Looking for advice in getting a 7.1 surround sound

[Chuy]

I am looking to get or piece together a 7.1 surround sound system for a 20' x 12' room with the TV on one wall and the couch in almost the center of the room, which from what I gather, is a good setup for a 7.1 system. I would like 7.1 (vs 5.1) because while most movies don't have a 7.1 soundtrack, some of our favorites do, and would like to have the system for it. I have a budget of around $1k and was looking at the Onkyo HT-S9700THX 7.1 Package(Onkyo HT-R993 receiver w/SKS-HT993THX speakers). I used to own an Onkyo HT-S780 7.1 system, and enjoyed it but found the surround sides and rear speaker to be rather lackluster. This seems to be a similar/updated system, with upgraded speakers. I am open to any suggestions, advice, or piecing it together from other speakers/receivers. Thanks in advance!

 

[shadyJ]

My advice is to just start out with a two channel setup with a $1k budget. The home-theater-in-a-box systems are pretty meh. I would get a couple bookshelf speakers and a $600 or $700 AVR. As time goes on and as budget permits, add to the system, build it up.

By the way, the surround speakers are not supposed to be very noticeable. If they are, you have setup the system wrong. 90% of the sound should be coming from the front speakers.

 

[Chuy]

My advice is to just start out with a two channel setup with a $1k budget. The home-theater-in-a-box systems are pretty meh. I would get a couple bookshelf speakers and a $600 or $700 AVR. As time goes on and as budget permits, add to the system, build it up.

By the way, the surround speakers are not supposed to be very noticeable. If they are, you have setup the system wrong. 90% of the sound should be coming from the front speakers.

Is that also the case when running music through a surround system? 90% of the sound comes form the center, front left and front right speakers?

 

[shadyJ]

Music should only be running though the front left and right speakers specifically, and also the subwoofer. You can set the AVR into modes where it can send two-channel music content to the surround and center speakers in varying amounts, but that is an artificial expansion of the source content.

 

[Pogre]

Music should only be running though the front left and right speakers specifically, and also the subwoofer. You can set the AVR into modes where it can send two-channel music content to the surround and center speakers in varying amounts, but that is an artificial expansion of the source content.

To add to this, most music is recorded and mixed in stereo. As in, not meant to be played back in surround or other multi channel modes.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

To add to this, most music is recorded and mixed in stereo. As in, not meant to be played back in surround or other multi channel modes.

This is also true. But there's no reason you can't enjoy music in PLII. What I don't like about it, is it seems to randomly place sounds/instruments in places where they shouldn't be. Then it becomes distracting. OTOH, I some of the dubstep stuff I listen to, I prefer in PLIIx. Most of those sounds aren't natural anyway, so I don't care if the "soundstage" is accurate. However if I'm listening to "the Wall", or whatever, I prefer stereo, for example. I must be clear though. There's a big difference in PLIIx vs "sound modes" like, hall, or acoustic etc.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

My advice is to just start out with a two channel setup with a $1k budget. The home-theater-in-a-box systems are pretty meh. I would get a couple bookshelf speakers and a $600 or $700 AVR. As time goes on and as budget permits, add to the system, build it up.

By the way, the surround speakers are not supposed to be very noticeable. If they are, you have setup the system wrong. 90% of the sound should be coming from the front speakers.

I agree for a grand a stereo rig would be a better investment, and a big maybe to 2.1. At that point, a trip to the pawn shop could nab a cheap set of bookshelf speakers to fill in the other channels until he can match them to his mains. My first system in the later 90's had a melting pot of speakers and I'd barf if I could hear it today but it was better than 2ch for movies.
I differ a little in the thought with the 90% front sound ratio. Most modern soundtracks have all channels active for a great deal of the length of the film.(obviously chick flicks and such are different but still can be busy) Therefore IMO, surround selection and placement is, naturally not as important as the front, but consideration in their placement such as in placement of the fronts will go a very long way to ensuring a surround bubble. Do not read as "running surrounds 5db hot will increase your surround experience"lol. It's not that simple.

 

[Chuy]

Okay. So it seems like you all are saying to not go with a pre-packaged setup. One question I have is what do I gain by going from a $360 receiver(Onkyo TX-NR656 7.2) to a $600-$700 receiver other than more power/volume? I am going more for clarity in the sound, than wall shaking volume. And do you have any examples/recommendations for a receiver? And what speakers would you recommend to go with it?