ceiling speakers, the latest 9.2 AVRs...and it's still not ENOUGH.

My advice! You want iMAX go buy a ticket or else your wife, if she has any sense, should divorce you! There are hobbies and then there are OBSESSIONS!!!

Intoxia Surroundus!! The opposite of anorexia for audiophiles.

cnh

Jeez... now I feel kinda' guilty for having 9.1.

wutadumsn23

kuntasensei wrote: »

Jeez... now I feel kinda' guilty for having 9.1.

LOL, to each his own. If my room could handle it I'd have 11.2 or 11.4, lol. If you have a big room, then you need more speakers to fill it up, I think cnh would agree. Just seems like everybody these days is jumping on the 7.1 (or higher) bandwagon cramming speakers in every nook and cranny in the rooms, when 5.1 would be just fine.

-Jeff

cnh

+1,

Ever hear the Bass in a great iMAX set up! INCREDIBLE! Could probably tear your house apart! Speaker arrays 'everywhere'...pretty impressive.

cnh

kuntasensei

wutadumsn23 wrote: »

LOL, to each his own. If my room could handle it I'd have 11.2 or 11.4, lol. If you have a big room, then you need more speakers to fill it up, I think cnh would agree. Just seems like everybody these days is jumping on the 7.1 (or higher) bandwagon cramming speakers in every nook and cranny in the rooms, when 5.1 would be just fine.

-Jeff

Yeah, my room's like 12'x18'.

concealer404

kuntasensei wrote: »

Yeah, my room's like 12'x18'.

Hahhahaa holy crap. I have a 12x16 room and i'm having a hard time fitting a decent 5.1 setup.

kuntasensei

concealer404 wrote: »

Hahhahaa holy crap. I have a 12x16 room and i'm having a hard time fitting a decent 5.1 setup.

Yup. And I'm sitting 10' back from a 100" screen in that space using a Sanyo PLV-Z2000 projector, with RTi70 mains, CSi40 center, 4 RTi28 surrounds and Monitor 30 heights, with a SVS 20-39CS+ and Buttkicker. Sure, it doesn't resemble a living room anymore, but it sounds fantastic!

concealer404

kuntasensei wrote: »

Yup. And I'm sitting 10' back from a 100" screen in that space using a Sanyo PLV-Z2000 projector, with RTi70 mains, CSi40 center, 4 RTi28 surrounds and Monitor 30 heights, with a SVS 20-39CS+ and Buttkicker. Sure, it doesn't resemble a living room anymore, but it sounds fantastic!

You're single, aren't you......

kuntasensei

concealer404 wrote: »

You're single, aren't you......

BAH HA HA HA! Yup, you nailed it. But when the screen's up, it sort of resembles a living room... with a lot of speakers in it.

wutadumsn23

kuntasensei wrote: »

Yeah, my room's like 12'x18'.

LOL, damn. Reminds me of that commercial where that guy is sitting like 2 feet from his speakers in that chair and his scarf/tie is flapping behind him.......

-Jeff

kuntasensei

wutadumsn23 wrote: »

LOL, damn. Reminds me of that commercial where that guy is sitting like 2 feet from his speakers in that chair and his scarf/tie is flapping behind him.......

-Jeff

Yeah, when the SVS gets pumpin', it's a little like that.

But... 9.1 is NICE!

concealer404

wutadumsn23

LOL, That's the one!! ^^ kuntasensei^^ Thanks concealer.

-Jeff

kuntasensei

BAH HA HA HA! Photoshop in a couple of RTi70s and a SVS sub and you'll pretty much have it.

wutadumsn23

That is hilarious, I can actually see you sitting there and that happening to you. One of the funniest things I have seen in awhile.

-Jeff

reeltrouble1

7.2 rocks the RTT.

RT1

kuntasensei

wutadumsn23 wrote: »

That is hilarious, I can actually see you sitting there and that happening to you. One of the funniest things I have seen in awhile.

-Jeff

I hit 109dB during The Haunting DTS once... and it pretty much felt like that picture. Heh...

wutadumsn23

kuntasensei wrote: »

I hit 109dB during The Haunting DTS once... and it pretty much felt like that picture. Heh...

LOL, insane. You are gonna go deaf soon. Must be a rockin system.

-Jeff

kuntasensei

Don't worry... Those are NOT typical listening levels. I'm usually at around -15dB from reference. But occasionally, you have to throw some material up against your sub and see where its limits are. After that run through of The Haunting, I realized that my SVS might have limits... but they were apparently well beyond where I was willing to turn the volume knob.

cnh

Everything has 'limits' but the most precious limit is your hearing...you don' want to damage that with constant greater than 85--90db+ sound levels.


cnh

kuntasensei

My law firm handles industrial hearing loss claims. It isn't the low frequencies that kill your hearing anyway. Trust me... I'm good.

wutadumsn23

kuntasensei wrote: »

My law firm handles industrial hearing loss claims. It isn't the low frequencies that kill your hearing anyway. Trust me... I'm good.

Oooooo, Mr. fancy Law guy, lol. Law don't go around here law dog!! My hearing is already crap anyway, just ask my wife.

-Jeff

kuntasensei

wutadumsn23 wrote: »

Oooooo, Mr. fancy Law guy, lol. Law don't go around here law dog!! My hearing is already crap anyway, just ask my wife.

-Jeff

Yeah, but aren't we all blessed with selective hearing when it comes to women? I guess you can't really pull out your SPL meter and say, "I'm sorry, honey, but your bitching exceeds OSHA standards for safe sound levels in the home... so I'm gonna leave the area of exposure now."

(Okay, maybe there's a reason I'm still single. )