Pioneer Elite VSX-82 4channel stereo?

[Frugal]

I'm setting up a room that will be both theater and party room. The system will include an Elite VSX-82 receiver with 4 small matching Epos booksheves for front and surround with Epos center and Wharfdale sub. Haven't bought the receiver yet and I'm not sure if it will output 4 channel stereo. And if it does will it drive the sub at the same time? If it doesn't I'd like anyones thoughts on this solution. I have a speaker switch that accepts 2 in and 1 out. From the receiver I could use the speaker B output and the surround output to the switch inputs and the switch output to the surround speakers. For party mode use speaker B output. For theater mode switch to the surround output. I think this will work but my concern is will this danage the receiver?

 

[MDS]

Why only 4 channel stereo?

If you have a full 5.1 setup, just use the All Channel Stereo mode. If the idea is stereo in two different rooms then use the Zone 2 feature of the receiver if it has one.

 

[no. 5]

If you mean the VSX-82TXS; that's a lot of receiver for just 4 channel stereo (I think it's capable of 7 channel stereo), if that's all you want, you don't have to spend $1,200 to get it.

 

[Stealth X]

as stated above, this reciever offers 7 channel stereo (or 2 channel, you can switch of course). if you dont have 7 speakers then you can use the extra 2 channels to bi amp your front speakers if you so desired.

it also has a separate 2 channel output for a 2nd listening zone.

 

[Frugal]

Elite VSX-82TXS

Thanks, sounds like I'll be covered at party time. The reasons I went with the VSX 82TXS are: 3 HDMI in, upconversion to HDMI, Faroudja upscaler and I like the Elite DV46 DVD. I ran a 25' HDMI to where the 55' Hitachi plazma will go and that should be the only cable I need (I'm not a gamer). I know the TV is only 720P but Hitachi service is good around here. I'm not sure LCD above 46" is reliable.

 

[Frugal]

Talked to Pioneer Rep

To get 4 channel stereo Pioneer rep says to hook surround speakers to surround back terminals (not surround) then go to the setup menu/surround back system and select NORMAL for 5.1 surround and 2ND ZONE for 4 channel stereo (after selecting stereo on the remote). I guess that means that the surround back speakers normally output the same as surround speakers when playing 5.1 source. Anybody know for sure?

 

[MDS]

Frugal

In your first post you said you have 4 speakers. If you only have 4 speakers just hook them up to the front and surround terminals and then tell the receiver in the setup menu that those are the speakers connected (ie center=no, rear surrounds=no, and sub=no). Then use the All Channel Stereo mode for '4 channel stereo'.

You'd still be able to play in surround mode with that approach and it would be slightly different because the surrounds will get different info than when in all channel stereo mode.

The suggestion from the Pioneer rep will work too but all it would be doing is playing two zones at once. 7.1 receivers with two zones usually allow you to assign the rear surround amps to zone 2 so you can have 5.1 in the main zone and stereo in the second zone.

If you do it as suggested you could play stereo only with the two front speakers, stereo only with zone 2, or both at the same time (giving you the '4 channel stereo').

 

[Frugal]

sorry, my mistake

I re-read my post and see my mistake. This is a full 5.1 system. 4 Epos ELS 3s, ELS C center, and a HSU 8" sub. The room is 30' long, 15' wide and will be divided down the middle with a couch. TV on one end wall, pool table at the other. Speakers are mounted on brackets front and rear. I want to be able to listen to 5.1 audio for movies or identical front/rear stereo for get togethers. I don't see 4 channel stereo in the menu.

 

[MDS]

There wouldn't be a specific 4 channel stereo mode but most receivers have a mode called All Channel Stereo. I was originally going on the assumption that there were only 4 speakers and so ACS mode would in effect be 4 channel stereo.

With the full 5.1 setup connected in the normal way, ACS mode will send the sound to the fronts, center, and surrounds so the people in the front of the room will hear the sound from the fronts and center and the people in the back of the room will hear the sound from the surround speakers. You could always go into the setup menu and set the center = no before engaging ACS mode if you don't want the center to play.