Started with 5.1 to 7.2 NOW 9.2 Surround!

[elninoloco7]

I received my new Onkyo TX-NR818 (NewEgg $639.99)! I am coming from a 7 year old Denon 2307, which has been a fantastic receiver to date. I needed a new receiver with HDMI for my living room, so i opted to purchase a new receiver for the Dedicated HT and move the Denon to my living room.

I had an old pair of Polk R40 speakers in the garage, so i joined it with my Klipsch Reference speakers to test out this new 9.2 set up people have been talking about. I placed the Polk speakers as front wide because i figure my theater would benefit from that more than heights. (Receiver has 7 channel out but expandable to 9 channel processing with external amp.

I am using a Sherwood Newcastle A-965 7 channel amp for all surround, center, and front wide speakers and the Onkyo for my Front Mains. To add, i am using two PSA XV15

After Audyssey XT32 set up, i popped in Tron: Legacy (7.1 DTS MA), and tuned into the "Games" scene. My gosh, i didn't think i'd hear a difference, but those Wide's most definitely make the front stage sound larger that it really is. The rear surrounds aren't sacrificed by the front wide output either.

After watching the train crash scene in the movie Super 8 (DTS HDMA 7.1); I honestly don't think i can go back under 9.x now haha

Heck, if my receiver allowed for 11.x for heights i'd give that a go, but then i'd probably think too much "rawness" of the original soundtrack is taken from its "dedicated" channels.

However, I did watched The Matrix, which was recorded in TrueHD 5.1, and the 9.x sounded a tad "artificial" that of 5.1 (or with 7.1 processing).

My original thought was if the front wide's made a difference i was to purchase either Klipsch RF 42s or RB 51 (or the RB 15s used). But the Polk "To my ears" seems blends in with the Klipsch (despite it being worlds apart in difference) for movies. Now i'd imagine with a trained ear and when listening to songs, there would be a difference in sound, but i always listen to music in Stereo mode anyhow.

Anyway i thought i would share my thoughts in 9.x. If you have any suggestion in my front wide speaker placement feel free to chime in.

My Speaker angles:

SBL 145
SL 108
WL 60
FL 35
C 0
FR 33
WR 60
SR 105
SBR 145

BEFORE 9.x with Klipsch Grills Off

[Frzninvt]

^{Been running 9.2 for awhile myself and totally agree that you get totally immersed into the movie especially those with very active soundtracks. The ones recorded in the 7.1 DTS MA do seem to sound the best. I don't trust the automatic (i.e. Audyssey) speaker level adjustments though I do it with a setup disc, SPL meter and my ears.}

[elninoloco7]

^{Been running 9.2 for awhile myself and totally agree that you get totally immersed into the movie especially those with very active soundtracks. The ones recorded in the 7.1 DTS MA do seem to sound the best. I don't trust the automatic (i.e. Audyssey) speaker level adjustments though I do it with a setup disc, SPL meter and my ears.}

I actually fine tune it with my SPL meter after Audyssey set up is complete, so far, Audyssey has been fairly accurate.

Also what 9+ channel listening mode do you set yours as?

I feel DTS Neo X has given me the best results compared to Audussey and THX 9.x+ mode. (It seems that Dolby Pro Logic IIz is meant for heights and not wide)

[akdave]

elninoloco - your room looks great! Between 9.2 and the acoustic treatments - I imagine your room sounds immersive and clean! Nice work! Do you have treatments behind your curtain or does the curtain take up enough echo?

[derrickdj1]

9.x is a great setup if the room is right for it. The speakers have to be placed far enough apart/height since the big benefit is form the spatial cues delivered by the FW, FH, and Surround Back speakers. I am glad you like it elninoloco7. That is a nice room for your HT.

[elninoloco7]

elninoloco - your room looks great! Between 9.2 and the acoustic treatments - I imagine your room sounds immersive and clean! Nice work! Do you have treatments behind your curtain or does the curtain take up enough echo?

Thank you,

I have a bunch of equipment/flat screen TV boxes, my server, and my Audio rack behind the curtain (it's a mess behind there haha). As far my acoustic treatment, the side treatments need to be lowered and/or rearranged as i use to have the side surround much higher, therefor my the upper acoustics aren't really doing much anymore. Looks like i have a christmas vacation project on my list haha.

That being said, as it stands right now, i don't notice improper sound reflection nor any sort of echo's. Nothing but pure clean sound at reference level volumes

Edited December 2, 2013 by elninoloco7

[Wardsweb]

Looking good! Not long before you morph into 11.2 and beyond. Just wait and see when Dolby Atmos makes it to residential theaters.

[Sancho Panza]

Looking good! Not long before you morph into 11.2 and beyond. Just wait and see when Dolby Atmos makes it to residential theaters.

Wonder how many speakers that will require? Not that anyone knows; to be safe, I'm buying all the Quality Klipsch I can find at reasonable, to me, prices.

