Potentially insane - if done wrong.

I run an Onkyo 886 with all speakers (except rear surrounds) set to "large". An SVS PB13 Ultra handles the LFE (and bass-managed rear surrounds.) The mains' outputs are then sent to an ICBM-1 - set to a 40Hz cut-off. That bass-managed bass is then handled by two Velos and a B&W (touched up first by a Velo SMS-1). Overall it results in flat response from below 15Hz upwards - distributed very evenly throughout the room. I use a fifth powered sub with an old dbx 100 on bass-deficient recordings to add some punch. Each main speaker gets one 200W amp channel to itself. But even when listening at relatively loud levels, peaks are rarely more than a few Watts; keeping things on this side of insanity.

I have considered setting up my systems as one unit when I eventually relocate to NC. I would use the 7500 to power the mains and the center and the 7125 to handle the surrounds. I assume I could split the output of the 886 or 990 to feed two channels of amplification. Has anyone done this? That way I could have a side speaker for each row of seats and the height or rear channels too. It would duplicate some sound but would really fill my large room.

I guess when it comes to theses discussions is that experimenting can be immense fun and especially if you have the opportunity of using some of your "legacy" equipment to attain your goals. As it has already been pointed out sometimes having these multiple speaker/amp arrangements can let you do things that you otherwise might not be able to do in a regular 5.1 or 7.1 set-up.

For eg. when I got a BR player and purchased a Marantz AVR to get all the lossless codecs, it replaced an excellent "top-of-the-line" Yamaha RXV1 AVR that I had since 2001. I wondered one day was there a way I could utilize some of the DSP functions(especially the Movie Theater programs) in that AVR without sacrificing anything which would give me access to these even with the lossless audio codecs(which isn't even available on Yamahas current AVRs.)and I came up with a solution.

To do this I am sending my L/R Pre-Outs from my Marantz to one of the analog L/R inputs on the Yamaha whose pre-outs are then connected to two of the channels of one my 7200s. (Using this configuration will activate access to most of the DSP functions on the Yamaha). I am then connecting the two "presence" speakers via the Yamaha and ONE set of the L/R speakers from the Yamaha to derive the DSP in to this set as well. These latter four speakers are also connected via Pre-Outs from the Yamaha to Four of the channels of the outboard Outlaw amp.

So in essence, the set-up is that I am using 7 speakers(including Back L/R) out of the Marantz for its direct signals and four speakers(two presence and one pair of the L/R Surround speakers) for any of the DSP functions from the Yamaha. It has some limitations but overall, like any multi-speaker, multi-amp set-up everything has got to be balanced accordingly.

It sounds complicated but it really isn't and it works and sounds great and the unique thing about it it gives me a permanent access to most of the DSP functions on the Yamaha with ANY type of soundtrack!

Can't speak for Trinnov but I have a 11.1 DSX system. Wides, heights, Back and Side surrounds. The short answer is I will never go back to anything less in a HT. As far as Heights, assuming you can mount them close to recommended elevation, performance does vary on content, but has never been negative or distracting. Often it's quite good. (I'm mostly watching BluRay DVDs and Sports via satellite.)

Regards,
John

Can you use all 11 channels at the same time or do you have to choose which set of surrounds you use? Have the height channels added to the HT experience or do they basically take the place of the sides or back surrounds in the system. Does the systems decode the height channel or just create one from processing. I would guess that processing is usually the case since there isn't likely a lot of content designed for it yet.

Can't decode anything when there are no movies with endcoded height information. However, there are differences. Dolby PLIIz extracts decorrelated information from the recording itself and sends that information to the height speakers. Audyssey DSX generates reverb and early reflections and adds them to the recording using height and wide speakers.

I seem to remember that when SACDs first came out, they were designed to use the .1 channel for heigth rather than LFE. Not having the system to make use of this , I've never tried it.

SACD's were originally stereo only, not 5.1. They added 5.1 shortly afterward to help compete with DVD-Audio. I do recall there being an option in the spec for the .1 channel to be used as an additional full-range channel, but it wasn't something folks could really use - receivers and processors weren't equipped to handle it.

Depends on the receiver. I have a Denon 4810 so I can run all 11 channels at once. I use an Outlaw amp to power 7 channels, the receiver takes care of the other 4. (also, with this receiver, if you're into Audyssey, it will eq all 11 channels) The heights effect is an addition. As mentioned, there is no discrete info, so you're relying on the manufacture's technology. (DSX with Audyssey, PLL2z with Dolby Digital) "Wide" speakers are exclusive to DSX. One of the last movies I watched that really showed off the Height speakers was "The Last Airbender". I really thought the water was over my head. Again, the height effectiveness does vary from movie to movie. I would add that if you were limited with speakers, I've seen a recommendation from Audyssey that back surrounds would go first, replacing them with wides. Also, if you had to pick between Heights or Wides, try wides first.

Regards,
John

I found this in the brochure for Telarc's 1812 ( Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops):
" ...On most systems all six amplifier output channels will be used for the five main channels plus subwoofer. The LFE output from the disc player itsef wiil then be connected to an independent single channel amplifer or directly to self-amplified speaker(s). A pair of small speakers may be placed high on the side walls midway between front and rear sorround speakers. Alternately, a single small speaker may be placed over and above the central listening position. .... Set the playback level to be equal to the main channels."
So there are some recordings out there with discrete height information if you want to give it a try.