I can't make up my mind to go 5 channel or 7 channel. At present I have a full home theater setup with Pinnacle speakers all around and I want to upgrade my receover (an old Yamaha 793) to separates. To go slow I had planned to purchase the old 750 and use the Yamaha pre-outs and, in effect, use the Yamaha as a pre-amp. When the 770 came out I then thought that for the future I should get the 770 in case I want to go 7 channel (perhaps with the 950).

Is the 7 channel really worth the $500 difference and is it overkill?

For those of you who have gone to 7 channel was it really worth it.

Thanks for any input.

John

I'm using the 1050 (w/o an external amp) in a 6.1 setup and I think the extra rear channel is fantastic. My wife also really enjoys the added surround effects. I should imagine that 7.1 would be similar, if not better. I would vote for planning to migrate to 7.1 eventually.

I'm also using a 1050 as a 6.1 system and switching the rear off is a huge step backwards. Nothing like watching Lara Croft shoot at you and hearing the bullets smack into the wall behind you.

I really only have 6.1 set up using the 770 since there are no 7.1 source materials just yet, only created signals from the receivers.

I went to the 770 because it is the same size as the 755, and gives me 2 extra channels. So I could use if the 6th/7th channels, which I use the two rear speakers I have running in parallel at 4ohms for the 6th channel. As for the extra channel, I am thinking about biamping my center speaker which will take some work on my part since it is not normally biampable.

So, if you front speakers are biampable, then you could use the extra two channels of the 770 for that and still have a 5.1 set up for home theater. Of course, you could purchase the new 2 channel outlaw AMD later if you want to add the back speakers down the line. Lots of options.

Also, one thing to consider, the 770 runs all speakers even when I am listening in stereo mode (ie, there is a slight signal hiss in the center and surrounds when you listen closely). This is why some "audiophiles" buy separate two channel amps for the fronts and then another 3, 4, or 5 channel amp for the rest of the home theater setup.

All good points here. I'll toss another idea into the mix. With the arrival of the Model 200, you could get a 755 now and when/if you decide to go to 6.1 or 7.1 you could get one or two Model 200's to add to the mix. It will take more rack space (as alphanstein noted, the 770 crams two extra channels into the same cabinet as the 755), but will cost approximately the same (maybe $100 more with shipping). As for whether the extra channel(s) is worth it, I have been very pleased with my 6.1 arrangement.

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

I was planning on eventually buying a megabucks two or three channel amp for my front half after I move, and using my 755 for the rest. Something that can drive my front speakers to earbleed levels. :-)

On another note, one thing I like about the 755 over the 770 is that the channels in it are a little farther apart, which seems a little bit better to me. Also, fewer amps running into one unit; you can add additional 15 or 20 amp circuits and separate your amps if you ever have the need to. Seven channels in one box seems to be a lot.

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

Thanks for the input. My two front speakers (Pinnacle Gold Reference Towers) are bi-ampable though I could buy two Pinnacle Gold Reference mini-monitors for the back center if I do go eventually to 6.1 (via the 950).

Decisions, decisions.

John