Is it worth it to go 7.1?

[tacomaprime]

I was debating on replacing my surround speakers soon and also adding some rear surround speakers to make my system 7.1. I have an onkyo 705 receiver. But I notice alot of blu rays out and coming out are only 5.1 Is it worth it to go 7.1, or a waste?

[tilallr1]

Looking at your setup, you would definitely benefit from the additional 2 channels behind you. Especially for 7.1 soundtracks. Whats even cooler, is you can MATRIX (Via Dolby Pro Logic IIx) 5.1 soundtracks into 7.1. Which the Onkyo 705 does very well. It will drastically increase the surround sound-field effect in a very positive way. IMO, 5.1 surround no longer cuts it for me. All soundtracks are now 7.1 for me, and I love it.

Please keep in mind, alot of soundtracks which claim they are 7.1 are in fact only 5.1 which have been matrixed to 7.1 during authoring of the disc. Almost all theatrical releases are 5.1. But most would agree that Matrixing it to 7.1 gives added depth in the surround sound effect and gives a more encompassing feel.

[Codyblaze]

Your Onkyo can matrix the extra two channels, and I find it's well worth making the upgrade. The difference can be astounding in terms of ambiance and directional flow of sounds around the room.

[emoxley]

I'm setup for 7.1 also, and like it a lot. I have the receiver set to Dolby Pro Logic IIx, for watching tv. Some commercials are better than the programming, in 7.1 surround. 7.1 blu ray movies are great. But, if a blu ray or dvd is just 5.1, that's how I listen to it.

[THE_FORCE]

Not just for movies, but multichannel music also benefits from a 7.1 array.

7CH stereo......

[Hoser59]

I would say it is definetly worth it. I matrix everything to 7.1 and movies sound great! As someone else mentioned it really helps to fill in the soundstage. That being said I originally bought regular bookshelf speakers for the rear but I am now looking at swapping them out for some bipoles.

[Silverwing]

Agreed, I didn't expect to notice much of a difference when I went to a 7.1 set-up but now I must say I'm loving it!

[rlf3911]

5.1 is enough for me. It's all about the front sound stage.

[Gremal]

I don't regret going 7.1, but when I did add the two additional channels I was under the impression that 7.1 would be a new standard for BD the way 5.1 was the standard for DVD. That certainly has not happened yet and while I do enjoy the (very) few titles with 7.1 content, it probably wasn't worth the cost to upgrade. So I would suggest putting the money into other areas of your HT.

[Mendoza]

Going from 2 to 5.1 was a revelation. Going from 5.1 to 7.1 was barely noticeable. Part of the problem is the limited content. Of course, if you can afford it then it's "worth" it.

[skygreenleopard]

I don't have 5.1 myself but a biddy of mine regrets it. The cost wasn't extravagant - he got a better receiver and some Polk Monitors - but the lack of BDs supporting 7.1 makes it the least used component of his system. I'm sure he uses it in a Matrix but I'm sure he'd use the upgrade $$ for something else if he could do it again.

[Sammy]

Worth it. You're talking about buying two speakers...

[tacomaprime]

Well I don't listen to music at all on my system. The 2 additional speakers would me ceiling mounted behind my loveseat. I t hink that fact that I have a good receiver is making me want to go ahead and do it.

[HAMP]

Originally Posted by captclueless

Well I don't listen to music at all on my system. The 2 additional speakers would me ceiling mounted behind my loveseat. I t hink that fact that I have a good receiver is making me want to go ahead and do it.

I just looked at your theater room and I would do it, I believe your gonna love your new addition.

People have giving good advice with the movies that are 5.1 and matrix to 7.1 and that is something I do sometimes.

I look at it this way, I don't want to miss out on the few movies that are 7.1 when it's time to listen to them.

I bought my 7.1 upfront when it was less movies available in 7.1 then it is now and I just didn't want to miss out. I even enjoyed the few movies that was 6.1 that is on DVD.

And yes you do have a excellent receiver

[scaryb]

If you go with a DSX setup then yes. makes a huge difference and i dont even have timbre matched wides yet plus theyre way inferior to my mains. i tried heights and i liked them but at this point i only have a choice of wides or heights and wides offer more than heights do. im waiting until the 9.1 receivers are more affordable and ill be adding heights as well. theres only 1 receiver that offers that and its $2000+. go with wides if youre gonna do 7.1. its the equivalent of watching a movie in OAR vs 4:3....otherwise pass.

[phansson]

I would just like to add that a well placed 5.1 system can sound worlds better than a poorly placed 7.1 system.

I have a 7.1 system (I have for quite some time) but haven't really enjoyed it until I was able to place my speakers in a more suitable location. Remember, speaker placement is key in any system.

[Odin75]

I say go for it, you will love it. Sure, it's not as big of a jump as 2.0/2.1 to 5.1, but is till an upgrade. Like many have said, ProLogic IIx does wonders. It sure makes a more realistic job than NEO:6 and Dolby-EX. Surround pans are definitely smoother.

Do you game at all? I think that's where you're going to notice the most difference, as games really benefit from the directionality of 7.1. I mean, movies too, but you have to be watching an action movie to appreciate it more.

I have my 7.1 setup in a small room, just like yours. Here's a pic of the my old room (I live in a new home now):

Just do it, you won't regret it. I mean, at least buy the speakers from a place you can return them. Give it a go, and if you don't think it's worth it, just return them.

[kareface]

If you aren't sitting against the back wall I think 7.1 is neat. If you are I wouldn't bother with it.

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by kareface

If you aren't sitting against the back wall I think 7.1 is neat. If you are I wouldn't bother with it.

