Ask Engadget HD: 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound audio for beginners?
"To complement the audio found on Blu-ray movies or HD downloads, is a 5.1 setup good enough or will 7.1 surround make a significant difference? Any suggestions on best low end or mid-range setup?"
There's only about a million different HTIB systems or audio components to choose from, but for someone starting from scratch it's hard to know which item on the sales rack will be the best fit. Given what's available today, what would you start out with?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Dilip @ Sep 16th 2009 4:24PM
There are not enough titles on 7.1, most are 5.1.
But 7.1 titles are increasing day by day.
Its always better to buy something with more features, you will eventually like that u did a good investment even if u had to spend a few bucks more.
So my suggestion : 7.1
Make sure that receiver is HDMI repeater (ie., it processes audio too) and not a passthrough
wrinklefree @ Sep 16th 2009 4:29PM
5.1 is good enough. 7.1 is a joke. Honestly, 2 more speakers BEHIND you? Humans are much more perceptive to sound coming in front of you. Just look at how our ears are shaped.
Nacho @ Sep 16th 2009 6:01PM
It's actually 2 speakers out to the side if you're doing it right. I realize not every room is going to be able to support it, but my two "surround" speakers are actually ever so slightly ahead of my main listening position. Only the rears are actually behind you. Which is the intended setup, btw.
Ironhide @ Sep 16th 2009 4:32PM
To be blunt, unless your room is quite large, 5.1 generally will work very well. I've experimented with my 7.1 Yamaha and so far have found it to be a wash in my living room. There are also only a handful of BluRay titles that actually use full 7.1 so again, something of a wash. If your couch is right against the back wall then 7.1 really won't work even at it's best, because you need some space behind you past the surround speakers to place the rear surround.
As for components, a mid range Yamaha, Denon, Harmon Kardon, or Onkyo can offer fantastic value with excellent features, most notably Onkyo with some of the best features per dollar. Sound itself is entirely subjective. Some people find Yamahas offer a very warm sound and Denons a cooler but more accurate sound. But again, very subjective. Go to a hi-fi listening room in a decent home theater retailer and listen to various receivers.
Speakers also are subjective. Listen to several and see which ones sound best to you. Every manufacturer has a different 'sound' to it, based on how they build the speakers, so each manufacturer has a different 'flavour'. So basically anyone here can recommend speakers and componants until the cows come home, but it's entirely a personal experience.
Ironhide @ Sep 16th 2009 4:35PM
Just as an add on, go for 7.1 if the receiver supports it. Many mid range receivers can assign the unused speaker ports for other zones or as a second set of front speakers.
picasotriggerfish @ Sep 16th 2009 4:40PM
If you go with an Onkyo, look into one's with ProLogic IIz. You're able to hear more detail in vertical sound in front of you than you can of sound behind you.
Jack Mossburg @ Sep 16th 2009 4:34PM
You don't need 7.1. In most rooms you will not even be able to hear the diffrence.
picasotriggerfish @ Sep 16th 2009 4:35PM
Go with dipole rear speaker in a 5.1 config for a good quality lower-mid range speaker system. Total price will be around $2000 and $3000 depending on minor changes in brands, models, and pre/pro amp quality.
__JP__ @ Sep 16th 2009 4:37PM
5.1 with THX certified equipment.
Blackbond007 @ Sep 16th 2009 5:00PM
If your speakers aren't THX Certified, then having the branding on the receiver is a wash. THX only means that the gear will be able produce the audio track as close to what the engineer mixed down. Any receiver that has a lossless DTS-MA or DD-True HD format should be fine and kinda future-proof your receiver. I'm partial to Denon receivers. Out of all commercial retail stores, Denon receivers produce the warmest sound. You don't want anything sounding tinny. I also like Pioneer receivers as well.
Dan @ Sep 16th 2009 4:58PM
Last year at Holiday time I got a 7.1 Onkyo HTIB direct from the Onkyo online site. They said it was "refurbished" and that it wouldn't come with any cables, but yet when I received it, all the cables were included and the unit looked brand new. It was $200 cheaper then the "new" one too. From what I hear this is common for Onkyo "refurbished" products. It was a great value and I am happy with the sound quality for the price I paid. Might want to look at Onkyo referb HTIB as a good solution.
