I think Jeff's reply was very common sense. One can debate endlessly about some things, as JT, tongue-in-cheek, might have us do based on his last remark, but if you have access to or can borrow another one or two speakers, even relatively inexpensive ones, for a test, you can experiment to find out whether 6.1 or 7.1 makes a difference to you in your setting. Not to put anyone's opinion down, but the debate is largely moot.