Max_Durham Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 I am in the process of upgrading receivers. I currently have a 6.1 setup and would like to maintain that with a new receiver. Most of the new receivers are 7.1. How do I maintain a 6.1 setup when the back panel for the 7.1 receivers has 2 back surrunds (my current 6.1 receiver has a "rear center" channel). If I stay with a 6.1 setup, will the 7.1 receivers be able to send a discrete signal to my one and only one rear center? I'm guessing the receiver manual will indicate that one of the back surround channels is the discrete channel in a 6.1 setup. Can you 7.1 owners clarify this for me. Thanks for your help and I aplogize if this is a dumb question. Max Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meuge Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 ---------------- On 6/20/2005 10:59:12 PM Max_Durham wrote: I am in the process of upgrading receivers. I currently have a 6.1 setup and would like to maintain that with a new receiver. Most of the new receivers are 7.1. How do I maintain a 6.1 setup when the back panel for the 7.1 receivers has 2 back surrunds (my current 6.1 receiver has a "rear center" channel). If I stay with a 6.1 setup, will the 7.1 receivers be able to send a discrete signal to my one and only one rear center? I'm guessing the receiver manual will indicate that one of the back surround channels is the discrete channel in a 6.1 setup. Can you 7.1 owners clarify this for me. Thanks for your help and I aplogize if this is a dumb question. Max ---------------- I do believe that most, if not all of 7.1-capable receivers are perfectly backwards compatible and will host a 6.1 system with no problem at all, as long as you set them up correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMcGoo Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Max, My receiver specifies which surround back speaker to connect (the left one), if you use only one. Two surround back speakers are recommended. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Blacksmith Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 My reciever in the auto setup (Yamaha YAPO) checks for 6, 7 speakers. It adapts to what it finds. 5.1 if there are no speakers attached, 6.1 if only one is hooked up and 7.1 if it finds both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max_Durham Posted June 21, 2005 Author Share Posted June 21, 2005 Bill, My existing setup is 6.1 and I really don't have the ability to add a 2nd rear surround. Given my setup I'm happy with the performance of my setup and just want to make sure a new receiver will work with that setup. Thanks again for everyone's input. Max Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelA Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 I believe the Denon receivers (2805) advise you to use the left channel for 6.1 as well. What brand are you looking at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max_Durham Posted June 21, 2005 Author Share Posted June 21, 2005 The usual suspects: Yamaha 2500 and the H/K 7300 are currently the top two I'm considering. I wanted to resolve my question regarding 6.1 in case I learned something to change my opinion. Both of those have 7.1, but I somply don't need the extra channel, but want to upgrade none the less. Max Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shane_0_mac Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 I think that in all reality 6.1 and 7.1 are the same thing. Yes 7.1 has one more rear speaker but it is the same signal to both speakers. If I am wrong about that please correct me, but I am sure I read that somewhere. So having a 7.1 receiver and using 6 speakers in no big deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InFlux Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 ---------------- On 6/22/2005 8:11:16 AM shane_0_mac wrote: I think that in all reality 6.1 and 7.1 are the same thing. Yes 7.1 has one more rear speaker but it is the same signal to both speakers. If I am wrong about that please correct me, but I am sure I read that somewhere. So having a 7.1 receiver and using 6 speakers in no big deal. ---------------- That is what I've been told. Most movies anymore have at least 6 discrete channels (5.1). Fewer yet have 7 channels (6.1). I have not seen any recorded with 8 channels ("7.1"). Someone please jump in here if I'm wrong! Anything more than 6.1 is the result of signal manipulation to get the additional channels. Thus, 7.1, 8.1, etc... are all splitting an existing sound channel(s) across additional channels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j-malotky Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 You guys are correct that the 7.1 processors change the 2.0 /5.1 / 6.1 into 7.1 playback but the fact that there is not any discrete 7.1 material should not have you shy away from 7.1. I use the Lexicon and Logic7 does an amazing job turning anything into 7.1. The imaging from the rears and sides is amazing. In fact the imaging between the sides and fronts are equally impressive. I have read posts from people stating that there rear 2 speakers channels are mono, outputing the same signal. If that is the case, look into a new processor. JM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlukins Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 These guys are correct. Movies are recorded in 5.1 (look at the back of any movie cover at blockbuster and you will see this)and then the new receivers produce a discrete channel for 6.1 or 7.1. The sound is the exact same for 6.1 or 7.1 the only difference is you have an extra speaker producing the same sound so the rear surround field becomes a little wider, but the sounds are identical. Any 7.1 can be used for 6.1 by using only one of the inputs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay L Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 7.1 is two mono rear channels, both channels with produce the same signal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j-malotky Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 ---------------- On 6/22/2005 9:06:25 AM Jay L wrote: 7.1 is two mono rear channels, both channels with produce the same signal. ---------------- No it is not. True, to make the sound come from the center, both channels play the same signal, just like a 2CH sterio, but both channels are not identical mono signals. On a good 7.1, There is sterio play in both the rears and both sides to give a much deeper 3D surround sound. If yours does not, and you have two identical channels in your rears, then you may want to upgrade to a better 7.1 processor. JM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfogg Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 "7.1 is two mono rear channels, both channels with produce the same signal." Only if you are using DTS ES, DD EX, THX Surround EX and so on decoding. If you use Logic7 or DPLIIx (not DPLII) it is full 7 channel decoding. The rears are not mono, you have four independant surround channels. Logic 7 has been doing this for *literally* just about a decade now. Shawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yesfan70 Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 I have been reading that the use of two back surround speakers for 7.1 will give better results than a single back surround for 6.1. Supposedly, the way our ears are oriented, a single back surround speaker will give you the illusion that sound is coming from within your head instead of behind your head as with a pair of back surrounds. I have a 6.1 setup now, but I do have a pair of matching bookshelfs that I have thought about hooking up and seeing...er, I meant hearing....for myself to see if there is a difference. Just hadn't gotten around to hooking it up. I have also read that bumping the main L&R surrounds up by 2-3dB will give you the same effect (if in a small room) as having 7.1. I haven't tried this myself, but figured it might be worth mentioning in case someone wanted to give it a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfogg Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 "Supposedly, the way our ears are oriented, a single back surround speaker will give you the illusion that sound is coming from within your head instead of behind your head as with a pair of back surrounds." More that a sound coming from directly behind a listener can be misheard as coming from directly in front... the exact opposite of the intended effect. For that reason two rears is better then one, and stereo rears is better then mono. Shawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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