Richard @ Sep 16th 2009 4:46PM
Depend on your room, unless you room is huge no need to get 7.1 I think less than 10% blu-ray has 7.1 sound, but asian blu-ray is more than 50% has 7.1 sound. As for PS3 game is more benefit, lots of games support 7.1. I remember Kill Zone was 7.1 it was very sweet ;p
People should invest more in speaker then on receiver. Those THX logo can fool you, I had pioneer elite receiver and i don't use the thx mode. I think the direct sound from the source is sound better than those thx mode. When i use thx mode, it lower volume, the dialogue doesn't sound as clean
jesse @ Sep 16th 2009 6:40PM
yea go with the 7.1 no passthrough that was my mistake so now im shopping for another onkyo....but always future yourself so you wont have to go out and buy again.......but i do love my onkyo now tho 1200 watts is really nice to hear and have...........set ya system to dolby ex and u will get all of your speakers to sound sweet even with bluray titles but dont get a passthrough like me
Isaac @ Sep 16th 2009 4:58PM
Unless the extra cost is minimal, go with 5.1. Remember that 7.1 capable doesn't mean you're actually getting 7.1 audio; most movies don't have a 7.1 audio soundtrack--even the awesome ones like The Dark Knight and Iron Man. By the time 7.1 is standard, you'll be ready to buy a new receiver.
P.S. Do make sure that the receiver can do Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD, etc. That won't cost much and pretty much every Blu-ray movie has an HD audio soundtrack.
Christopher Cerny @ Sep 16th 2009 5:13PM
I've had 5.1 and 7.1 setups over the years--5.1 is just fine. Don't be afraid to buy a receiver that supports 7.1 if it has other features that you are after. Just tell the receiver that the rear surrounds are not present and it will just just fine with 5.1. I also have a new Onkyo receiver with the new PLIIz and can tell you that it isn't anything special either. THX certification isn't that big of a deal either, at least when it comes to real tangible improvements. You'll be perfectly happy with a DVD or Blu Ray player, a receiver that can decode the DVDs or BR's digitally, and a good sounding speaker system like the Energy Take Classic 5.1 with the speakers well positioned. The Onkyo HTIB's aren't bad either, especially for the money. Don't get me wrong--all the higher end features add that little extra something, but it is just a little, not a lot--general law of diminishing returns definitely applies to home theater gear.
Curtis @ Sep 16th 2009 5:17PM
+1 for an Onkyo HTIB.
air12ick @ Sep 16th 2009 5:29PM
I would only go 7.1 if you have a long rectangular room (not a square room)...at least 15 feet long too. I got a room that 25' long and 12' wide, and having the 7.1 setup sounds great. I have tried this with a smaller (much more square) room, not to great.
Also, if your gaming (PS3 mainly) with 7.1, localization is great too. Playing Uncharted and M.A.G. (beta), you can really localize exactly what is going on behind and to the side of you. But again, in a small squarish room, you can't hear this.
Using ProLogicIIx (haven't tried ProLogicIIz because I don't have it) with the 5.1 movies actually does map out to the 4 different rear speakers pretty well. Though most of the time, the 2 rear speakers (not side surround) usually have the same effect coming out of them. So even most movies are 5.1 at the moment, if you have a long room, its great to have that 7.1 effect.
TRT @ Sep 16th 2009 5:33PM
You guys forget where you are. This is EngadgetHD! The average beginner is comming from listenning to the speaker(s) in their TV's to a surround system that will cost 2 or 3 hundred dollars at best. It would take a good hour or two of instruction to explain dolby digital let alone ANY newer CODEC's. Who cares what they buy? It probably will sound like crap, anyway. A REAL, SERIOUS beginner will do some research and realize the expense that lies before them and quietly decide on a system worth buying.....None of which will have the letters HTiB on the label. Those entry level systems now include the latest CODEC's. They will exclude quality video processing and power. Bottom line: This is a hobby where we all know for a fact that you get what you pay for. Yes, some items are WAY over priced even for the most fanatic audiophile. However; In a value orientated society that ignores quality---These kinds of toys are not for the faint of wallet.
chilipepper @ Sep 16th 2009 5:41PM
There is absolutely no need for 7.1
Nacho @ Sep 16th 2009 5:57PM
I actually have the receiver pictured. Except mine's black. Frikkin love that thing.
