9.1 vs. 7.1

[surveyor]

I have additional speakers and amps to incoporate one of the following into my living room.
Front high speakers (Left and Right)
These speakers are necessary to enjoy Dolby Pro Logic IIz Height, and
Audyssey DSX™. They significantly enhance the spatial experience.
Position them at least 3.3 feet (100 cm) above the front speakers (preferably
as high as possible) and at an angle slightly wider than the front
speakers.
Front wide speakers (Left and Right)
These speakers are necessary to enjoy Audyssey DSX. They significantly
enhance the spatial experience. Position them well outside of the
front speakers. See also Audyssey DSX - Most Immersive Surround Sound | Audyssey
about optimum speaker placement for Audyssey DSX.

Is it worth the effort and additional clutter?

 

[j_garcia]

I personally don't see much benefit beyond 5.1 Even for 7.1 ideally you need a pretty big room. 9.1 seems like overkill.

 

[Tin Ear]

I personally don't see much benefit beyond 5.1 Even for 7.1 ideally you need a pretty big room. 9.1 seems like overkill.

Agreed ... I run a 6.2 system (with a rear center channel) and find that to be optimal for my room and my needs. I am still not entirely convinced that I would hear much of a difference if I scaled it back to a 5.2, but for some movies with rear sounds moving from right to left it fills in the gaps from side to side just like a front center.

I have always thought that 7.1 and now 9.1 were just a way to pedal more speakers. Admittedly for some people with certain rooms there can be a dead spot in the middle from front to back. I am just not sure that 7.1 fixes that. There is really supposed to be different information coming from those speakers. I think for the folks with dead spots, they should be looking to upgrade to larger front or rear channel speakers, or both. I think that is a better fill in solution.

As for the whole 9.1 I think with a good processor and high quality front and center speakers, there should not be a need. My front end does a great job of placing sounds all around my room. I think if maybe you are running bookshelves or smaller front end speakers in a large or wide room, you MAY benefit from this setup. I would still upgrade the standard front end of 3 basic speakers if it were my money.

 

[j_garcia]

I went from 6.1 to 5.1 to 3.1. I am a huge fan of 5.1 SACD and DVD-A audio. However what I found is, I can be perfectly happy with 3.1.

 

[Adam]

About a week ago, I updated my 6.1 system (which I went to about a year ago after running 5.1 for about 14 years) to 7.1. I didn't think it would make much difference. I gotta say, I like it. It could certainly be because I have rear surrounds spread further apart, but I also think it's because the rear wall of sound is wider and fuller than before.

If you get some spare time, I'd say it's worth trying out seeing as how you already have the gear. You'll never know until you try.

 

[3db]

I think room size has a big play in whether or not the extra speakers are worth it. I went from 5.1 to 6.1 (unplanned upgrade because I stumbled across one of my surrounds sound speaker models that was priced cheap) in my small area and I did NOT notice a difference. Maybe if my room was wider, I would definately notice the benefits but as it stands now, I don't hear much of a difference at all.

 

[Adam]

I think room size has a big play in whether or not the extra speakers are worth it. I went from 5.1 to 6.1 (unplanned upgrade because I stumbled across one of my surrounds sound speaker models that was priced cheap) in my small area and I did NOT notice a difference. Maybe if my room was wider, I would definately notice the benefits but as it stands now, I don't hear much of a difference at all.

When I had 6.1, the center channel almost never played any material because I tend to use the "direct" mode on my Pioneer - meaning, the rear center would only be used if there was a 6.1 soundtrack...not if it was 5.1, and not if it was 7.1. Do you know if your rear center is being used much when you watch videos?

 

[3db]

When I had 6.1, the center channel almost never played any material because I tend to use the "direct" mode on my Pioneer - meaning, the rear center would only be used if there was a 6.1 soundtrack...not if it was 5.1, and not if it was 7.1. Do you know if your rear center is being used much when you watch videos?

I have to check this out. I use the direct mode as well and the only film in my collection so far that was made for 6.1 was Top Gun. I heard it there but I don't think it added that much to the experience. I must experiment between 5.1 and the 6.1 soundtrack. You saw the pics of my setup. Based on space, I don't I need the rear center channel. That couch is actually two love seats joined together so it seats to give you an idea about size.

From the receiver manual.. my straight mode is your direct mode by the looks of it.

When this unit is in the “STRAIGHT” mode, 2-channel (pg 51)
stereo sources are output from only the front left and right
speakers. Multi-channel sources are decoded straight into
the appropriate channels without any additional effect
processing.


Extended surround EXTD SUR. (page 87)
Use this feature to enjoy 6.1/7.1-channel playback for
multi-channel sources using the Dolby Pro Logic IIx,
Dolby Digital EX, or DTS-ES decoders by using the
connected surround back speakers.


I most likely have that set to "auto" instead of "on". I need to set this to make 5.1 and 7.1 work in 6.1 .

 

[GlocksRock]

I would probably add the extra channels if I had the receiver to support it. I'd run the front height channels if my reciver supported Dolby Pro Logic IIz.

 

[j_garcia]

My buddy had the height channels setup in his system and his room is HUGE. I wasn't impressed and neither was he. He removed them after a few months.

 

[Tin Ear]

Once again, if you have high quality front end components already, I would not be surprised if the additional speakers did not make an audible difference. If they were not of at least the same quality, I would expect that they could even possibly degrade the listening experience.

