Onkyo HT-S5300 showing as 5.1 instead of 7.1

[onkyogirl]

Hello,

I recently purchased an Onkyo HT-S5300 receiver and associated speakers. The system is a 7.1 home theatre in a box. I set up the speakers relatively easily but I can't seem to get the back 2 speakers (back surr) to produce anything...static...noise...anything. I know that those 2 speakers make the system a 7.1 and without them it is only a 5.1 setup. In saying that, the display reading on the receiver shows it to be in Dolby digital 5.1 format. How can I change it to 7.1 so that those back 2 speakers are used. During movie watching, I change the listening mode to the PL II as it produces the best sound.

I have tried googling and everything short of calling Onkyo but it seems that Google only wants to sell me an Onkyo and doesn't want to answer my question .

Anybody know if there is a button I am missing or something that would switch this to a 7.1 system? I should mention that on the first night the 2 speakers did work and I must have pressed something to change it to 5.1 while messing with the buttons. Onkyo has the worst instruction booklets.

Thanks for any help in advance.

 

[m_vanmeter]

did you go into the setup menu on the receiver and identify there were rear speakers attached ? I have not set up an Onkyo, but most receivers default to 5.1

 

[onkyogirl]

Pretty sure I tried to do so but the option to recognize the speakers was greyed out. Weird that a 7.1 system is defaulted to 5.1.

 

[MDS]

the display reading on the receiver shows it to be in Dolby digital 5.1 format. How can I change it to 7.1 so that those back 2 speakers are used. During movie watching, I change the listening mode to the PL II as it produces the best sound.

Whether it's two channel, 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 depends on the source.

If you want to use more channels than are recorded on the source, then you need to invoke a matrix decoder (like PLII you mentioned). To get 7.1 from a disc that is endcoded with Dolby Digital 5.1, you need to change the surround mode to PLIIx (PLII will only convert to 5.1). On Onkyo remotes its usually the button on the remote marked 'surr'. It can also be changed from the front panel.

You do need to go into the speaker setup menu and ensure that every speaker is set 'on' (depending on the receiver, it will either be yes or no or a crossover frequency - which would mean 'yes/on').

I beg to differ that Onkyo has the worst instruction manuals. Onkyo is about the only company that has extensive user manuals written in English (not Engrish).