It's 7.1 (as well as 7.2, if you feel like mounting 2 speakers on your ceiling). I wouldn't spend any extra on 7.1 over 5.1, but since prices are coming down so much these days and the manufacturers are putting previously "high-end" features into their middle and lower end stuff, I certainly wouldn't avoid a 7.1 system.
Also, as many others have said, you can't go wrong with an Onkyo HTiB as a starter system. I've bought 2 of them and recommended them for 3 other people I know and no one can seem to believe the sound quality you get when you tell them how much the setup costs.
Michael @ Sep 16th 2009 6:12PM
I have an Onky 7.1 receiver in my living room with klipsch speakers... One of my best friends has a 5.1 setup in his living room.. The difference in sound between the two is off screen ambient noise when watching a movie. So to answer the question..
If you want to pick up on that sound then buy 7.1 if not spend the extra money on a better 5.1 receiver.. I like the 7.1 receiver, but it is in no way needed to enjoy a movie
Kumar @ Sep 17th 2009 2:01PM
I've got an Onkyo/Klipsch setup too. I added two larger front speakers to a quintet setup, and It's good to have the two extra speakers when the audio supports it. I've found myself looking around the room when sounds seem to come from random directions, not the movie I'm watching.
Is it just me, or does it seem like the worst movies come with the best sound?
Reggie @ Sep 16th 2009 6:23PM
5.1 is great and unless one is spending tens of thousands most systems will be great and hard to tell from a 7.1 system
Andrew Beck @ Sep 16th 2009 6:40PM
If starting from scratch, I'd pay the extra money to get a 7.1 capable receiver. It's going to be hard to spend extra money on quality without getting the 7.1 thrown in, unless you are buying used. And in that case, you are probably missing out on features you want (HDMI switching, video upconversion, advanced audio codecs).
However, I wouldn't actually buy the full set of 7.1 speakers. I'd stick to 5.1 for the speakers for now, and put the extra money into getting better speakers. You can always add in two more speakers later.
Thrasher @ Sep 16th 2009 6:50PM
Despite the negative comments about 7.1 sound, it can sound great with the right material and the right speakers. If your space or budget are tight, get a 5.1 set of matched speakers and a 7.1 receiver (so you can add more speakers later). if you go with the 5.1 setup, look for bi or di-pole surround speakers, which go a long way toward making up the sonic deficit of standard speakers. Any good mid-range receiver will do the trick- Denon, Marantz, Onkyo, Yamaha.
As noted elsewhere, be sure the receiver supports at least 3 HDMI inputs (preferably 4 or more) and 1 or 2 HDMI outputs, supports for all the modern HD codecs, at least 2 zones, and has good video processing.
I can recommend a great set of speakers at a fantastic price: Emotiva ERM-1's are being closed out at $150/each. They're selling a set of 3 ERM-1s and 2 ERD-1s (the ERDs are switchable bi/di-pole surround speakers) for ~$716 + shipping. I installed this exact set a few months back in a bedroom and love the sound and look! http://emotiva.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=25
For a sub-woofer, there are tons of good ones out there in the $3-400 range (you can spend less or waaay more), which puts your speakers in the $1,200 range. Add in a nice receiver for $6-800, plus a Blu-Ray for another $250-300, and you're set.
I have had good success with refurb electronics (refurbished by the manufacturer) from Denon, Marantz, and Sony. You can save 20-40% of retail, which can be a good deal. I'm currently running a refurb Marantz SR-5003 AVR (I paid ~$550 for it from Accessories 4 Less a few months ago; list was $800: http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/generic/Marantz-Specials/1.html?results.per.page=4ab15f6c ).
