7.1 vs. 5.1 - Meaningful difference?

I should have added Size and Shape...

Works for what though?...

DTS/DD recorded for 5.1 or 6.1? or DVD-Audio? or DPLII/DPLII-EX for music?

7.1 might sound great regardless of the shape and size of the room when listening to 6.1 recorded sound track.

But in reality, most of the movies and DVD-audio are recored 5.1 and the two back channels are 'matrixed'.

If you stuff in 7.1 in a small narrow room and listen to 5.1 recorded sound track, it may not add any value or even effect negatively... Well postioned 5.1 in a proper size room may work best for 5.1 recored sound tracks including movies or DVD-A/SACD

Eandylee

We seem to have two different opinions, which is fine.

For the example of 5.1 DD/DTS sources, I found listening in 7.1, using Logic 7, to provide a much better surround envelopment than listening to the same source in 5.1.

When Logic 7 is extracting 4 surround channels of output from the 2 surround channel sources in DD/DTS 5.1, it can change the spatial presentation across all 4 speakers. It doesn't just extract two matrixed channels for the rear speakers and leave the side channels as is.

If a sound is intended to pan from the back left of the room to directly left of the listener, then Logic 7 can steer the sound such that it starts out in the left rear speaker only, then is spread across both the left rear and left side, and ending up in the left side speaker only. Its much harder to try and do that with only 1 surround speaker on the left side of the room.

I can only suggest that those interested listen to a properly set up 7.1 system, toggle between 5.1 and 7.1, and judge for themselves.

Bruce

Dredging up an old thread.
Thinking about why my Lexicon won't do 7.1 analog bypass. I'm set up for it otherwise and now in the world of blu-ray 7.1 is a reality.

I have been using 7.1 for four years. It has more effect than I would have anticipated. My Pre/Pro matrixes or synthesizes 7.1 from all 5.1 source material, and now most Blu-Rays are 7.1 discrete on-disk. When the rear surrounds are off, the soundfield thins out and is thrown forward; the soundfield doesn't feel as complete or enveloping without those rear surround channels.

I found the improvement so substantial in my smallish HT room that I can't say it's simply a subjective difference. I upgraded the receiver and disk player to Blueray and added two more of the same speakers. Even with 5.1 media and cable the matrixing my receiver does with the side and rears is surprisingly well done.

When I bring it down to 5.1 the sense of space is dramatically reduced and the fronts and rears have a more discrete presentation that is clearly less enjoyable.

I recently helped my in laws with a 7.1 upgraded using very inexpensive components in a small space and again, after the room correction was run the improvement was very noticeable. I would guess you may have issues with the processor or the setup.