# 5.2?



## mozez (Aug 6, 2011)

Ok I'll be building my home next year and the bonus room above the garage will be my theater, I think I decided to go 5.2, are there any good 5.1 avrs that I can hook an xpa3 to? My room will look alot like nezffs room, with regards to the walls, any feedback would be greatly appreciated!


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

mozez said:


> Ok I'll be building my home next year and the bonus room above the garage will be my theater, I think I decided to go 5.2,


Using 2 subs is not 5.2 but 5.1 with dual subs. That's my setup, btw.



> are there any good 5.1 avrs that I can hook an xpa3 to?


Many AVRs have preamp outputs. What's your budget?


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## mozez (Aug 6, 2011)

Thanks for replying! I was wanting to do the entire setup for 2500-3k, that's everything, so avr needs to be relatively modest, I just need one I can run a xpa3 to the L,R,C, also if you split a sub preout will that sound bad? I want to use 2, that way I eliminate the " I wonder were the best position will be" problem, also plan on pre wiring the room, I've been salivating at this for awhile, again any and all help is appreciated!


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

Do you already have the Emotiva amp? If not, why not just get a AVR that will power your speakers? It will help the budget rather than by channelling lots of cost to the XPA-3. You could always add it later if it because necessary.

So, how much is budgeted for the AVR?

Kal


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## koyaan (Mar 2, 2010)

Splitting the signal to 2 subwoofers shouldn't hurt anything. A simple Y adapter should be all that you need. 
5.2 would be stereo subwoofers with different signals going to each. You could do that by using the high level input /outputs on the subs, placing the subs between yourthe front left and right speakers ( avr to sub / sub to speaker )and setting the front speakers to large. I've never used this configuration, but it has it's adherents.


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## mozez (Aug 6, 2011)

Thanks! I should point out that my setup is gonna have to come from best buy to start, family man you know, the klipsch icon series is what I'm looking at, if I don't use an xpa3 (which I do not have) what avr will push them hard enough so that dual 450w's don't drown out the sound? So I guess my budget would allow like 5-800 avr, thanks again for your help, the room size is 12 wide, 20 long, 8ft high, above garage so the walls are slanted.


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

koyaan said:


> Splitting the signal to 2 subwoofers shouldn't hurt anything. A simple Y adapter should be all that you need.


Agreed.



> 5.2 would be stereo subwoofers with different signals going to each. You could do that by using the high level input /outputs on the subs, placing the subs between yourthe front left and right speakers ( avr to sub / sub to speaker )and setting the front speakers to large. I've never used this configuration, but it has it's adherents.


Nope. 5.1 means that there is a discrete signal channel from the source to the subwoofer, usually referred to as LFE. Using crossovers or bass management to re-route bass from any/all channels to a subwoofer does not the same thing. So, adding more subs cannot make for a 5.2 system unless you have found such source materials. I have not.


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

mozez said:


> Thanks! I should point out that my setup is gonna have to come from best buy to start, family man you know, the klipsch icon series is what I'm looking at, if I don't use an xpa3 (which I do not have) ....


Those speakers do not require such a power amp as they are very efficient. Any 100wpc AVR will suffice.


> what avr will push them hard enough so that dual 450w's don't drown out the sound?


Irrelevant. Balancing the outputs for the multiple channels and subs is the task of system setup and, in theory, any subs should work with any main speakers if each has adequate amplification.



> So I guess my budget would allow like 5-800 avr, thanks again for your help, the room size is 12 wide, 20 long, 8ft high, above garage so the walls are slanted.


No problemo. In that price range, I prefer to recommend either Onkyo, Integra, Denon or Marantz as these offer Audyssey MultEQ XT for setup and roomEQ.


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## mozez (Aug 6, 2011)

Hey thanks man! I have a ton of questions, of course this is the place to be for answers, like if I decide to run dual subs what's the best placement? 1 F-L, 1 R-R? Or should they both be in the front?


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## TypeA (Aug 14, 2010)

mozez said:


> Hey thanks man! I have a ton of questions, of course this is the place to be for answers, like if I decide to run dual subs what's the best placement? 1 F-L, 1 R-R? Or should they both be in the front?


