Surrounds or Rear?

[audiobee]

Thanks to seniors for helping out with the Preamp (D2) issues. I have another question but before that let me tell you about my set-up. I have signature S8's as fronts, C3 as centre and Sub12 as the sub, then I ran out of money. Now the question is, should I go for Surrounds or Rear? I'm planning to keep them in the shelf ( if it's surrounds ) or in the back of the room, close to the wall if it's rear . One reason is that I don't like the stands, I will only go for rears only if it's floor standing. So let me put the questions clearly:
1. Are surrounds better or rear's better, in a 5.1 channel system?
2. If the suggestion is surrounds, then which one will go with my existing set-up ( considering I have probably 800 dollars left )? For eg, will a ADP-390 be good enough?
3. If it's rear, can I go for studio 60 if it's available in my range? throwin your suggestions

 

[jostenmeat]

Your question is moot, because you can't really have rears without side surrounds. The only way I can think of to do that is to "run" a 7.1 configuration, and simply do not connect speakers to the side surrounds terminals. However, you will be missing a whole lot of the surround material.

So, you run a 5.1 with side surrounds. You'd ideally like them somewhere in the 90 to 110 degree range. If they must be at a greater angle, then so be it.

As for the speakers, I do not know what is the best match at $800.

 

[Adam]

Hi. I think that a good starting point is this article from Audioholics. It helps explain the positioning of speakers for 5.1 surround versus 7.1 surround.

EDIT: John beat me to it. The article helps to fill in the story a bit, though.

 

[TLS Guy]

Thanks to seniors for helping out with the Preamp (D2) issues. I have another question but before that let me tell you about my set-up. I have signature S8's as fronts, C3 as centre and Sub12 as the sub, then I ran out of money. Now the question is, should I go for Surrounds or Rear? I'm planning to keep them in the shelf ( if it's surrounds ) or in the back of the room, close to the wall if it's rear . One reason is that I don't like the stands, I will only go for rears only if it's floor standing. So let me put the questions clearly:
1. Are surrounds better or rear's better, in a 5.1 channel system?
2. If the suggestion is surrounds, then which one will go with my existing set-up ( considering I have probably 800 dollars left )? For eg, will a ADP-390 be good enough?
3. If it's rear, can I go for studio 60 if it's available in my range? throwin your suggestions

As others have said for 5.1 movies you have to have the surrounds. However if you want to play five channel SACD or DVD audio then the rear have discreet sound sent to them and the surrounds are silent.

So if it is for movies you need surrounds first, if you are primarily using your system for five channel SACD then you need rears first.

For a lot of SACD discs in my collection, the rears have to be highly capable speakers, at least on a par with the fronts.