Good luck and have fun!
Rick
kuriti @ Sep 16th 2009 6:56PM
5.1. i was a recent beginner as well. i bought a yamaha receiver rxv361 that seems to do well with all the dolby options. i spent $200 at BB, but was in a hurry, so you can find better deals if you look. that was a year or so ago. i then got in wall cambridge sound works speakers and their cubes for surround. already had a subwoofer. i am not going to defend the audiophile quality of these speakers, there are better i am sure. however, as the previous poster mentioned, compared to a TV speaker, they rock. overall, by system has been cheap enough to get CFO approval (wife), while significantly enhancing my Bluray experience. total cost was about $700 with wires, etc...
EM1 @ Sep 16th 2009 7:25PM
I could not tell you the difference in sound between a 5.1 and a 7.1 system. What I can tell you, do not buy a boxed system. I bought one and I don't like it at all. They do sound far better then the TV speakers though.
Not sure what your spending budget is but if you're looking for speakers, I found PSB to sound very good for their money. The bookshelf speakers I was looking at cost $300 for the pair but sound like speakers that cost $1000.
As for building a 5.1 or a 7.1 setup, buy a receiver that supports 7.1 but buy speakers for a 5.1 system. If you think after you build it the setup could be better, buy the two remaining speakers.
Jimmi @ Sep 16th 2009 7:33PM
I only have room in my component space for a receiver around 4 inches tall. Any suggestions for something good and slim. Preferably with HDMI upscaling.
TRT @ Sep 17th 2009 1:12PM
http://us.marantz.com/Products/2926.asp
Thrasher @ Sep 18th 2009 12:56PM
Jimmi- There is a new Sherwood AVR that is smaller and more stylish than the typical AVR: http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/09/09/sherwoods-700w-r-904n-netboxx-av-receiver-dabbles-in-online-med/ Rick
kcmurphy88 @ Sep 16th 2009 8:23PM
1) Most TV rooms don't have space behind the chairs anyway, so 7.1 is useless there.
2) The BIG jump is from 2.0 to 5.1, everything else is marketing for the most part. You need 5.1 to avoid the drowning dialog in the sound effects, but past that...
3) Everything comes with a 5.1 mix, almost nothing with 6.1 or 7.1.
4) Cost
5) Compatibility
6) Sanity
Eric @ Sep 16th 2009 8:41PM
I have the Sony HT-SS360, I got it from Amazon for cheaper than the Sony Employee Discount (less than 250 I think) and it does what I need and quite well! My only suggestion is the use the auto-calibrate feature (it comes with a little mic) and if you have your rear speakers behind your couch, place the mic about a foot or so in front of the couch (centered with everything best as possible of course) so the rear speakers will be just a little louder.
Stephan @ Sep 16th 2009 9:10PM
5.1 .... not 7.1: there's something morally wrong with the idea that I should have more speakers behind me than in front of me.....especially when most of the stuff coming from the speakers comes from in FRONT of me.
mikewallace3d @ Sep 16th 2009 9:22PM
For the 7.1 advocates in here:
Not being sarcastic, but can you give any examples of BD titles where 7.1 sounds SUBSTANTIALLY better than the 5.1? Any good 7.1 reference material where the "average" listener can go "Aha! That's what those extra speakers are for."
Todd @ Sep 16th 2009 9:54PM
7.1 is a waste, save your money and spend it on quality 5.1
Side Show Bob @ Sep 19th 2009 8:42PM
I thought this was Engadget HD. OF COURSE, if you can afford it, go full 7.1 or 7.2 if space permits. For my first (and current) living room home theater setup, I went with a full 7.1 setup. And yes, if it's done CORRECTLY, you can tell a difference. I went with a Denon 3808CI receiver and it has a mode to "matrix" the sound of a 5.1 source to utilize all 7 speakers. Basically, when I'm playing a game like Gears of War 2, which has 5.1 dolby digital sound, it will STILL fill ALL 7 SPEAKERS and do it CORRECTLY without processing with stupid sound tricks. e.g; auditorium, jazz, concert hall; etc.
