# Need advice on moving from 5.1 to 7.1



## redduck21502 (Oct 23, 2008)

I am debating whether or not to move up to a 7.1 system, even though I only have one Blu-Ray disc that has 7.1 uncompressed audio. I figure more will be coming each year.

Currently I am using in-wall speakers in the front and in-ceiling speakers for the L/R surrounds. My couch is almost all the way up against the rear wall and the surrounds are slightly behind, but mostly off to the sides. They have movable tweeters that I have angled towards the couch. I probably should have mounted them a little more forward in anticipation of going to 7.1. I am thinking of using the current in-ceiling speakers and position for the back surround, perhaps angling the tweeters toward the center of the rear wall. Then, put the L/R surrounds more forward (marked by the X in the photo, if i get it attached). I would use either in-ceiling or in-wall for these surround speakers and probably angle the tweeters back toward the couch. Does this sound like a good option? Would it sound OK? Right now it sounds really good to me (better than when I sit in the back row of the movies; i usually do not sit in the middle of the theater). Will it put the surrounds too far forward? My only other option that I could see is to put the back surrounds as close to the wall as possible and close together between the current L/R surrounds. 
I don't even know if I need the extra channels at this point since it does sound good to me. I watched Narnia: Prince Caspian today and it sounded great even with only 5.1; it just bothers me that the receiver lights up the back surround channels but shows them as off since I don't have them). I also thought of using my old Polk surrounds speakers that are wedge shaped and placing them behind the couch facing up and reflecting them off the wall. Even as just a test to see if it sounds bad. I would use them to test in other places, but I don't want to put holes in the wall to mount them. Would they sound OK behind the couch? I have read that most of the back surround information is not used as much as the side surrounds. More for filling up certain effects.

My receiver has the ability to change the distance to the listening position, the level, and whether it is high or low on the wall.

I may even be able to put one rear surround and have it decode the two back surrounds into one back surround, but i haven't double checked the manual on that one. It's a Sony STR-DG720.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

I don't think it's worth changing to a 7.1 system with your current set up..
The proposed postion for the side surrounds is going to put them too far forward to be effective..and the rears are not really going to add much to the overall sound..

As you say, it sounds good now as it is, so i would leave it..


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I agree, 7.1 surround works well if you have two rows of seating or a large room with at least 4 ft of space behind the rear seating position in order to place the rear speakers properly. In your current situation you would not hear any difference.

PS: wasn't Prince Caspian a great movie for audio, I loved the catapult balls hitting the ground and the marching of the soldiers.:T


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## redduck21502 (Oct 23, 2008)

Sounds good then. Just go with what I got.

Yes, Prince Caspian was very good. I don't have my sub too hot, but it did sound powerful.


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