Do I really need a 7.1? (caution - newbie alert)

[Tomdeg]

Hello All,

This is my first post, so please be patient. I just recently purchased but have not yet installed a home theater system as follows:

62" Mitsubishi 1080P

Yamaha RX-V 2500

Yamaha DVD-S1500

Klipsch RB-75 (mains)

RC-7 (center)

R5800C (in-ceiling surrounds)

Velodyne DLS4000R (sub)

I have 2 questions. First, do I really need a 7.1 (essentially, buying 2 more surrounds)? The room is approximately 18' x 18' x 9' with 3 walls and the kitchen to the right.

And secondly, what is the proper way to break in the speakers?

Thanks in advance.

Tom

[johnyholiday]

Yes, an 2 more presence speakers, for the Quad-Field Cinema DSPs

Don't worry about it,zero break in, you will be so busy with all the DSP modes ,you won't know what speakers are on for months

[Steve_L]

I think the additional surounds, beyond the existing surrounds you have may be overkill in a room your size. Both Digital Dolby and DTS, the primary signal processing protocols for surround sound, are 5.1 discrete. Additional 7.1 sound is extrapolated from the signal souce by the digital signal processor in the receiver.

The real test here is your ears. It would be great if you could get your system all set up and then add a set of additional surrounds to see if you could tell the difference. In a room your size I'd be willing to bet that you couldn't. But, maybe you could, I don't know. I suppose as another poster mentioned, it might create an ambiance of some sort. I've got a 13 X 23 foot cathedraled ceilinged HT room and use 5.1 channels with rear side mounted surrounds and I feel very happy with the sound.

Basic rule of thumb could be (if money and space and wiring are no problem) that more is always better than less. (but from a practical perspective I'd say you don't need them.)

I'd love to hear other opinions on this.

PS no break in required and you don't need high priced, super shrink-wrapped Monster cable connectors to get the very best out of your system. Lower priced, quality cables and connectors can be had from many sources.

[Petrol]

7.1 is not needed to enjoy high quality HT sourround sound... I have yet to rent a DVD movie that is even configured for 7.1

[Cal Blacksmith]

I enjoyed our system as a 5.1 but as a 7.1 the sound (for us) is deeper

and fuller. We have a room that is about 22 feet deep and 14 feet wide,

8 feet high. We sit about 13 feet back from the screen and the sound is

great. Pictures are on this thread link.

5.1 setup

[rplace]

I had the speakers, a dedicated room and time to mess with different configurations. To me I found 6.1 an interesting novelty, I liked it but was not quite sure how I would warm up to it long term. At times it was too "noticeable" or distracting. When I went from 6.1 to 7.1 it was a major improvement. Not quite a stunning as Dolby Pro Logic to 5.1 jump, but a huge improvement in my opinion. The best I had heard in my room to date.

Maybe is it pre/pro dependent, I don't know. But my possessor converts older DVDs to 7.1 even if they are not encoded that way. Movies I have watched several times in 5.1 sound better. As for the discs that are set up to take advantage right out of the box (LOTR Extended DTS editions come to mind) the difference is simply night and day.

All my amps are two channel so it is easy for me to kill the surround backs with the flip of a switch. Every once in a while I think there can't be that much of a difference and I will switch the back two off. You really notice it when it is missing not so much that you are overwhelmed when it is there. That tells me that is is a good change. It is adding to the experience not changing it artificially if that makes any sense.

[jdm56]

I think a lot of it depends on the room itself, and the placement it allows for speakers and the sweet spot. For example, a short-wall setup that allows you to place the two surrounds behind the listening spot far enough won't benefit that much from the addition of back surrounds; especially if the surrounds used at the sides are bipole or dipoles. -Just my humble opinion.

Then on the other hand, take for example a long-wall set-up where the surrounds are even with the listening position and maybe spread quite a ways out to the side. I can see where this set-up would really benefit from going to a 6.1 or 7.1 channel set-up.

By the way, I believe the advantage of a second back surround is that it keeps centered rear images from seeming to come from in front of you! I can't say how important that is, because I've never noticed that effect personally, but that's what they say.

[rplace]

Great take on things JDM56. Just a guess on my part as I have not heard anything but direct radiators in 6.1 or 7.1, but my gut tells me that bipole/dipole setups would not be a beneficial. As the sound will be more "spread around" I think you would lose the "steering" or panning side to back to side that I get with 4 heresies up high and angled at the listener. I believe the whole goal of bi/dipole is to diffuse the sound side to side and back to front. Adding another set of the same might be less noticeable.

Just another $0.02 from me...best if you could try it yourself and decide.

[jdm56]

Four heresys? Just like the local movie theater! [H]

[dragonfyr]

Do you need 7.1?

No.

[Zen Traveler]

Welcome to the forum tomdeg,

7.1 is not needed to enjoy high quality HT sourround sound... I have yet to rent a DVD movie that is even configured for 7.1

There are no disks available in "7.1." The few disks in DTS-ES (which have a separate or "discrete" sixth channel) and Dolby Digital EX (which have a matrixed 6th channel from the "4th and 5th" surround channel) both sound better coming from 2 speakers (rear) for most peoples situations and preference (how's that for a broad statement []). In my home I enjoy having rear speakers (setup below in signiture). Here is a comment I made at the AVS forum the other day to a similar question:

5.1 Vs 7.1?

---

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuckNaked

So if I'm only set up for 5.1, does ES create a "virtual" 7th channel? I know LOTR is 6.1 ES, and I'm just wondering if I'm missing something with a 5.1 set up.

Thanks

Here is where I may get into trouble. I saw the first LOTR in 5.1 and was FLOORED! What a great Movie. I then later updated my HT to a 7.1 (or 9.2--I have an obscene system and the Denons allow for 2 sets of side surrounds) and watched the LOTR extended version. The easy answer is yes I heard some discrete *stuff* coming out of my rear speakers and enjoyed the movie again. But it wasn't a "blow you away," kind of experience as watching it the first time in 5.1

The easy answer is yes you are missing something, but are you missing something very important, IMHO-No. The hard question to answer, is it worth the justification of buying 2 more speakers? It depends on your room and budget.