Lots and lots of resources, google is your friend. Take the time to read this through, lots of good info for someone with a ton of questions 

http://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/get-good-bass/multiple-subwoofer-setup-calibration-1

(If theres anything youre not understanding dont hesitate to ask for clarification)


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## mozez (Aug 6, 2011)

That article was an extreme read! But now I'm headed in the right direction! Thanks, I can't believe I gotta wait a yr to build this but doing all this research will pay off I think!


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## Theresa (Aug 23, 2010)

You may be right about 5.2 but what if the subs are equalized separately? 5.15?


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## Mike P. (Apr 6, 2007)

It would still be 5.1 since the source material is the same. .2 would require 2 discrete signals, one to each sub and as Kal stated, there's no source material available for Home Theater. Currently the only .2 application for subwoofers is 2 channel stereo for music.


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

Theresa said:


> You may be right about 5.2 but what if the subs are equalized separately? 5.15?





Mike P. said:


> It would still be 5.1 since the source material is the same. .2 would require 2 discrete signals, one to each sub and as Kal stated, there's no source material available for Home Theater. Currently the only .2 application for subwoofers is 2 channel stereo for music.


I think you missed her implied smiley. :sarcastic:


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## Mike P. (Apr 6, 2007)

Apparently I did. :whistling:


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## Theresa (Aug 23, 2010)

Kal Rubinson said:


> I think you missed her implied smiley. :sarcastic:


Yes, my omission. Said purely in jest.
:neener:


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## Mike P. (Apr 6, 2007)

Lesson: never reply to a post without a least 2 cups of coffee first. :bigsmile:


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## mozez (Aug 6, 2011)

Ok now that we have gotten the 2 sub thing taken care of I have another newb question, if I buy a 7.2 avr but watch movies that are only 5.1, is there any audio comin out of the remaining 2 channels? Even asking that seems weird!


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

mozez said:


> Ok now that we have gotten the 2 sub thing taken care of I have another newb question, if I buy a 7.2 avr but watch movies that are only 5.1, is there any audio comin out of the remaining 2 channels? Even asking that seems weird!


Depends. Generally, no. OTOH, there are modes that will synthesis the additional outputs. So you shouldn't use them, right?

(N.B.: You are still referring to a 7.2 channel AVR which, afaik, does not exist.)


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## TypeA (Aug 14, 2010)

mozez said:


> Ok now that we have gotten the 2 sub thing taken care of I have another newb question, if I buy a 7.2 avr but watch movies that are only 5.1, is there any audio comin out of the remaining 2 channels? Even asking that seems weird!


Heres some more good reading.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/considering-surroundsound-for-your-hdtv-system.html

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-7NnYxPiFUqR/learn/learningcenter/home/hometheater_surround.html


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## mozez (Aug 6, 2011)

I seen an onkyo on Accessories4less and was curious, so what would be the best 5.1, with 1.4 hdmi and preout? I wanna future proof myself!


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## Moonfly (Aug 1, 2008)

You need to try get a mindset that no matter what you do, you cant completely future proof yourself. Somethings can be more than others, like a good amplifier or cd player for example (I own a ten year old DVD player that still puts most others I have seen to shame), but when it comes to cutting edge HT, you have to choose your spec at some point ans be happy and settle for it.


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## mozez (Aug 6, 2011)

I completely get that, I just can't afford to upgrade every other year! I want a 5.1 avr with preouts and at least 4 hdmi in preferably 2 out, and I'd like them to be 1.4, I'm sure I'll go 3D soon, just as soon as my wife says so!! Btw everyone who has posted I wanna say thank you, your knowledge is amazing! I am going nuts researching all of this but I'm addicted! My favorite iPhone app is HTS!!


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## mozez (Aug 6, 2011)

This is the room I'm gonna be working with, where the window is I'm gonna hang my 50" plasma, I was hoping to have 2 rows of sofas in this room, it doesnt show the angle of the walls which is crucial! Any thoughts?


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## mozez (Aug 6, 2011)

Also how would I do acoustic treatment in a room like this?


