Because there are instances where those two speakers do produce different sounds. For example: when listening to stereo material in the 7-Channel Stereo mode, all the left speakers reproduce the left channel and all the right speakers reproduce the right channel. Also, when listening to a 5.1 source over 7 speakers and not using any of the back channel extraction decoders (EX, ES, CES), the side and rear speakers are run in parallel. The right surround channel is sent to the right side & right rear speakers; ditto the left side.

There are also situations where the two rears are not in similar acoustic environments; one may be in a corner that boosts its output, while the other is not. This imbalance can be evened out by the 950's ability to adjust volume on a per speaker basis.

Best,
Sanjay

Check out:

http://ubb.outlawaudio.com/ubb/Forum15/HTML/000181.html



Except as Sanjay pointed out, for 7 channel stereo.



Denon receivers do this (among others), but the according to the above, the 950 does not.

Maybe if Scott is out there, he can confirm all this...

Kevin,

Re the rears & sides being run in parallel: I remember during the beta tests that fellow MC-12 owner Gene Lockaby found out that, when using the 5.1-channel analog bypass, two of the 950's outputs were silent (the rear outs, I think). But it would surprise me if this applied to a 5.1 signal that was input digitally. Likewise if you are using PL II without CES; all 7 speakers should be operating. Scott?

Meanwhile, is there anyone running the 950 in a 7.1 speaker set-up that can try this out?

Thanx,
Sanjay

If I was more motivated , you can actually try this on a 6.1 system too. Just configure for 7.1, and see if you can tell the difference between surround left and rear left.

But I know for a fact, that in "std" DD/DTS 5.1 modes, the rears are silent. You have to engage a CES mode before you get anything out of the rear(s).