Now, as far as 7.1 movies go, there are more and more being released.
Just check here: http://www.blu-raystats.com/Stats/Stats.php
ALSO, for audiophiles, (like me) hi resolution music on Blu-Ray are starting to be produced. There's not a lot of music out there yet, but I can tell the difference when listening to: Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Concertos for Double Orchestra - Acoustic Reality Experience [7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Disc] [Blu-Ray] [Blu-ray] & The Way to Paradise - Music Experience in 3-Dimensional Sound Reality [7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Disc] [Blu-ray].
IMHO, the people that speak against 7.1 surround sound, probably have NO IDEA what quality audio is supposed to sound like WHEN IT'S DONE CORRECTLY.
Andrew @ Sep 16th 2009 11:42PM
this is really easy...7.1 will be a little overkill for a beginner and 5.1 will be good enough for most every situation if properly setup. Just get good (matching) speakers and a good receiver and all will be good. I personally like Polk and Denon, but Denon is a little complicated for a beginner, so there I would go Pioneer or Onkyo, Pioneer being probably the easiest receiver to set up.
I would recommend getting a 7.1 receiver, this will allow for expansion and plus most 7.1 receivers will include more features, as you are moving up the product lines for most brands.
For brands I would recommend (through tons of research and personal tests at the $300-$800 range): Denon, Onkyo (they get hot, so for tight spaces be aware), Pioneer and Harmon Kardon.
Sony and Yamaha are OK but they kinda stink until you spend above $700. They pack more features and less performance.
Last piece of advice: if you want receiver upscaling, and if you can stay away from the Faroudja DCDi chip, it's getting old and outdated, Denon just changed to the VRS Anchor Bay chip and it is noticeably better, much much less jaggies.
dagamer43 @ Sep 16th 2009 11:52PM
7.1 receiver, 5.1 speakers.
Any system worth owning is going to give you 7.1 anyway (you should be spending more than $250 otherwise you're wasting your money). Most people won't need more than 5.1 and instead of buying more speakers, they should buy better ones.
Simple as that.
glenn s @ Sep 17th 2009 12:14AM
Wow. This is unbelievable. Near consensus in the comments. 5.1 is enough for the vast majority of set-ups. But since all of the better receivers are 7.1 or 7.2, you pretty much have to get one of those if you want good quality. The only thing I will add is that if you are going to do 5.1, like most sane people, choose a receiver that can use the extra 2 channels of the built in amplifier to power 2nd zone speakers in another room so they don't go to waste. I keep meaning to wire mine to in wall speakers in the bathroom with the jacuzzi. Just haven't gotten off my lazy ass to do it yet.
Benjamin @ Sep 17th 2009 12:48AM
5.1 is plenty, and I don't like the prologic mixes (i.e. a purist) Get a 7.1 but then use the extra two channels to bi-amp the mains. Extra wattage goodness. Made a substantial dynamic difference to my Monitor Audio speakers, especially for stereo music.
mim132 @ Sep 17th 2009 2:25AM
Punisher: War Zone rocks my 7.1 world. Thoroughly enjoy gun shots from the side!
blued888 @ Sep 17th 2009 3:14AM
A 7.1 receiver if pretty much standard nowadays. So that would definitely be a good starting point for surround sound audio.
To implement a 7.1 setup, you need extra room at the back for positioning the rear surround speakers, Consider 3ft a possible minimum but ideally 6ft for better imaging.
On the other hand, a 5.1 can be set pretty much in most rooms. Depending on your room, you may opt to put surround speakers on the sides of the listening position or give a bit of distance and angle them towards listening position.
Speaker selection is very subjective as sound characteristic may vary per brand/model.
There is also a choice to make in surround speakers selection. Opting for dipole/bipole speakers will give a more dispersed sound while opting for monopole/direct-radiating speakers will give a more directional sound.