 

[mp3streetparty]

I a fan of 5.5 well there is 2 drivers in one box does that count.

I wired the sdif input on my 5.1 sound card (where the DVD Connection goes) to an rca socket on the pc's case and also 2 inputs. I connect to the DVD players digital output and the have my pc control the sound. I also use the 4 channel parametric EQ to adjust the sound to how I like.

The some of furniture in the room used to rattle until I put silicon on the back panel (Wife still hasn't noticed) now the window rattles but cant do much about that.

Most of the subbies I have found them, and build into boxes except for the JVC one which I scored many years ago.

 

[Send Margaritas]

I run 9.2, and love the front presence speakers. It does add to effects, and better fills the room with sound. Highly recommended. I didn't think much of the idea when I bought the receiver, but I did have the speakers. (I had a few DIY speaker projects that turned out pretty well.) You notice the sound coming from that direction. My A2010 has a 9 channel stereo mode, that takes advantage of them for music as well. I like it very much, it is a difference you can hear. The sweet spot is very big. (I did do multi-position YPAO, 5 spots). Walking through the room sounds fantastic.

I've experimented and set them (the presence pair) up as both Front and Rear presence (Yamaha's definition. The A2010 allows an 11.2 mode, but the rear presence and surround backs are used alternatively for effects, never both being on at the same time. I tried that, but it wasn't worth it, so I moved that pair to the bedroom to upgrade from 5.1 to 7.1 there.) The fronts I set up as in the OP's first description. As Rear presence, they were behind the surrounds, outside of the surround backs. Both were very nice, but my receiver supports the front presence better.

I'm currently running the mains, center, and surrounds off an Emo XPA-5, leaving the Yamaha 2010 to power just the Front presence(s) and Surround back(s). This room is about 15' x 25'.

Don't discount the addition for music.

I'll do 11.2 first chance I can get (it will require a different receiver to do that full time, and it's a fine excuse for another pair of speakers as well).

Give it a shot, especially since you already have the equipment. I'll bet you prefer it. I'm very surprised by the nay-sayers. Thanks to Adam for going against the flow for you. I agree highly with his advice, you should try it.

 

[3db]

When I had 6.1, the center channel almost never played any material because I tend to use the "direct" mode on my Pioneer - meaning, the rear center would only be used if there was a 6.1 soundtrack...not if it was 5.1, and not if it was 7.1. Do you know if your rear center is being used much when you watch videos?

I played with the settings on my receiver over the weekend selecting ES/EX on the surround use and on keeping straight mode on. I put in Top Gun and although the indicator on my receiver showed a surround back channel, I was getting no sound. I tried this and that and without much luck. Dam receivers are getting too complicated. I thought I would revisit the speaker menu and found the surround back was turned off. I activated it and selected it as "small" and now I'm playing 6.1 sound. I played with DSP Straight and found that when playing 5.1 that the straight setting turns off the back surround. Its all figured it out. Now I have to listen to see if that back surround back makes a huge difference.

 

[Adam]

I went from 5.1 to 6.1...and I did NOT notice a difference.

I thought I would revisit the speaker menu and found the surround back was turned off.

I got a really good laugh out of that. Seriously, though, I'm glad that it's set up now and hope that you'll like your unplanned upgrade once you get a chance to try it out.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Unless my next house has a 30' x 40' x 15' size HT room, I think 5.1 or 6.1 is all I'll ever do.

I think 7.1 or 11.2, etc, doesn't hurt. If you have the extra speakers, why not?

I don't have any extra speakers or anything, so 5.1 is enough for me.

 

[Tomorrow]

I'm with Send Margaritas. I recently upgraded from 7.2 to 9.2 and find the audio to be improved. To answer 3db's coming question (), one has to use the receiver's/pre's DSP modes and 9 channel information will be broadcast to the speakers. My RX-A3010 does a decent job of blending the digital signal.

That said, I believe a very large room is only one that would benefit from going to 9.x. Our room is 7,000 cu. ft. The mandatory WAF setup requires a large gap between the mains and the surrounds. By utilizing the front height speakers, we get a couple of bonuses. We expand the front stage a bit (mine are set up outside the mains by a few feet as well as 3.5 feet higher) and RAISE the front front stage. If you have a high mounted screen, you're in heaven because you're raising the apparent center of the signal.

If you have the gear, it costs you nothing. Absolutely give both of your option setups a try.

 

[Send Margaritas]

Unless my next house has a 30' x 40' x 15' size HT room, I think 5.1 or 6.1 is all I'll ever do.

I think 7.1 or 11.2, etc, doesn't hurt. If you have the extra speakers, why not?

I don't have any extra speakers or anything, so 5.1 is enough for me.

Did you ever try more channels Acu? I can only imagine what you can set up, and how it may sound.

Imagine if, when you were young, you wrote sex off as 'yucky'. You might still think that today!

Give it a try, with an open mind. I'd be interested in your opinion.

 

[3db]

I got a really good laugh out of that. Seriously, though, I'm glad that it's set up now and hope that you'll like your unplanned upgrade once you get a chance to try it out.

It was kinda of embarrassing.... I could swore that I had set that speaker setup in the speaker selection menu. Good thing I didn't bet the farm..

 

[deedubb]

I can't really say that I've noticed much of a difference going from 5.1 to 7.1, so I would imagine going 7.1 to 9.1 would be all but imperceptible.

Probably the law of diminishing returns. Just MHO of course, as I've never listened to a 9.1 system.