7.1 set up

[Alexhunter27]

It is my intention to set up a 7.1 speaker arrangement. The question I have is:
must the side surrounds be the same distance from the listener?

Thanks
Alex
Needing all the help I can get!

 

[mazersteven]

The question I have is:
must the side surrounds be the same distance from the listener?

In an ideal situation yes. But in real world it would be OK if the side surrounds are different lengths from the listener. With proper calibration you should be able to adjust for the difference in distance.

 

[Davemcc]

No. Any decent receiver will have settings to compensate for the distance of each speaker to the listener as well as volume trim settings. Some of the better receivers will also include individual channel equalization and crossover parameters. One of the features that separates the high end receivers from the entry level units is the availability and quality of automatic speaker setup and adjustment, like Audessey.