Materials supporting more than 5.1 channels are very scarce on DVD while there is a continually increasing inventory for 7.1 titles on Blu-ray.
allenvanhellen @ Sep 17th 2009 3:30AM
Call me nutso, but I was just using 2.0 with the intention of going 4.0 or 4.1, and I was quite pleased. I spent ~$550 for a 5.1 amp and two Paradigm Titans; to buy 4 or more speakers with that amount would have meant going quantity over quality. I've never had a big enough living room where I needed a center channel - I could always hear center-panned audio as coming from between the two speakers. Also, I didn't really have enough space to place the speakers at a good distance behind the couch. I don't want the things right behind my ear! and it's kinda tricky to mount speakers in the ceiling anyway. Has anyone done anything nuts like putting the rear speakers on the ground behind the couch and pointing them up? I know audiophiles will gasp at that, but I wonder: would it practically provide a bit of rear ambiance in space-limited settings?
squiggleslash @ Sep 17th 2009 7:56AM
The only real reason to go for 7.1 is that most receivers of any worth do 7.1 anyway. Still, if the only difference between two receivers you like are that one does 5.1 and the other 7.1, and that the 7.1 has some other minor disadvantage (slightly higher price, HDMI only, etc), then get the 5.1
There are multiple reasons for this advice:
1. 5.1 is the "sweet spot" according to the experts. Don't believe me? Check out EHD's interview with the good people at Dolby a few months ago. They do all their testing with 5.1 and see it as the ideal surround sound system.
2. To actually hear a difference between 5.1 and 7.1, you generally need a huge room and some content that really shows it off.
3. 90%+ of content is either stereo or 5.1 and probably always will be.
- While Blu-ray's support for 7.1 (and higher) will mean an increase in 7.1 content, thus far most lossless tracks on BD are 5.1.
- Almost all DVDs will be stereo or 5.1 for the foreseeable future, beyond the "6.1" hacks that add a rear channel that most 7.1 speaker set-ups don't support properly anyway.
- Online content is bandwidth restricted: Apple offers AC-3 audio (restricted to 5.1), others are still using stereo but for bandwidth reasons are unlikely to go beyond 5.1 when they eventually roll out surround sound systems.
- ATSC and DVB, while giving lipservice to E-AC-3, are standardized on AC-3 for surround sound, which is a 5.1 only format. Your OTA, Cable, and Satellite TV system will use one of those standards, so you're not going to get 7.1 from your TV. DVB also supports AAC, which supports 7.1, but how many receivers do you see that also support AAC? If you're in the US, the only company doing DVB is Dish Network (DVB-S), and they're a Dolby shop.
4. Unnecessary complexities and costs. It may sound obvious, and it may be a minor concern, but in return for getting two channels that will virtually never be used, you'll have to buy two more speakers, and have two more wires to run around the room - admittedly not very far, as the two speakers will be at the front.
One other thing to bear in mind: one poster to this thread made a comment about "two speakers behind you" (and was roundly and immediately slapped down for it), which actually reflects real confusion about something that also might be a (wrong) reason people are considering 7.1.
Before 7.1 there was 6.1. This is the form of surround sound provided on Star Wars DVDs, for example, and is generally encoded as either DTS ES or Dolby Digital EX (extensions to DTS and AC-3 respectively.) In 6.1, the additional speaker is always supposed to be behind the listener.
In 7.1, the situation is more complex, with "behind the listener" being one configuration (though not one generally supported by most receivers), the other being in front of the listener parallel with the other two front speakers.
Now, the latter is generally the supported configuration (ie content and receivers require speakers in front), but that configuration means that if you get a 7.1 speaker set up, if you're under the impression it'll mean you can finally make that 6.1 DVD you have sing, well, you're out of luck because there are no "rear speakers" to actually play back that rear channel!
In other words, don't get 7.1 because you're under the impression it's a superset of 5.1 and 6.1. It is a superset of 5.1, but the only discs that'll take advantage of the extra speakers are those that actually have a 7.1 sound track. I'm pretty certain that there are no DVDs in your collection that have a 7.1 surround track.