[akdave]

Looking good! Not long before you morph into 11.2 and beyond. Just wait and see when Dolby Atmos makes it to residential theaters.

Wonder how many speakers that will require? Not that anyone knows; to be safe, I'm buying all the Quality Klipsch I can find at reasonable, to me, prices.

We'll all be in spousal negotiation mode when we find out we "only need" three or four pair of speakers along our ceilings and 'then' it will be just right...

[Sancho Panza]

Not.me; we're improving the wife's system, too. She gets the 1st set if Klipschorns because she has the best corners...

[elninoloco7]

Well i'm single, so as long as my wallet allows for it, it's happening ..... Anyways, I don't see Dolby Atmos in homes anytime soon. I may have to go for in-ceiling speakers in the event that it does just because i would think any other way would look out of place.

I saw the latest Star Trek in Dolby Atmos while visiting L.A., and it did indeed sound amazing! From my home, the closest Dolby Atmos cinema is 5 hours away in the DC area .

[sully141]

I like, Perfect movie room setup. My goal is to have something similar in the near future.

[Heritage_Head]

Great room sir . Great job on hiding the wires. I know from experience how much work that is. Its a great feeling though when its done. Its really needed if you want that clean look.

I have one question… Why do you run your fronts off the avr and the rest off the amp? Most set ups run the front 3 off the same amp and the rest from the avr or any extra channels left from the amp.

[elninoloco7]

Great room sir . Great job on hiding the wires. I know from experience how much work that is. Its a great feeling though when its done. Its really needed if you want that clean look.

I have one question… Why do you run your fronts off the avr and the rest off the amp? Most set ups run the front 3 off the same amp and the rest from the avr or any extra channels left from the amp.

I had no idea that most people did that. I guess that would make sort of sense to have even amount of power/sound coming from the front. As far as why i chose the fronts, it was just random, i guess i wanted to hear how the Onkyo performed in stereo mode haha. In the end all sounds blend in nicely.

I like, Perfect movie room setup. My goal is to have something similar in the near future.

Thanks, i would say it has taken roughly 7 or 8 years to get to where i am now. It started as this back in 2006....

Edited December 9, 2013 by elninoloco7

[TasDom]

I went from 5.2 to 7.2 then 9.2 earlier this year. I LOVE it and will never go backwards from here.

Very nice room BTW!

Edited December 9, 2013 by Tasdom

[MichaelandKlipsch]

I tried messing with 9.4 setup about 2 years ago and found it to be not my thing. I tried height and wide speakers but wasn’t crazy about the sound. I prefer the original discrete channels truer to the source I suppose. Now when we see new dolby and Dts codecs maybe implementing ceiling speakers such as dolby atmos does I’ll be happy to once again give Klipsch my money. Glad you are enjoying the setup. I haven’t owned an onkyo in a very long time but when I did it was a great receiver.

[MichaelandKlipsch]

Also I will note that Acoustic treatments made a world of difference in my room (11 Ats panels) and I also feel the Curatin has added a nice echoc absorption as well. When the films are playing it is opened to reveal the screen but there is about 3 feet of curtain on either side of my screen that adds to covering up wall space when the automated curtain is fully open. I’ll snap some photos later. Room looks great and I second Reference Heads Comment. I placed all of my wiring inside the walls while the home was being built but thankfully the rooms placement allows for me to go in and completely behind 3 of 4 of the walls. My audio rack is the only thing exposed in the theater but no cabling anywhere even thr projector is in a recessed alcove. It’s on the 4th floor as a dedicated theater room (nothing else on the 4th floor) and it is surrounded by attic space with noise insulating insolation. P.S. I love the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Poster I have that as well up in my garage. The last photo is of the screen before adding the automated curtain system and once the THX Ultra 2 7.4 system was in place. What size screen and projector do you use?

[elninoloco7]

^^ That is indeed a super clean room you have there. Those 4 subs must dominate in a room of that size!

As of now my projector is an old Mitsubishi HC1500 with a 106" screen. When the Bulb goes out on this one i'll be upgrading to a 3D projector and one that can throw 120" image from 13-14 feet away.

EDIT: Also to add, it looks like your room is perfect for 5.x surround sound set-up. Plus I feel you get the most rawness of sound output because nothing is being "re-processed" to other non-discrete channels. I believe in a 5.x set-up as long as you have the rear surrounds set up properly, it can create the illusion of having rear surround sound

Edited December 11, 2013 by elninoloco7

[Klipschht]

elninoloco7, what were your two old subs? By your picture I think they are the JBL that I have. I have never seen anyone with them, I bought mine over ten years ago, and just yesterday got a SVS PB-13 Ultra. Your room looks great! I do not have the room for wides but am considering doing the heights.

[MichaelandKlipsch]

Yeah these are some older photos the room is actually about 14 ft deep and about 24’ wide and 10’ high but I have recently placed two KS-525s as surround back channels. Definitely the 4 THX subs are the show stoppers.