2. home-theater
  3. 1097094153

7.1 vs 5.1

Finally added the Aerial SR-3's to my home theater and have achieved 5.0 at this point. I built the room for 7.1 or 7.2 capability. Any comments from those that have made the jump. Is the experience of a rear pair of speakers significant? (BTW, the room is 32'x15'x8.5' with the side speakers at about the 20' mark.)
quicke
drew_eckhardt
394 posts
 
With direct-radiating or bipole surrounds, 7.1 yields a quantum improvement in immersion over 5.1. Not as noticeable as adding surrounds to 2 speakers which can provide a near 180 degree sound field but still significant.

The added surround back channel on THX-EX/DTS-ES tracks can also be used to good effect although few films do.
jeffreybehr's avatar
jeffreybehr
805 posts
 
Oh PLEASE someone educate me! I thought 6.1 added the center surround channel to 5.1 and that 7.1 added the near-left and near-right FRONT speakers to 5.1.

Yes? No?
slappy
903 posts
 
Naa, 7.1 splits the rear center channel into two, then matrixes the rear-center signal with the surround signals to create 2 rear speakers to go with the two surround speakers and the frontals.
jeffreybehr's avatar
jeffreybehr
805 posts
 
"Naa, 7.1 splits the rear center channel into two, then matrixes the rear-center signal with the surround signals to create 2 rear speakers to go with the two surround speakers and the frontals."

Huh? Try that again, pls. For instance, WHAT "rear center channel"?
More to discover