5.1 & 2 channel music in same room

[lmc12304]

Hi guys im new to this. I need advice for the 7 klipsch speakers I bought. I don't have a clue about audio.  I do know these are some awesome speakers. I have learned a little. I'm wanting to do a 5.1 surround and a 2 channel for music. Which would you pair up?

I have a pair of Cornwall II

A single Cornwall I

Pair of forte II

Pair of forte I

                             Thanks

[dtel]

Welcome, good choices, I would first try the 3 Cornwalls across the front and forte's ll for rear. 

 

You could always switch out the Cornwalls and go fortes across the front, I just thought the Cornwalls might sound better in 2 ch. ? 

[Tony Whitlow]

You can run your AVR in 5.1 or stereo.


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[lmc12304]

23 minutes ago, dtel said:

Welcome, good choices, I would first try the 3 Cornwalls across the front and forte's ll for rear. 

 

You could always switch out the Cornwalls and go fortes across the front, I just thought the Cornwalls might sound better in 2 ch. ? 

Thank you dtel. if I do 2channel with the Cornwall II... will the single Cornwall sound good with the fortes?

[dtel]

I didn't realize you were talking about 2 seperate systems.

 

That makes it tougher, maby just use a switcher box to separate the front 2 cornwalls when you want 2 CH and switch it back for multi channel. (don't know the real name for that kind of box) I know Niles made them but expensive, but I am sure others did also.

Or if you were not looking to use different electronics for both just do like Tony Whitlow said, use the AVR for 2 Ch and multi channel.

[hsosdrummer]

If you optimize your system for performance in multi-channel for home theater there's no advantage to installing an additional system in the same room for 2-channel listening. dtel's recommendation of using the 3 Cornwalls across the front for L/C/R (with the Cornwall I as the center) and the Fortes for surround duties should sound incredibly good for both home theater and 2-channel if the speakers are positioned properly. If you use an AVR or surround processor that has a good music surround mode (like Harman Kardon's Logic 7) you can even listen to music in multi-channel, which will sound light-years better than listening to the same music in plain 2-channel.

[lmc12304]

7 hours ago, dtel said:

I didn't realize you were talking about 2 seperate systems.

 

That makes it tougher, maby just use a switcher box to separate the front 2 cornwalls when you want 2 CH and switch it back for multi channel. (don't know the real name for that kind of box) I know Niles made them but expensive, but I am sure others did also.

Or if you were not looking to use different electronics for both just do like Tony Whitlow said, use the AVR for 2 Ch and multi channel.

 

7 hours ago, dtel said:

I didn't realize you were talking about 2 seperate systems.

 

That makes it tougher, maby just use a switcher box to separate the front 2 cornwalls when you want 2 CH and switch it back for multi channel. (don't know the real name for that kind of box) I know Niles made them but expensive, but I am sure others did also.

Or if you were not looking to use different electronics for both just do like Tony Whitlow said, use the AVR for 2 Ch and multi channel.

Thank you dtel I'm gonna look into that. 

[Zen Traveler]

9 hours ago, Tony Whitlow said:

You can run your AVR in 5.1 or stereo.


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Or Dolby PLIIx. I would also see if you can redirect the bass to the subs for only 2 channel listening if you have some/a nice sub(s). 

[Khornukopia]

My Denon AVR owners manual shows that you can hook up a complete 7.1 surround system, plus a separate independent stereo pair of speakers, then switch back and forth between them by pressing a button to select DIRECT/STEREO listening mode for the 2 channel speakers, or selecting Surround listening mode for the complete surround speaker system. 

[dtel]

I think all AVR's do stereo only but never heard of a separate connection for stereo, pretty neat if you use different speakers for 2 ch.

[dtel]

22 hours ago, hsosdrummer said:

If you optimize your system for performance in multi-channel for home theater there's no advantage to installing an additional system in the same room for 2-channel listening.

True if you're using the same speakers and don't want different electronics for 2 ch.

 

My 2 Ch speakers are WAY better than the multi channel speakers, so I wanted it separate but in the same room. When I first got the 2 Ch speakers I used the pre outs from the AVR, I thought it was doing OK. After a while I separated it from the AVR and used a DAC with a volume knob as a preamp, same source, and the sound was MUCH better, not even close, big difference overall. You didn't have to listen for it, it was very obvious, now to be fair the 2 Ch speakers are very revealing and way more efficient than most speakers, about 110-112db @ 1 watt, you will hear any problems up the line with electronics. 

The AVR was more convenient for connecting just about anything but never again will I use a AVR for 2 CH. (unless it's the same speakers for both)

 

[Mighty Favog]

I have a Pioneer VSX-49TXi (I know...it's old) running 5-ch. Stereo even though the input is analog 2-ch.

[dtel]

18 hours ago, Mighty Favog said:

I have a Pioneer VSX-49TXi (I know...it's old) running 5-ch. Stereo even though the input is analog 2-ch.

VSX-82 TXS here don't feel bad, and I just got it at the pilgrimage, $100,  to replace my older one. 

 

Maby one day I will have one that's completely up to date ?

[Mighty Favog]

4 hours ago, dtel said:

VSX-82 TXS here don't feel bad, and I just got it at the pilgrimage, $100,  to replace my older one. 

 

Maby one day I will have one that's completely up to date ?

I got this one on Craigslist for $600 about 6-years ago. Overall, I like it. A heavy monster, it weighes half as much as I do. And the MCACC works great (well, I did boost the bass a bit).

 

Only thing I had to do was spray volume pot with tuner cleaner because it kept jumping volume levels while turning it.

[Born2RockU]

On 8/24/2017 at 4:35 PM, hsosdrummer said:

If you optimize your system for performance in multi-channel for home theater there's no advantage to installing an additional system in the same room for 2-channel listening. dtel's recommendation of using the 3 Cornwalls across the front for L/C/R (with the Cornwall I as the center) and the Fortes for surround duties should sound incredibly good for both home theater and 2-channel if the speakers are positioned properly. If you use an AVR or surround processor that has a good music surround mode (like Harman Kardon's Logic 7) you can even listen to music in multi-channel, which will sound light-years better than listening to the same music in plain 2-channel.

The IMAGING + DEPTH of the music would go 'out the window', if played in MULTI-CHANNEL. 

 

For discrete 2-channel listening, it is usually all about the SoundStaging !   ~ If that is of no interest, then I'd go to town in Multi-Stereo mode ! (Just my two cents, my friends )