im trying to find a receiver in the $250 or less range and keep running into the numbers above. these just tell how many speaker inputs there are right? if im going for a typical surround sound, then 5.1 should be enough right. 5 speakers plus a seperate powered sub should do it right? also do these receivers need to have any sub input or output? thanks
Most people who have surround sound have 5.1 due to room and WAF limitations, especially if they have their couch up against a wall.
Also consider that 95% of Dolby movie soundtracks are recorded for 5.1 --- sure if your receiver has Dolby IIx it can "simulate" an extra 1-2 channels but is it really worth it?
This is kind of like computers these days being hyped up as having 3.0GHz speeds, which in most real life applications run at nearly identical speed with 800Hz Pentium IIIs from 5 years ago.
Good to have a strong BS-detector when dabbling in audio, or it's very easy to get ensnared in 1001 sales gimmicks/lies.
Damn I'm way too tired to talk about this now, and haven't we already talked about the issues surrounding this topic on one of your other threads, I'll sooner say use the internet to proved yourself with more information on this, or better still go to a cinema and ask to speak to a projectionist about this mater of Dolby dts SDDS 8 THX sound systems and the rest....
But seeing I'm a former projectionist, that can only tell you but cant show you, as your over there and I'm over hear, but that doest stop me into providing you with pros and cons.....
Also there is no true 7.1 that exists in the home cinema that is only for Sony's SDDS 8 which is a true 7.1 sound system with five full spectrum channels placed behind the screen, with LFE subwoofer channel placed below the stage channels.
And with the last remanding tracks for stereo surrounds, or as we say in the industry (split-surrounds) with full spectrum sound, as I was told when I first started out around 16 years ago "in this industry you have to think like a projectionist" takes a lot more that fancy interior decoration at home to show of your home cinema....
alright but does the receiver that i look for need to have any certain inputs or outputs, or just enought for a few speakers? does it need a subwoofer input?
I have experimented with this somewhat to see how I like having 6.1 / 7.1 over 5.1
For *some* movies, having the extra back speaker seems to make the sound more seamless as it moves across the back.
For other movies, particularly for the DD EX, the matrixing becomes noticable and takes away from the movie experience. Just my personal experience - 5.1 is fine for most movies, especially since they are on the disk in that format, and the other channels add little to a *properly* set up 5.1 system.
Additionally, For the price of the receiver you are looking at you have to ask yourself if the receiver has an adequate enough power supply to run those two extra channels. You might be better off with the 5.1.
> Additionally, For the price of the receiver you are looking at you have to ask yourself if the receiver has an adequate enough power supply to run those two extra channels.
If you're concerned about adequate power, stay away from the cheap <$1000 lightweights. Any receiver in the $1000 price range will have more than adequate power for your HT.
Shan, You're never better off with 5.1. Give me a break. Stop making excuses for yourself for not having it.
Dougthehead
Unregistered guest
Posted on
I am looking for a 6.1 receiver in the $200-400 range. What is the best one in this price range?
95% of today's DVDs are still 5.1 so why pay for an extra 2 speakers? "Simulated" 6 or 7 channel is crap anyways, just a boondoggle for speaker companies...get the best 3.1 setup you can afford, then add cheap 2 surrounds and be done with it. The sub and the center channel do most of the work, closely followed by the front mains L/R and then the last 10% is the surrounds...mostly just ambient noises, whizzing by bullets and traffic, etc. If you're a gadget geek you'll dig that, if you actually care about sound quality then concentrate on the front 3 and sub.
OK. The facts. Most current DVDs are mastered in 5.1. So is virtually all HD programming. Now on some material, the extra surrounds add ambience but generally not so much for one to consistently conclude that the added benefit is just extraordinary. If you can afford a quality 6.1 or 7.1 go for it. It will still play 5.1 But don't do it on the cheap. Better off with a quality 5.1 than a cheap 6.1 or 7.1
Running 7.1 makes a huge difference in filling-in the soundfield. Plus, there are, in fact, many sounds that come decretely from the backs in 7.1 mode even if the DVD is only 5.1 surround, and that's the whole point of the high tech 7.1 receiver technology. You'll often hear sounds going from back to front, and vice versa. During action sequences, it will go a long way to bringing the scene to life.
I do agree that if you mostly watch zero budget sundance flicks like eddie, having a nice surround sound setup is largely defeated because of their vanilla soundtracks not having any sound effects. With those movies, all you really need is to use a center channel or your TV speakers.
You are in rare form today. I'm not even sure I want to jump into this one.
But, d-b, i've got 5.1 and it's plenty. Paul is correct that you'll miss a small part of the action without 7.1 but if you're rear speakers are really inexpensive, what's the point.
Take Edster's advice and start building a really decent 3.1 system and go from there until you can afford to buy Paul's "refrigerator" SVS sub.
don't think Paul would really need his behemoth SVS if his Cerwin Vegas weren't so sucky, he'd be perfectly ok with a smaller sub like a PB10 but I guess he needs that 140lbs of subwoofer to drown out those bad pinko speakers of his. LOL
Dakulis, perhaps you misunderstood Paul. He said,"Running 7.1 makes a huge difference in filling-in the soundfield." I'm not sure how from that you concluded that, "Paul is correct that you'll miss a small part of the action without 7.1." Don't patronize. Take a position, man.
I don't do names. Stu, look at the following posts and read carefully if you can:"Now on some material, the extra surrounds add ambience but generally not so much for one to consistently conclude that the added benefit is just extraordinary." Dale M. Wiley
"Running 7.1 makes a huge difference in filling-in the soundfield." Paul
