Is 7.1 better than 5.1

07-14-09: Shadorne
Better YES. Practical NO. Of course it is better but it depends on how willing you are to invest for the small amount of 7.1 soundtracks available.

For me, having a 7.1 source on the soundtrack is nearly immaterial. My AVP can matrix 7.1 from any 5.1 source, and does. It fills in the back and provides a more enveloping sound whether coming from a 7.1 or 5.1 channel source.

7-channel sources are growing rapidly, as just about anything coming out on Blu-ray these days is 7.1. The true 7.1 channel sources *do* provide more discrete rear channel specificity, but even in a matrix where the rear surround channels are only playing the signal common to LS and RS, it still fills in a gap that otherwise occupies the rear third of the room.

If you already have a 7-channel AVP or AVR, the additional cost of rear fill-in speakers and a pawnshop amp is minimal (e.g., I got an Adcom 535 II for $75). The only potential hassle is laying the front-to-back speaker cables.

Here is my experience. I have had both 7.1 and 5.1. The issue for me is that I have a large, open room where my setup is. Ceilings are cathedral and slanted and the room is not symmetrical. It's open space is something like 18x25 with ceilings at 9 feet and going up to the open 2nd floor.

I called my local dealer about setup and he said that he personally is not a fan of 7.1 vs 5.1. However, in my situation, he said he not only recommends it but that I should really make it happen because of the volume of space I need to fill with sound. I can tell you that once I went to the 7.1 setup he was right.

The addition of the rear two really made things come more alive. When you have a good setup the 7.1 really sings. Now, I don't even really have high-end speakers for my rear surrounds. They are only Cambridge soundworks cubes. But you have a DVD that my Anthem processes with THX and pumps the surround rears and it's just spectacular.

Now, I'm really, really happy with how my Anthem AVM20 handles the 7.1 channels. My previous lower-end Marantz didn't come close to the Anthem's sound.

I've purchased some stuff here on audiogon over the years and I've started a blog to chronicle my experiences: http://pooraudiophile.blogspot.com

I'm going to be talking about how I setup my 7.1 surrounds with Cat5 runs.

Anyway, my response is that if you have a larger room, you will likely notice a fantastic improvement as I did. In terms of practicality, yes it's a pain to run stuff, but I have come up with a lower-cost solution that I'm really happy with!

Anyway,

Go with the 5.1 and use the back channels to bi amplify your front speakers. The back channels have the same sound as the front.

Yes, your processor will matrix and fill in the back two channels.

This reminds me of the purist two channel crowd. Break out and join the 7.1 crowd!!

KG

my biggest gripe about 5.1 is when there is some object (or talking person) moving from the front to the back by the side. with my long shoebox room, the object simply warped from the front to the back.

I suppose having an extra pair of speaker in between the front and the back will make the transition smoother. Is it worth it? I don't come across too many of that kind of scenes.