For a list of speaker layouts, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surround_sound
MEANSPIRITED @ Sep 17th 2009 8:30AM
yawn....ho hum......
5.1...7.1....3-D
2 channel worked great for the last 50 years!
who needs all that noise anyway?.....BOOM...BANG.....BOOM!!
I'M getting a HEADACHE just thinging about..............sigh!
i love my 65" tv and blu ray and my stereo sound!.....and of course the thousands i've saved on the noise factor equipment!
i bet the rest of you can't wait for the next 9.1 or whatever to come out......LOL!
ChrisH @ Sep 17th 2009 9:56AM
I'm going to echo what most people have said here and that, unless you have a massive room, you're better off with 5 speakers than 7, as you would be hard pressed to hear a difference. However, I would suggest that going with a 5.2 (dual subwoofer setup) over 7.1 will give you a change that you can hear. Having dual subwoofers will allow you to position them better to smooth out the bass response, and eliminate a lot of the peaks and valleys in your bass response. It takes up more room of course, and will take a good bit of time to setup right (you'll need to experiment with a lot of different positions for the subs), but you'll notice far more difference with 5.2 than with 7.1 IMO.
koehler83 @ Sep 17th 2009 10:13AM
I'm tempted to say Pro Logic II. It's like the Nintendo Wii of Surround Sound.
patrick @ Sep 17th 2009 10:28AM
I bought a 7.1 system over a 5.1 system never intending to use the rear speakers. I got it because the receiver (Onkyo TX-SR606 that's holding up great) allows you to switch the rear channels into bi-amping for the front channels.
amman shird @ Sep 17th 2009 2:51PM
you know, i get the fact that most people don't have the space to go with a 7.1 setup;but,"morally wrong"? it sounds like some of you have never been in a state of the art stadium-sized theater where there are speakers in every inch of the room all around you; is that "morally wrong"? when properly set up,you can get excellent surround,directionality,etc. even from a 5.1 soundtrack.some of you posters need to stop acting like having 2 extra speakers in the back is something to fear-it's just speakers.
Colin Robertson @ Sep 17th 2009 4:34PM
In regards to 5.1 vs. 7.1, I would buy something at least capable of decoding that information (ie: everything these days) so you have the capability for the future if you ever decide to go that route. HOWEVER, when initially building the system, it will be MUCH better to invest that money that would be spent on two additional speakers on buying better speakers or electronics upfront. A system will sound much better having 5 good speakers than 7 just OK speakers. Think quality over quantity. In fact, there's no shame in taking it even further; getting a great pair of speakers (as long as they're appropriate for your amplification (aka don't buy a $300 receiver to drive $2000 speakers)), and buying matching center, surrounds, and sub at a later date. This may provide you with much more satisfaction in the long run.
As far as which products to look for; audition audition audition!! Make sure what you buy is something you can enjoy and live with! Also, dont be an a-hole and take time from a dealer to see what you like then buy elsewhere. Just make sure they offer good valued products and you wont be getting "ripped off".
If you're totally in the dark on what brands are good and which to avoid, avoid HTIB's, and Bose. They are generally not a good value, especially bose stuff. For receivers and other electronics, I have had good experiences with Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer, and Yamaha. Higher up on the chain you could go with brands like Rotel, NAD, and Cambridge (although blu-ray players are largely unnecessarily expensive from high-end companies due to the nature of the technology behind blu-ray and HDMI). For speakers look at Paradigm, Polk, B&W, PSB, Definitive, etc... As far as higher end speakers that I find to still be reputable and a good value; Vandersteen, Theil, upper-end B&W & Paradigm, this list is really miles long... Speakers will probably the most personal-preference type of decision you make in acquiring your system, so take your time and audition lots of brands in your price point from multiple dealers if possible. If you're planning on surround sound pick a speaker brand based on how it will sound in a surround setup as well as music even if you dont plan on going surround right away. Some companies make great 2-channel speakers, but lame center channels (Martin Logan is a good example of this IMHO), for example. Matching is key to a seamless surround sound experience.
Hope this helps!