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

mozez said:


> Also how would I do acoustic treatment in a room like this?


Most of the reliable vendors of room treatments will advise if you send them the room dimensions and conditions.


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## mozez (Aug 6, 2011)

I'm kind of a DIY kinda guy, with the walls slanted would it make sense to put dome kinda absorber on them?


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

mozez said:


> I'm kind of a DIY kinda guy, with the walls slanted would it make sense to put dome kinda absorber on them?


Yes. Slanting has some but not a great influence on the acoustic properties.


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## mozez (Aug 6, 2011)

Ok I'm gonna run dual subs, separate so do I need to split the signal and 1-in L 1-in R, with 1 phase set to zero and the other to 180? They will be along the same wall, different corners?


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## I=V/R (May 25, 2011)

From what I gather, the phase is the direction of movement of the speaker. 0° is in sync with the main speakers and 180° is opposite. So I would think that if they're facing the same direction as the mains you would want them on 0° and if they are on rear wall facing opposite the mains you would want 180°. Not 100% positive, but it makes sense...


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## mozez (Aug 6, 2011)

That makes sense to me as well, it will be about 6-8 mos before anything serious I'm building a home and I'm gonna prewire the room for 5.1 just wanna get as knowledgeable as possible.


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## TypeA (Aug 14, 2010)

Remember there is no shame in reading owners manuals cover-to-cover and using google search as a resource for generic or commonly-asked questions. With the advent of the internet there are amazing resources that will show you mostly what you need to know. Only when _that_ fails should you start asking questions. 

Ive been main-lining my home theater addiction for many many years and I _still_ read all of my owners manuals (especially AVRs) front to back before I do anything, and refer back to them constantly throughout years of ownership. Ive even downloaded the manuals online and read it completely _before_ the component arrived. Youd be amazed what you can learn if you take the time to read, even if you think the info doesnt apply to you.

Of course, when it comes to the internet resources, try to verify through multiple sources. And obviously not blindly believing 'everything you read' still applies to the internet just as it does print.

I commend your desire to know in advance.


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## I=V/R (May 25, 2011)

If you are pre-wiring your house for surround sound, why not just do a little future proofing and go with 7.1? From the diagrams I have seen, the placement of surrounds in a 5 or 7 channel setup isn't much different. Even though there isn't much 7.1 material out yet, it doesn't mean there will never be a lot. Think of this, the biggest issue for audio is storage. Well, about a year ago I read about Sony creating an extra layer on BDs that allowed for upwards of 125 gigs of storage. If this becomes mainstream, then there is no reason for the movie industry not to include 7.1 tracks. When this happens then you will have already been prepared! Just my 2 cents!


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## erwinbel (Mar 23, 2010)

*Room*

Mozez,

My approach for dealing with the limits of the budget that 99.9% of us are facing is to spread out the purchases over time.

Why not go for the best possible sound? If you don't care about 3D, Emotiva is clearing their non-3D UMC-1 processor for $499 to make room for the 3D version. Buy that now. Then wait for the year end, when there's always a sale on everything, to buy a XPA-5.

http://emotiva.com/umc1.shtm

BTW, I think we all agree that dual subs is the first upgrade to think about for a trad 5.1 system. Also, if I see the shape of the floorplan, I feel 7.1 would be beneficial. Especially since you plan to have two rows of seats. So, I would wire for it while you're at it. 

One last thing: the outgoing Emo Ultra Sub is also on sale now: $798... for the pair!

http://emotiva.com/ultra_sub12.shtm


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## TypeA (Aug 14, 2010)

*Re: Room*



erwinbel said:


> Mozez,
> 
> My approach for dealing with the limits of the budget that 99.9% of us are facing is to spread out the purchases over time.
> 
> ...


+1 

Keep in mind the UMC-1 includes a 40% off coupon on a future Emotiva processor. 

Expect the XPA-5 to go on sale for $799 (verses $899) during the holidays. 

A UMC-1/XPA-5 combo would _destroy_ any AVR you might be considering, especially in power but likely in sound quality also. :T


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