6.1 surround back speaker, useful?

[timmay8612]

Hey all, being young and a grad student, my HT setup was done on the super cheap. That being the case my receiver is an older 6.1 capable Onkyo. Is there any point in adding a surround back speaker for the 6th channel? Is there much in the way of content in most DVDs that will end up in a 6th channel? Curious since it looks like I could get into another Paradigm atom of similar vintage to my surrounds for pretty cheap. Alternatively, I could buy a pair and store one and go 7.1 when my old used receiver pukes.

Thanks! You guys rule.

 

[supervij]

For some reason, there's little love for 6.1 these days. For me, my unusually-shaped space wouldn't be good for 7.1, as the back speakers would end up being too close to the side walls. So I went 6.1 and it sounds great.

There definitely are some DVDs that have a 6th channel encoded, either matrixed or discrete. And some of those DVDs have quite a bit happening back there -- the first Saw movie I remember discrete stuff from back there. And when I engaged EX on my receiver for Casino Royale, there was stuff coming from back there that made more sense than coming from both side surrounds.

I can say from experience that if you're sitting in the prime seated position, that surround back channel may not make much difference. But for anyone sitting anywhere besides that prime seat, that 6th channel will help.

If you do buy the pair, it may be possible to use them both so that the signal that your receiver sends out for "surround back" will go to both speakers. Someone on this forum will be able to advise you on the feasiblity and procedure far better than I can.

cheers,
supervij

 

[timmay8612]

Sounds like a possibility so far, anybody else care to weigh in? Is there much "6" content in most DVDs for a 6.1 system?

 

[bigbassdave]

There really aren't that many Dvds out there encoded with discrete 6.1 or DTS-ES as it is called. Gladiator is one of the better ones. Check out this thread from 04. http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6061

 

[markw]

My take on this?

Since you're already quipped eletronically, one more speaker is available and financially do-able, and you've got the room behind your listening positions to correctly install it, I'd go for it. It can't hurt.

I'm in pretty much the same boat but the third qualifier knocks me out of the running.

 

[timmay8612]

Will I get 6th channel activity from Blueray disks or do I have to have a newer receiver with newer audio codecs and whatnot for that? If I can't then based upon the lists of DVDs that actually have it, I think I'll wait until my receiver pukes and then just go 7.1

 

[supervij]

Correct me if I'm wrong but the Onkyo TX-SR601 has multi-channel analog inputs for only 5.1 but speaker wire output (don't know the term for them) for 6.1 plus 2nd zone, right? So if you hook it up that way (using multi-channel analog) you'll get the new codecs, but up to 5.1, assuming your BD player can decode those codecs over m/c analog.

If you hook it up with a coaxial or optical digital cable, you won't get the newer codecs, but you'll get up to 6.1, should you hook up your surround rear speaker.

Er . . . I think that's right.

cheers,
supervij

 

[DTS]

Top Gun Collectors Edition has DTS 6.1 Oh, and don't ask me how I know this, but the Ultimate Edition of Dirty Dancing has 6.1 DTS-EX Discrete surround.

 

[MatthewB.]

Personally I would not do it, for DVD the lack of DVD's with 6.1 is sorely lacking and really even if you do watch one with 6.1 it will be awhile before you watch it again. I have a 7.1 system in my master bedroom system and it sounds just like when I had my 5.1 system in there. Is there some improvements when I play blurays that are 7.1 yes, but I feel that if I had just used the 5.1 that i would get almost the same exact experience.

Use that money you'll spend on the speaker and try to get some inexpensive acoustic treatments for your wall and that alone will give you far better sound results than adding a barely used sixth channel.

 

[timmay8612]

Personally I would not do it, for DVD the lack of DVD's with 6.1 is sorely lacking and really even if you do watch one with 6.1 it will be awhile before you watch it again. I have a 7.1 system in my master bedroom system and it sounds just like when I had my 5.1 system in there. Is there some improvements when I play blurays that are 7.1 yes, but I feel that if I had just used the 5.1 that i would get almost the same exact experience.

Use that money you'll spend on the speaker and try to get some inexpensive acoustic treatments for your wall and that alone will give you far better sound results than adding a barely used sixth channel.

This makes a lot of sense to me, I was under the impression when I asked the question that more media would have more than 5 channels, but if all Blurays don't even have 7.1, then I'm not going to bother. Even if the speaker would have cost me $40, I would agree and sooner buy an acoustic panel.

 

[MatthewB.]

Good choice Timmay.