What is the general opinion if you are not sitting back against a wall and neither are your rear surrounds? Does the rule of not having your surrounds directly above you like a couch against the wall and the speakers attached to the wall above you the same as having the speakers above you, but without a back wall? I assume the lack of reflections would mean no.......?

[keyzone72]

Originally Posted by captclueless

I was debating on replacing my surround speakers soon and also adding some rear surround speakers to make my system 7.1. I have an onkyo 705 receiver. But I notice alot of blu rays out and coming out are only 5.1 Is it worth it to go 7.1, or a waste?

Hello captclueless,

I have a pretty good setup with a Yamaha RX-V3800 7.1 receiver and Bowers & Wilkins 600 series speakers. I started with a 5.1 setup with the rear surrounds on stands that positioned the speakers at ear level, fairly close to the corners of my couch (my primary viewing and listening position). Although the picture below is not my setup, it's very similiar to how my initial 5.1 setup was laid out:

Watching movies and listening to 5.1 Hi-Fi music sounded really good. I felt like I had a great setup, given the components, speakers and space I had to work with. But every now and then, watching a movie in surround where there was a substantial amount of activity coming from the rear surround speakers made for a less than desirable experience. Sometimes the sound came through too loud and was even intrusive to enjoying the movie. I could have reduced the volume for these channels on the receiver, but I didn't think that was the best way to go. I determined that the reason I wasn't always able to enjoy the full surround experience was that the placement of the rear speakers were too low and too close to the primary viewing/listening position). Because of space limitations, I was unable to move the rear speakers further away from the couch to create more space. If I had more space, I would have been able to get closer to a layout that looks like this:

Notice how much more space there is between the rear surrounds and the couch. That being said, I decided it was time to put some distance between my rear surrounds and my couch. That meant choosing to wall mount my speakers instead of having them setup on stands. As a result, I decided to go for a 7.1 surround sound speaker lay out and I added two more matching rear back surrounds. I wall mounted the surround speakers about 6 feet off the ground, using the back and adjacent walls. My setup now looks very similiar to this:

My couch is not as "centered" as the couch in this picture. It's about 8 inches from the rear wall. But raising the surrounds and putting more distance between the 4 rear speakers and my couch did made a significant and audible difference that improved the sound of my home theater. There's now more "air" and "space" for the rear surrounds to work with. As a result, it's created a much larger and fuller surround experience. Here are some examples of where my 7.1 really blows people away:

The Killers: Live From The Royal Albert Hall

This blu-ray concert includes a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.This is probably one of the best live concerts on bluray with respect to musical talent, 1080p video quality, surround and video production. When I activate Dolby PLIIx on my Yamaha RX-V3800 to matrix it to a 7.1 mix, you really feel like you are surrounded by thousands of roaring fans and the natural musical reverb you'd hear in a concert arena. I can honestly say that the way they mixed the sound for this blu-ray concert makes watching and listening it in a 7.1 setup really, really shine!

Pan's Labyrinth

This Spanish-language fantasy import has a true discreet DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack. There are some scenes where a fairy-type of creature is flying around on screen, and I am blown away at how realistic the expereince is. You really hear the fluttering and buzzing of the creature's wings flying in a circular motion all around the room. Having more space between my couch and the front & surround speakers really boost this experience. Also, since my surround speakers are mounted 6-feet off the ground and tilt downward, the flying creature also sounds like it's flying above you too! (Very cool!)

The Incredible Hulk

This movie sounds fantastic on any decent 5.1 system. But when I matrix the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 to 7.1, it gets even better. There's a scene towards the end of the movie when soldiers launch a rocket at the abomination. On my 7.1 setup, you hear and feel the rocket come from behind you and swoosh over your head and then go from right to left in an "S" type of direction. I really believe that my 7.1 speaker layout with respect to distance and height do make a significant difference over 5.1 in scenes like this.

Depeche Mode: Remastered

My last example of how 7.1 shines actually isn't a blu-ray release. I'm a big fan of the English group Depeche Mode. Their music over their 25 year plus history has evolved from simple 80's synth music, to much more soulful and mature sounding alternative music.That being said, Depeche Mode's entire musical catalog has been remastered and all thier albums are available in 5.1 surround sound. Some are even available as hi-fidelity 24-bit/96kHz mixes. As a result, I am able to enjoy the music of my favorite band in "better than CD quality surround sound." This means 5.1 surround [24-bit/96kHz] vs. 2 channel stereo[16-bit/44.1 kHz]. The experience of listening to quality music in hi-fi surround sound matrixed into 7.1 is really breath taking. While everyone may not be as big a fan of Depeche Mode as I am, I can say that listening to classic hits like Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, or Walking in my Shoes in 7.1 24-bit/96 kHz is alot of fun and very sweet!

Well there you have it. I know this has been a legnthy response to your initial question on whether or not it's worth upgrading from a 5.1 to a 7.1 speaker setup. I hope this in-depth response helps give you some perspective on what you can potentially look forward to if you decide to go to a 7.1 system with a big enough room and proper speaker placement. I wanted to share with you my personal experience in going from 5.1 to 7.1, as well as provide you with some solid examples of what I've observed (and enjoyed) after the change.

The main thing to keep in mind is that you want to have a big enough room to allow your side and back surrounds to "breathe." Doing so will allow you to experience a bigger and fuller surround stage. Add to that the ability to listen to uncompressed multi-channel soundtracks (i.e. DTS-HD Master Audio & Dolby TrueHD) and you add another layer of quality to the listening exprience. But, if you don't have a room that's "big enough," then I think you're better off sticking with your 5.1 setup. Lastly, click here to watch a pretty cool DTS video on the benefits of going 7.1.