7.2 to 9.2

[elninoloco7]

I received my new Onkyo TX-NR818 (OneCall $699.99)! I am coming from a 7 year old Denon 2307, which has been a fantastic receiver to date. I needed a new receiver with HDMI for my living room, so i opted to purchase a new receiver for the Dedicated HT and move the Denon to my living room.

I had an old pair of Polk R40 speakers in the garage, so i joined it with my Klipsch Reference speakers to test out this new 9.2 set up people have been talking about. I placed the Polk speakers as front wide because i figure my theater would benefit from that more than heights.

After Audyssey set up, i popped in Tron: Legacy (7.1 DTS MA), and tuned into the "Games" scene. My gosh, i didn't think i'd hear a difference, but those Wide's most definitely make the front stage sound larger that it really is. The rear surrounds aren't sacrificed by the front wide output either.

My original thought was if the front wide's made a difference i was to purchase either Klipsch RF 42s or RB 51 (or the RB 15s used). But the Polk blends in with the Klipsch (despite it being an entry level tower speaker) for movies. Now i'd imagine when listening to songs, there would be a difference in sound, but i always listen to music in Stereo mode anyhow.

Anyway i thought i would share my thoughts in 9.2. If you have any suggestion in my front wide speaker placement feel free to chime in