Is the “surround” setting on my receiver definitely better than 7 channel stereo?

[OhioGuy25]

I mostly watch movies. I have a projector w a full set of klipsch surround sound speakers: two towers, two rears surrounds, a center and a sub, but for some reason I seem to always end up setting the Yamaha receiver on 7 channel stereo instead of surround because it makes it so much louder in the rear speakers. I know this isn’t how it was recorded to be heard, and that surround separates everything but I just can’t hear it as well. Do I just need to turn it up more? I’m in an apartment so this is hard to do. What is the absolute best setting on the receiver for movies?

 

[afterlife2]

Hi and welcome! Just turn up speakers in the back manually to your liking. I've done it as well.

 

[sterling shoote]

I mostly watch movies. I have a projector w a full set of klipsch surround sound speakers: two towers, two rears surrounds, a center and a sub, but for some reason I seem to always end up setting the Yamaha receiver on 7 channel stereo instead of surround because it makes it so much louder in the rear speakers. I know this isn’t how it was recorded to be heard, and that surround separates everything but I just can’t hear it as well. Do I just need to turn it up more? I’m in an apartment so this is hard to do. What is the absolute best setting on the receiver for movies?

You have a 5.1 system and you are not at all realizing its value for movies. There's just too much instruction you need to get a solution here. Read the Yamaha Receiver's Operator's Manual. And set-up for 5.1.

 

[OhioGuy25]

Hi and welcome! Just turn up speakers in the back manually to your liking. I've done it as well.

How do I do this?

 

[OhioGuy25]

You have a 5.1 system and you are not at all realizing its value for movies. There's just too much instruction you need to get a solution here. Read the Yamaha Receiver's Operator's Manual. And set-up for 5.1.

I’ve already calibrated the setup for 5.1 w the mic and everything but it’s just not as loud as 7 channel stereo.

 

[afterlife2]

Send me a Pic of your remote. Mine is the Pioneer 822. Edited.

 

[OhioGuy25]

It made me resize it because it was too large for the servers. Seems strange for a message board in 2020 that you can’t post a full sized photo.

 

[afterlife2]

It made me resize it because it was too large for the servers. Seems strange for a message board in 2020 that you can’t post a full sized photo.
View attachment 33716

Dang I apologize mine is a Pioneer. Should be in menu in the Calibration area. Check your manual as well.

 

[2channel lover]

I mostly watch movies. I have a projector w a full set of klipsch surround sound speakers: two towers, two rears surrounds, a center and a sub, but for some reason I seem to always end up setting the Yamaha receiver on 7 channel stereo instead of surround because it makes it so much louder in the rear speakers. I know this isn’t how it was recorded to be heard, and that surround separates everything but I just can’t hear it as well. Do I just need to turn it up more? I’m in an apartment so this is hard to do. What is the absolute best setting on the receiver for movies?

Room correction software defines what it thinks is ideal for your space. Our ears tell us what's ideal. Post room correction tweaking is perfectly fine.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

When you press "Surround" repeatedly, it scrolls through various "Surround" modes.

I use "DTS NeuralX" (NeuralX Surround Upmixer) Surround mode about 99% of the time.

The other popular Surround mode is "Dolby Surround", which is also know as DSU (Dolby Surround Upmixer).

But you just have to compare them.

 

[OhioGuy25]

When you press "Surround" repeatedly, it scrolls through various "Surround" modes.

I use "DTS NeuralX" (NeuralX Surround Upmixer) Surround mode about 99% of the time.

The other popular Surround mode is "Dolby Surround", which is also know as DSU (Dolby Surround Upmixer).

But you just have to compare them.

There is no surround button

 

[CoryW]

I’ve already calibrated the setup for 5.1 w the mic and everything but it’s just not as loud as 7 channel stereo.

Just go into the setup, there should be a manual screen for setting up volumes across the entire system (at least my older RXV-3800 has it). Tweak to taste.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Well it’s not supposed to be as loud. Sound effects come and go where they’re mixed to, so you won’t always hear stuff in the back sound field.
If you are using an “all channel stereo” or whatever, it’s probably downmixing into 2ch and then using front and back speakers as two sets of L/R speakers(i think the center will be on too).
Maybe I misunderstood the question, but IMO stereo 7, or all channel stereo(they all call it something else) should only be used MAYBE if you’re having a party and just want the extra sound distribution.

 

[lovinthehd]

I find the 7ch/5ch/multich stereo setting maybe okay for a party, but it's not surround, it's just stereo output to the surrounds (and summed for the center). Louder is meaningless as it's not supposed to be equally as loud as the fronts in most surround mixes. You can always raise the level of the surround channel to suit, tho. You also mention rears which really aren't the best position in a 5ch system, surrounds should be to the sides (and rear surrounds are added for a 7ch setup).