# Possible to use one pair of speakers as rear surround AND zone 2 but not at the same time?



## jaydee77ca (Jan 18, 2014)

Hi,

I'm hoping someone out there can help me with a conundrum.

I ordered a Yamaha RX-V675 AV receiver. I have a 5.1 speaker setup in the family room. Right behind the family room I have a galley bar with a single stereo speaker in the ceiling and a volume control on the wall. The speaker is going to be connected to zone 2 on the receiver.

I'm wondering two things:
1. Can I use use the bar speaker as the rear surround channel in a 7.1 configuration? Would the rear surround sound be ok from a single stereo speaker?
2. Is there a way to use the bar speaker as BOTH zone 2 AND rear surround but NOT at the same time?

I know I could do this if I went to the receiver and disconnected the bar speaker from the zone 2 outputs and connected it to the rear surround outputs when I want to use 7.1 and then switch them back again. But I don't want to have to do that every time. Is there an automated way?

I know the Yamaha supports dynamic switching between 7.1 and zone 2 but it seems that it only does it when you have both a set of rear surround speakers AND separate zone 2 speakers.

The reason I want this is that normally I'd have them on zone 2 so we can have music at the bar and the tv on playing 5.1. When we happen to be watching 7.1 content we wouldn't need the music at the bar so they can become the rear surrounds.

Any ideas?

Thanks!


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## gazoink (Apr 17, 2013)

jaydee77ca said:


> Hi,
> 
> I'm hoping someone out there can help me with a conundrum.
> 
> ...


Sure, but I'd suggest a thorough reading of your manual first. For most AVRs, the choice between 7.1 and 5.1/Zone2 is made at setup, and not easily changed back and forth. It's certainly not just a front panel button, more likely buried in a setup menu somewhere. If you don't mind chunking through menus every time you want to change config, it could be done, but it's not going to be convenient.


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