bookshelves/surrounds goto 7.1 or upgrade 5.1?

[lbolts20]

Looking for some help on what I should do with either adding 2 speakers to make my setup 7.1, replacing my current bookshelves and sticking with 5.1 or replacing the current bookshelves and upgrading to 7.1.

I currently have a 5.1 setup with a denon avr788 receiver. Front are phasetechnology 5t floor speakers with matching center speaker. Rears are 20 year old american acoustic bookshelves with 8" woofers. My sub is a custom made sub from annunaki made for me.

While the current rears cabinets have no dings/scratches etc my wife doesn't like the old wood grain look of them. I can pick up on ebay right now a set of older from 1994 phase tech 4.5t bookshelves for $20 and they would match my fronts. The guy lives about 1 1/2 hours away. Would the money/time to drive there even be worth it to pick them up and either replace my current with them or add it to them for 7.1?

With my current setup I don't have a back wall so it's an open area so I'd have speaker cords running across the new carpet and the wife isn't a big fan of that so just during movies we'd be moving the speakers to location. Is 7.1 that much better that it's worth it to do this, or would an updgrade to my current rears be sufficient?

My room is about 22x26 and the seating area for watching movies is about 16 wide x14 deep. The extra 6' on the left is where my computer is hooked up and the remaining 12' behind is the bar area.

I hope my rambling made sense. As for a budget I'm unsure. I don't want to upgrade these to top of the line as that money would be wiser spent on upgrading the fronts which I don't plan to do for a few more years.

 

[Boerd]

Looking for some help on what I should do with either adding 2 speakers to make my setup 7.1, replacing my current bookshelves and sticking with 5.1 or replacing the current bookshelves and upgrading to 7.1.

I currently have a 5.1 setup with a denon avr788 receiver. Front are phasetechnology 5t floor speakers with matching center speaker. Rears are 20 year old american acoustic bookshelves with 8" woofers. My sub is a custom made sub from annunaki made for me.

While the current rears cabinets have no dings/scratches etc my wife doesn't like the old wood grain look of them. I can pick up on ebay right now a set of older from 1994 phase tech 4.5t bookshelves for $20 and they would match my fronts. The guy lives about 1 1/2 hours away. Would the money/time to drive there even be worth it to pick them up and either replace my current with them or add it to them for 7.1?

With my current setup I don't have a back wall so it's an open area so I'd have speaker cords running across the new carpet and the wife isn't a big fan of that so just during movies we'd be moving the speakers to location. Is 7.1 that much better that it's worth it to do this, or would an updgrade to my current rears be sufficient?

My room is about 22x26 and the seating area for watching movies is about 16 wide x14 deep. The extra 6' on the left is where my computer is hooked up and the remaining 12' behind is the bar area.

I hope my rambling made sense. As for a budget I'm unsure. I don't want to upgrade these to top of the line as that money would be wiser spent on upgrading the fronts which I don't plan to do for a few more years.

Buy only two new speakers - in which case you get better ones. What is your budget?
BTW - I would stay in the 5.1 by replacine the 2 weakest speakers; 7.1 never appealed to me.

Move phasetechnology 5t in the back and get rid of the 20 years old ones. Put your money into new main (front) speakers.

 

[fredk]

I'm not quite sure whats motivating you besides your wife's dislike of the look of your current surrounds. Are you happy with the sound of your current system?

If you are happy with the sound of the current system, replace the surrounds with something more visually appealing to your wife and leave it at that.

I have not had any experience with 7.1 so I can't comment on sound improvement there.

 

[j_garcia]

I went back to 5.1 from a 6.1 setup. I liked 6.1 but I don't feel like I am missing out on anything by not having it again. I'd upgrade vs add as well; better quality 5.1 and if it makes the old lady happier at the same time then all the better.

 

[lbolts20]

I'm not quite sure whats motivating you besides your wife's dislike of the look of your current surrounds. Are you happy with the sound of your current system?

If you are happy with the sound of the current system, replace the surrounds with something more visually appealing to your wife and leave it at that.

I have not had any experience with 7.1 so I can't comment on sound improvement there.

I think my wife's dislike it motivation enough. Are you married, if so you understand that comment. lol. Sound is okay, but I've never listened to a 7.1 system or better speakers so I have nothing to judge it by so I have no idea if I'm missing quite a bit or not. I can pick up the ebay one's for 20 bucks and some time driving and my wife would be happy, but is it worth it to spend the time and cash on them? Does an upgraded rear speaker make a big difference or adding to 7.1? that's mainly what I'm wondering and a recommendation on what to get.

 

[Jeff R.]

If your wife really does not like the look of the rear speakers could you possibly install a pair of ceiling speakers and have the wires fully concealled.

 

[lbolts20]

If your wife really does not like the look of the rear speakers could you possibly install a pair of ceiling speakers and have the wires fully concealled.

The room walls and ceiling is plastered so it wouldn't be very easy to run wires and put in ceiling speakers.

 

[fredk]

I think my wife's dislike it motivation enough.

I understand. $20 + gas and a little time to make her happy seems to be well worth it.

From the sounds of it, she would not like conspicuous rears (as in using the old speakers as rears even if only moved out temporarily) unless you have a good storage space for them when not in use.

I keep hoping someone with 7.1 experience in a bigger room will post. Given your room, from what I have read you will benefit more from 7.1 than those of us with small rooms.

Spend the $20 and bask in the glow of adoration from your wife! That will solve one problem. Then, use the old speakers for a little testing to see if 7.1 makes a difference. If it does, upgrade the rears to something nice.