Purpose of using same speakers for surround?

OK... so I'm using M7's up front. I can pick up another set of M7's for the rear. Per your recommendations, this solves my 5.1 dilemma, but there is no way I'd be adding a 3rd set for 7.1 LOL! It's a good size room, but not THAT big, and the wifey would probably pull the trigger if I tried having 6 of those towers in my bedroom!!! Guess I'll be with 5.1 for quite a while, but that's my mo anyway. The closest I ever get to new is new old stock :)
BTW, is there even 7.1 material out now?

I still think it's best to have all identical speakers, but if you have to have the rear different from the front, the rear should be a bit more laid back and less bass output vs the front so the rears won't call attention to themselves.

Baxter, is there a small version of your M7's with similar drivers? I think if you pole people using matching speakers they're usually small bookshelf sized speakers with a subwoofer.

Matching floor standing speakers might be overkill and difficult to locate within your room compared to wall mountable speakers.

Titles using 7.1 is small but growing. Most modern 7.1 receivers have the ability to matrix 5.1 into 7.1 with very good results creating a more discrete surround effect in most any size room. You won't find many 7.1 users going back to 5.1

Vicdamone,

I'll do a little research and try to find out what the bookshelf size speakers from that family were. Obviously the speakers are older and harder to find, but that can work out in a huge price discount too (small budget).

That (using M series bookshelf speakers) was my original plan, but one keeps reading about same speakers all around for best sound (yes that's hard with towers), hence my post.

I honestly love what I have, since moving a Proceed amp3 to a stereo setup and adding a Rotel 1077, the Mirages came alive, not in an obnoxious brighter way, just much more detailed and open which I didn't expect with the amp3 being a nice piece to start with. Then replacing an old Yamaha receiver (used as a pre) with an NAD T175, and holy &^(-... I've seen the light of day!

One thing I have learned from the knowledge of the people on this site, is that it isn't the name on the pieces, but how the pieces you have work together. After years of wanting and waiting, I'm pretty damned happy right now :)

Now, if I can tweak it up just a bit more for minimal cost, by matching the rears, and possibly going to 7.1 I'll be good for a while.

If there are any members that would share with me the appropriate model #'s in the "M" series I should be looking for, it would be helpful :)
Thanks