I'm in the process of planning my home theater system, and am curious to get
some input from people who have gone from 5 channel to 7 channel setups on
the differences between the two. There are obviously cost and space issues
to consider at this stage of the process.

Basic questions -- was it worth it? Is there enough 6 / 7.1 channel content
out there to justify it? Is the 7 channel emulation from 5 channel sources
really any better? Is it overkill?

Also, a general indication on your speaker setup / equipment would be
appreciated. The 950 manual suggests the 6 and 7th speakers be placed behind
the listening position, with 4 and 5 right next to the ears. This seems odd,
as all of the 5 channel setups I've heard have speakers 4 and 5 where the
950 suggests placing 6 and 7.

In pure 5 channel mode, does it use speakers 4 and 5 (sides) or 6 and 7
(rear)? Also, are your speakers placed 3 ft above the listener's ears as the
manual suggests? This is another thing I've never seen in a 5 channel
configuration.

Thanks in advance,

-Derek

In a recent issue of Sound and Vision they had a small article on set up. The diagram with the article was a good look at the acceptable setup. The side speakers can range from 90 to 110 degrees. This works better for me as I can not get to 90 degrees as it would block an egress from the room. I have my back speakers about 150 and the front about 30 degress. I try to keep the back and side distances from the main listening positions about the same and both are closer than the front and center. I use Full Range Meadowlark Speakers for the 5 speaker positions as I listen to a lot of SACD recordings and wanted the closest match to my Shearwater Hot Rods for the front Audio system (seperate amp and preamp connected to HT with a preamp bypass). As far as the 6th and 7th, I just have a pair of small Infintys that I can hang from the wall. As far as telling a big difference, I listened in EX to Monster's Inc. and Gladiator and thought it made a huge difference in several scenes. The back Speakers really filled in gaps. I only use the 5 channels on 5.1 movies but I do use the 7 set up on Pro Logic 2. I cannot say that it makes a great difference one way or the other in my room and I am glad I kept the expense down on the back speakers.

Derek- the 950 manual's speaker placement suggestions seem to pretty much mirror what Dolby Labs sugggests for speaker placement for 5.1 and 6/7.1 setups. You might want to look here for additional info.
For me, I'd have to say 7.1 was worth the extra expense- but I'd be just about as happy with 5.1. How's that for a non answer!

Working in reverse...

The "4 and 5" speakers are the surround channels at all times -- in 6.1/7.1 modes, in 5.1 modes, and in multichannel analog.

My speakers are a little more than three feet about the listener's ears, which I believe is actually not too uncommon a recommendation. It lends itself well to wall mounted speakers, as it is often difficult to place tower speakers or smaller speakers in stands in the surround positions.

When I started into surround in the mid to late 90's (Pro Logic and the VCR; never got up to the sophistication of LD), I tended to expect surround speakers oriented a bit behind the listener's position (similar to the surround back placement). Outlaw's recommendation for placement of the surrounds (roughly in line with the listener) is also recommended by Dolby Labs. I can't find it at the moment, but I also believe THX recommends this placement for dipole surrounds. I know that in my own system I've found that I get a better sound from the system when the surrounds ("4" and "5") are closer to in line with the listening position.

I've been using some sort of surround back processing for several years now (first the 1050 for Dolby Digital 5.1 material, and for a good while now the 950 with CES or DD EX on everything -- Pro Logic II with CES for TV watching and Dolby 2.0 material, CES or DD EX for Dolby 5.1 and EX movies, and DTS-ES on a lot of DTS stuff. It does help smooth out the surrounds, and as you can tell I use it whether the source was intended for it or not. CES is very good about not letting things collapse to the surround back.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

[This message has been edited by gonk (edited December 04, 2003).]

You might want to also take a look at December issue of Home Theater. There's an article that explores the various set-ups based on room dimensions and surround type as well. Seems a fairly thorough handling of the various possibilities.