Reason to buy a 7.2 receiver when you only have 5 speakers?

[richieb1971]

A bit rusty on the AV side of things since I've not really been into it since the days of laserdisc.

Was thinking about getting the Sony 1040 model which is a 7.2 configuration but was wondering if I should just get a 5.1 model instead.

Does a 7.2 system offer more power than all 5.1's?

Does the sound quality on offer from a 7.2 always beat a 5.1 system?


I will be using it for Blu rays, CD, SACD and FLAC 192/24. My step daughter might use MP3's with it. The speakers are Tannoy's and are of the bookshelf variety and I plan to buy a subwoofer at some stage.


These are the types of things I'm wanting to know.

Thanks for your time..

Richie.

[rpatt]

My Pre-Pro is capable of an 11.1 system but I am more than happy with my 5.1 system. I guess it depends on your room, budget & personal preference.

[roar]

Originally Posted by richieb1971

A bit rusty on the AV side of things since I've not really been into it since the days of laserdisc.

Was thinking about getting the Sony 1040 model which is a 7.2 configuration but was wondering if I should just get a 5.1 model instead.

Does a 7.2 system offer more power than all 5.1's?

Does the sound quality on offer from a 7.2 always beat a 5.1 system?


I will be using it for Blu rays, CD, SACD and FLAC 192/24. My step daughter might use MP3's with it. The speakers are Tannoy's and are of the bookshelf variety and I plan to buy a subwoofer at some stage.


These are the types of things I'm wanting to know.

Thanks for your time..

Richie.

5.1 systems, short of a HTIB may be hard to come by as it seems like most AVR manufactures are bound and determined to squeeze as many channels as possible into a unit. Much like rpatt, my processor is capable of more than 5.1 but that is all I run so I wouldn't worry about the extra channels going unused.

To answer the power question directly though, a 7.2 may very likely offer a greater overall wattage output than a 5.1 but if the additional channels aren't being used then you obviously won't see the benefit of the extra wattage... the only caveat to that being if the AVR would allow you to bi-amp the unused channels, this is something not offered in a lot of AVR's but I don't think your Tannoy's are bi-ampable anyway?

If your Tannoy's are bi-ampable and you'd like to use more power from a 7.2 AVR in a 5.1 setup I do know that the some of the Marantz models offer the feature as I was considering one not that long ago.

As far as sound quality goes... I'd argue the number of channels is unrelated to the quality of sound that those channels produce. Additional channels will give you more discrete sources of sound but not necessarily better quality of sound. The quality of sound an AVR produces has more to do with the quality of parts its built with and the software that drives those parts... and to be honest with you it is going to come down to a combination of what sound you prefer based on the combination of speakers (Your Tannoy's), components driving those speakers (The AVR), the sources you feed those components (Quality of the MP3 player/blu-ray player) and the quality of the recordigns of those sources... oh and lets throw in the acoustics of the room too , all of this is going to come down to what your ears tell you sounds best.

[pentatonic]

The main reason to get that 7.2 is that all 5.1 AVRs are very basic, so, in the case with Audyssey users, you will get a better version and also added features.

2nd, if music is important, SQ has a tendency to also improve the higher you go, the added cost is really not only the # of channels.

Lastly, in short, yes, you would have more real power on tap. All AVRs are limited by their power supply, hence outside of the audiophile manufacturers the rated power output is never more than 2 channels driven, the lower models sometimes 1 channel, and not even full bandwidth, very often at a 1kHz.

Having a much better power supply designed to drive 7 channels will mean that by driving only 5, the reserve power from that power supply will be on tap for your 5. What is your budget? And instead of saving, if you keep your stuff for a long time I would invest the most your budget permits.

And Emotiva does have nice options if you want good sound without all the extra bells and whistles. Accessories for less is also a great way to stretch your $ much further.

[richieb1971]

My budget is £500 tops.

Thanks all for your valuable input and expertise.

I wanted a Pioneer or Onkyo, but recently being drawn to Sony and Yamaha as well. I noticed on the whathifi page that the Sony 1040 model got 2013 product of the year and can be bought for £350 which is a nice bonus. I will be buying blind since I don't have a shop nearby to test anything.

[HAMP]

I’ve always liked the just in-case excuse. Get the 7channel just in-case you decide to add more speakers later. It’s better to have and not use, then to what it and can’t use it.

Originally Posted by richieb1971

Does a 7.2 system offer more power than all 5.1's?

As far as power goes, an AVR is different than an amp. An amp has individual power supplies for each channel used, as with an AVR the power is distributed to the 5 or 7 channel. A 5 or 7channel AVR with the same power would put more power into each 5channel then it would with a 7channel.

[pentatonic]

Originally Posted by richieb1971

My budget is £500 tops.

Thanks all for your valuable input and expertise.

I wanted a Pioneer or Onkyo, but recently being drawn to Sony and Yamaha as well. I noticed on the whathifi page that the Sony 1040 model got 2013 product of the year and can be bought for £350 which is a nice bonus. I will be buying blind since I don't have a shop nearby to test anything.

Chances are you wont get many votes for the Sony, but not because it's a bad product, it's been highly rated by many (with it's little brother the 840 that might also fit your needs well). There's just not many users as Sony dropped the ball on audio many years ago and even with their new ES offerings are not aggressive, but in a strange fate, they are some of the best values on the market. Sony still is in the business of building quality products and def a top manufacturer on QC.

I say go with your gut, you won't really be able to tell the difference (no auditions) and you might always wonder what could have been. Otherwise you are going to get great recommendations, but they will still be based on personal opinion outside of the features.

[Scarriere]

Originally Posted by HAMP

I’ve always liked the just in-case excuse. Get the 7channel just in-case you decide to add more speakers later. It’s better to have and not use, then to want it and can’t use it.





As far as power goes, an AVR is different than an amp. An amp has individual power supplies for each channel used, as with an AVR the power is distributed to the 5 or 7 channel. A 5 or 7channel AVR with the same power would put more power into each 5channel then it would with a 7channel.

That logic totally applied to me. I bought an AVR that has 9.2 capability, but I went with only 5.2 speakers for a start. After a a lil over a year, I bought speakers to take me to 7.2. Now, I want to buy another pair to run as a second zone in the kitchen/dining area.
If I hadn't bought more than I needed at that particular time, I would've had to buy another AVR to suit my wants/needs when they increased.