# 8.2 does it exist?



## dbaylor (Aug 7, 2012)

I renovated my living room and decided to run speaker wire before insulating and drywalling.

I installed the follow speaker configuration
Left / Center / Right
Left Surround 
Right surround
Left Back / Center Back / Right Back
Then 2 subwoofers (location not determined)

Now, I am finding it extremely difficult to find a receiver to accommodate my rear speakers?

Do they exist?


Furthermore, what is the best location for my speakers? Center speaker from what I have read should be below the TV and obviously centered. Should the Left / Right be installed higher than the center or same height? 

Any information is appreciated.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

That center back is not a normal setup for home use. 7.1 is the maximum channels that any encoded BluRay will do however some receivers have 9.1 channels or even 11.1 but that is normally matrixed from the other channels and are used for front height and front wide. To get a dedicated eighth rear channel to seamlessly play will not work.


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## dbaylor (Aug 7, 2012)

tonyvdb said:


> That center back is not a normal setup for home use. 7.1 is the maximum channels that any encoded BluRay will do however some receivers have 9.1 channels or even 11.1 but that is normally matrixed from the other channels and are used for front height and front wide. To get a dedicated eighth rear channel to seamlessly play will not work.


Thanks. Would I be able to turn the rear center into a subwoofer instead of a speaker? Or would that not be an ideal location for a sub?


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

If the rear center is an rca connection then yes but if its just speaker wire sadly that wont work. Its probably just best to leave that blank.


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## dbaylor (Aug 7, 2012)

tonyvdb said:


> If the rear center is an rca connection then yes but if its just speaker wire sadly that wont work. Its probably just best to leave that blank.


Ok...bummer! Ha ha. It's just speaker wire. Now I haven't bought speakers. Do the speakers have to be different depending in where I put them? (I.e. center speaker different then Left/Right). Or can I just get 7 of the same speakers? 
Any speaker recommendations? Also I'm a Samsung guy so would you know anything about Samsung Receivers? Good, bad?


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Personally you cant go wrong with an Onkyo from Accessories4less How much is your budget? Speakers is a much larger choice. it really depends on what you can spend


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## dbaylor (Aug 7, 2012)

My budget is $3,000 for receiver and speakers (7 now) and a subwoofer


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## dbaylor (Aug 7, 2012)

Also, given my Speaker setup I currently have what would I need to change in order to support a 9.2 setup? 

Would I need to change anything or just purchase a 9.2 channel Receiver and it would work with my current setup?


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## phreak (Aug 16, 2010)

dbaylor said:


> Also, given my Speaker setup I currently have what would I need to change in order to support a 9.2 setup?
> 
> Would I need to change anything or just purchase a 9.2 channel Receiver and it would work with my current setup?


As tonyvdb pointed out the center rear won't be helpful to you, it was somewhat popular for 6 channel but never used with L/R rear for 8. So you are currently wired for 7 channels. If you get a 9 channel receiver it can be used with a 7 channel application. To add 2 extra channels you just wire in speakers for front height or front width. With your budget I would recommend a refurbished receiver from the link tony provided. I am partial to Onkyo, but Denon and Marantz also build fantastic products. I am a firm believer that you can skimp on the surround speakers and still enjoy the results. Check out 
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-652
or 
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=250-707
If you give a little information about your room size recommendations can be made for subwoofers. The bulk of your budget is still in your pocket at this point. So do yourself a favor and go to a few specialty home theater stores in your area. Listen to as many brands as you can get your ears on. The front 3 (left/center/right) are going to have the biggest impact so it is important to know what you like and don't like. Have a listen to Paradigm, KEF, Monitor Audio, Klipsch, Boston Acoustics, Martin Logan, Polk, and anything else you can find. Bring your own music with you, stuff you like and are very familiar with. Let us know your impressions.


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## dbaylor (Aug 7, 2012)

"If you get a 9 channel receiver it can be used with a 7 channel application. To add 2 extra channels you just wire in speakers for front height or front width"

I apologize for my lack of understanding but what do you mean by the above statement? I'm confused by Front height or front width? These 2 extra speakers need to go on the front wall? Where in relation to my front left / center / right? 

And I'll certainly take your advice and go listen to some different brands and let you know.


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## dbaylor (Aug 7, 2012)

Also, my plan was to install my speakers inside the wall. Is there a huge difference from wall mounted to inside wall speakers? I just want a clean look but don't wanna sacrifice sound quality...


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## phreak (Aug 16, 2010)

Here is a little info about 9/11 channel locations
http://www.audyssey.com/audio-technology/audyssey-dsx
The general consensus is that the front 3 are most important, followed by sides. Rear/height/width importance can be dependent on room size and shape, and seating location. I haven't tried height/width myself, and I only use rears if my seating is more than 2 feet from the back wall. 
As for in-wall speakers, they are a compromise. They can sound great if you pay more. Equal price monitors will sound better, but do not have the same clean look. Paradigm makes great inwalls, as do many other brands. If at all possible use a traditional box speaker for the front 3.


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## dbaylor (Aug 7, 2012)

Excellent website regarding the channel setups.

Now I wanna go 11.1! Ha ha.

But before I go to crazy lets hash out room size and see if I'm over doing it by going 11.1.

My living room is 16' x 12' although my media wall is off centered in the room. But my furniture will be centered with the media wall. 

I can easily incorporate the additional width and height. But don't wanna lose the back Left/Right

Do you think my room is too small for a 11.1 setup?


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## phreak (Aug 16, 2010)

Hopefully others will chime in on the additional channels. Having not tried them I should not be the one giving any advice. If you have a couple speakers you could try the 3 versions of 7.2 (rears or heights or fronts). If you like them all then buy the extra speakers and hide the wires. Not a practical way to test if you go with inwalls.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

My personal opinion is that 7.xx would be more than enough speaker for a room that size. If you can wire for the 11.xx setup, I would do it now. It provides you with the flexibility to move things around or add speakers later without tearing into walls.


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## dbaylor (Aug 7, 2012)

ALMFamily said:


> My personal opinion is that 7.xx would be more than enough speaker for a room that size. If you can wire for the 11.xx setup, I would do it now. It provides you with the flexibility to move things around or add speakers later without tearing into walls.


Yea, I'm probably gonna go with the 7.xx setup for now. Adding the Height and width later will be no problem at all. Luckily I have a custom build main wall with access from behind via a closet. so adding front speakers will be a breeze.


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## mathu12 (Jul 15, 2012)

You asked about using the same speakers for all of your speakers. I have heard of it being done with good results. As a matter of fact, you can probably find a few threads on the forums where someone has done so. I have 3 of the same for my front left, right and center and am very happy so far. It probably also depends on the size of your front 3. You wouldn't want 4 foot tall speakers as your surrounds.


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## phreak (Aug 16, 2010)

Yes, using all speakers the same would be best... as long as you don't have to sacrifice quality on the front 3 to match quality on the rear 4. For example i have Paradigm Monitor 11v6 and CC390 for my front 3 and spent a total of $80 (used) for my back 4. To have every speaker match on my budget would have been a decent bookshelf which would have improved my rears, but the corners of my mouth would droop in comparison to the dynamic front soundstage I currently enjoy. The important thing is the timbre matching of the front 3. Pick the left/center/right that you want to listen to. If matching rears are in your budget, great. If not, skimp on the rears. Do not sacrifice the front.


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