Originally posted by sdurani:
What does room size have to do with 7.1 set-ups? Roughly how big does a room have to be before you can start considering 7.1?

That is a silly set of questions. To benefit at all from surround sound, there needs to be separation between each channel. If you were sitting on a stool with each speaker right beside you, you would not hear surround sound, you would just hear a lot of sound. Surround sound is meant to provide localized sounds. I suppose you are nit-picking, but that is what room size has to do with surround sound in general and specifically 7.1 vs 5.1 vs 2.1, etc.

Likewise if you were at a movie theater, and it only had 5.1, or 7.1 for that matter, there would be huge areas with less than optimal surround sound effects. Why, because depending on where you sat, you could behind the last set of speakers or if the speakers were placed in the corners, then the distance would be too great to reveal the surround effect.

Obviously, most people dont have an enormous area, such as a movie theater, but it is an example of size and why it is relevant.

Room acoustics play a large part in sound reproduction, besides merely size...

As for a specific size, I doubt there is one. Speakers/other gear dictate the specifics.

There is a bunch of technical info, on correct speaker placement, etc. which is all relative to room size and listening area. Each situation requiring a different setup.

I am not going to specify a room size because, a total sf is not all that is relevant. Length and width in relation to listening position are key.

Give me a break.

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