Question on 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 Setup

[TakeItEasy]

I currently have speakers/sub for a 5.1 surround setup and am in the market for a new receiver. My current room setup only capacitates a 5.1 setup, as my viewing area is along a back wall which restricts any benefit of background speakers used in a 6.1 or 7.1 setup. However, I anticipate moving in the near future and would like to purchase a versatile receiver ($200-500) in anticipation of moving to a 6.1 or 7.1 setup.

Does it matter if I purchase a 6.1 or 7.1 compatible receiver and wire in only 5 speakers? Am I losing anything? Is there any special tips/information I should know about with this setup? If my proposed setup is not compatible, could you recommend a 5.1 compatible receiver, as I am mostly finding reviews on 6.1 or 7.1 receivers?

Thank you.

 

[j_garcia]

This gets asked all the time. You can configure any receiver that does over 5.1 to run 5.1 only until you get the other speakers and nothing is lost or missing. Then it is simply a matter of telling the receiver that you have hooked up the additional speakers when you get them.

 

[Guiria]

You can find several receivers in your price range that have an auto-setup feature that will detect the number of speakers automatically and configure the receiver accordingly. When and if you do decide to go to 7.1, just run the auto-setup again.

 

[starcraftbw]

yes you can

99% of the movies are 5.1 surround. but it's good to buy 7.1 instead of 5.1 for long term investment.

 

[j_garcia]

I haven't seen any receiver that will detect what speakers are connected. You still have to tell autocalibrating receivers which speakers you have and do not have.

 

[Guiria]

I can speak for two brands. Yamaha and Pioneer. The yamaha YPAO ( I own the HTR-5960) and the Pioneer MCACC on the 1015-TX (Parents own, I set it up). Both systems run 5.1 surround but are capable of 7.1. Both auto calibration systems ran through the first test that checked for speaker connectivity. The surround rear channels were x'd out of the rest of the tests because neither was connected.

I'm not sure on other brands of auto calibration.

 

[Seth=L]

I haven't seen any receiver that will detect what speakers are connected. You still have to tell autocalibrating receivers which speakers you have and do not have.

My new Yammy HTR-5890 does this, it calls it a "wire check" It checked to see if the presense speakers were plugged in, it detected there was none and it set it up accordingly.

Guiria, which do you like better, the Yamaha you have our your parents Pioneer 1015?

 

[j_garcia]

It isn't actually checking to see if a speaker is physically connected, it is sending a tone and if no tone is played back, then it knows there is no speaker.

 

[Seth=L]

It isn't actually checking to see if a speaker is physically connected, it is sending a tone and if no tone is played back, then it knows there is no speaker.

Well now you are just getting technical. They serve the same purpose if all the connections are made correctly, and if a speaker doesn't produce sound then you know there is problem with the connection and you can fix it.

 

[Guiria]

No matter how it works you don't have to tell the receiver which speakers are connected which was the original point.

As for comparing the Yammie vs. Pioneer, It's tough since they are both connected to completely different speakers and in very different rooms. Main differences I have gathered however are:

Pioneer is heavier and bigger - I think it looks better
Pioneer has THX Select2 - which in my opinion hasn't provided any audible benefits being that my parents system is extremely bright at high volumes (in a room where one wall is primarily glass doors and door size windows probably contributes to that).

Yammie has better music functions like there own hifi-DSP, and digital music enhancer.
Yammie has dedicated on/off functionality which is nice for remote macro programming.
Yammie has AV sync delay

Overall I think either one is a good choice if you don't need HDMI, however, if I had to recommend one or the other I'd go for the Yamaha.

 

[Seth=L]

The 1016 has HDMI I believe, it doesn't look as nice as the 1015 though.

 

[tjlmbklr]

This is useful info thanks guys, I too don't have the accomodations for 7.1. However I did connect thsurround rear (this is 6.1 correct?) and that sounds great.