Speaker question

[Corpsman]

LOL! I guess I wrote too much in my first post. Let me break it down by separate questions. The first one is... I have an unused RSX4 Klipsch speaker. Should I use that as a surround back speaker or should I try to purchase another RSX4 speaker and place two side speakers between my front and surround rears?

Speakers: Front/Rear Klipsch RSX4, Center is a 3 Speaker Klipsch but I lost the plate and don't know the model number. I have a Klipsch KSW12 subwoofer.

Receiver: Sony DA3100ES

Satellite: DirecTV HR21-700 HD-DVR

Television: Mitsubishi WD-65833

DVD Player: Oppo OPDV971H

 

[Haoleb]

I think the opinion of the majority is that 7.1 is not really that much better than 5.1 Probably the biggest reason for this is the lack of media that has anything other than a 5.1 audio track.

You can probably pick up one of those speakers pretty cheap so you can see if you like it better that way, Personally I would probably put that money towards some better main speakers myself.

I'm not sure that you can setup the reciever for having only one surround back speaker which would be 6.1 but if you can, you can always try that as i assume it will be somewhat like having 7.1

Also, there are surround left and right speaker outputs and then there are surround back left and right outputs

In a 7.1 system generally you would place two surround speakers on each side of the seating position, and then two behind the seating position. Since you only have a 5.1 setup right now you should be using the speaker outputs labeled surround left and right. Not surround back. I was a little confused reading your post how you had it setup so I just wanted to mention that.

 

[markw]

Assuming you are running a 5.1 system, if you have room behind your viewing area you might consider using that lonely spare to move to a 6.1 setup.

But unless you have the room to implement it properly (a few feet behind your main seating) it may be less satisfying than you would expect.

 

[adk highlander]

I have in the past used RSX-4's for side surrounds and a single rear in a 6.1 set-up. The RSX-4's worked well for that duty and I was using the RVX42's across the front.

The receivers that I have owned direct you to use the surround back left when doing a 6.1 set-up.

How big is your room and what shape is it? My new install I am working on now will have 7.1 so I cannot comment yet on any added benefit of using it over 6.1 but much of it will have to do with if you can position them properly behind you.

 

[Corpsman]

I think the opinion of the majority is that 7.1 is not really that much better than 5.1 Probably the biggest reason for this is the lack of media that has anything other than a 5.1 audio track.

You can probably pick up one of those speakers pretty cheap so you can see if you like it better that way, Personally I would probably put that money towards some better main speakers myself.

I'm not sure that you can setup the reciever for having only one surround back speaker which would be 6.1 but if you can, you can always try that as i assume it will be somewhat like having 7.1

Also, there are surround left and right speaker outputs and then there are surround back left and right outputs

In a 7.1 system generally you would place two surround speakers on each side of the seating position, and then two behind the seating position. Since you only have a 5.1 setup right now you should be using the speaker outputs labeled surround left and right. Not surround back. I was a little confused reading your post how you had it setup so I just wanted to mention that.

Tell me more about your suggestion to buy better speakers. These are Klipsch Reference speakers. I know there is so much that can be done with small speakers, but I think these are pretty good.

 

[Haoleb]

You pretty much nailed it yourself, There is only so much that can be done with small speakers. If you are happy with them then there is certainly no need to look elsewhere. But If I were in your shoes and was looking to improve things, then I would probably start saving up for something else vs adding more surround speakers.

 

[Corpsman]

I have in the past used RSX-4's for side surrounds and a single rear in a 6.1 set-up. The RSX-4's worked well for that duty and I was using the RVX42's across the front.

The receivers that I have owned direct you to use the surround back left when doing a 6.1 set-up.

How big is your room and what shape is it? My new install I am working on now will have 7.1 so I cannot comment yet on any added benefit of using it over 6.1 but much of it will have to do with if you can position them properly behind you.

I have pictures of the room, but not sure if I am allowed to upload them. The receiver I own allows for a single SB speaker. This receiver actually has a 9.1 option. The room is rectangular with the TV offset to the left of the room. I have done some compensation with the phase noise adjustment feature of the receiver. I wasn't sure if I should set the phase noise to the center of the room, or to the optimal seating position.

The room is about 17.5 feet long by 15 wide. The ceiling pre-wire puts the rear speakers even with the rear most seating position, so I am angling them down and toward the rear wall at about 30 degrees. The surround back position is confusing me, whether I should ceiling mount it and point it straight down, or point it directly at the rear wall.