rear center channel

[Doug Lax]

does anyone use one of these in their systems?

[jdandy]

Doug......5.1 rocks my home theater. I see no reason to expand the channels to 7 or more. 5.1 provides a fully engaging experience in my room. I do use two McIntosh XLS112 powered subwoofers in the theater setup.

[JJinID]

Originally Posted by Douglax

does anyone use one of these in their systems?

Yes I run a 6.2 setup Doug. The rear 6th channel gets more use from Dolby Pro-Logic IIx decoding than from discrete soundtracks as the vast majority of Blu-Rays are 5.1 soundtracks. There are a few true 6.1s out there like the Lord of the Rings trilogy and some 7.1s out there as well, and it can add a little more spaciousness to the rear soundfield in some instances.

Overall I'm pretty neutral about the extra channel in my system to be honest - if I had to do it over again I'm not sure I would have done it. Others MMV of course...

[Doug Lax]

Originally Posted by JJinID

Yes I run a 6.2 setup Doug. The rear 6th channel gets more use from Dolby Pro-Logic IIx decoding than from discrete soundtracks as the vast majority of Blu-Rays are 5.1 soundtracks. There are a few true 6.1s out there like the Lord of the Rings trilogy and some 7.1s out there as well, and it can add a little more spaciousness to the rear soundfield in some instances.

Overall I'm pretty neutral about the extra channel in my system to be honest - if I had to do it over again I'm not sure I would have done it. Others MMV of course...

Do you use a center channel or a third surround speaker?

[Doug Lax]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Doug......5.1 rocks my home theater. I see no reason to expand the channels to 7 or more. 5.1 provides a fully engaging experience in my room. I do use two McIntosh XLS112 powered subwoofers in the theater setup.

I kinda figured than Dan.... I was always curious why it some movies it show a rear center even though I don't have one?

[chessman]

I run a 7.1 system with the two rear speakers. There is very little content on them. I only did it because I already had the speakers and already had a 7.1 processor. I do not recommend spending money on 7.1 setups.

[naughty573]

For the people using 7.1 have you tried applying matrix effects on them, as an example i use Dolby Pro-logic IIz. Now many people would consider this to essentially be a fake surround but in certain movies (make that most of them) it can have real tangible benefits.

As an example in Avatar in the scene where the hero is in his avatar and he combats those dog-like creatures and is then saved by the heroine he then attempts to thank her and during that scene you have many insects buzzing around their head, but the soundstage projects this as if they are buzzing directly around your head. It is an amazing sound effect

If you place the rear and surround back speakers substantially high enough and far enough away from you and partially point them downward and toward you then the placement combined with matrix effects can actually make the surround effect be enhanced. The sound in the rear becomes diffuse (in a good way) and you cannot make out where its coming from just that it is able to envelop you. In the same scene there is a bit where when the dog like creatures are following the hero as he stumbles across in the dark and to be honest if your speakers are setup properly there are times when you hear a howl in the distance as if one of those creatures was actually outside your house/dwelling and across the road to the right hand side

So yes with the audyssey (other forms of autosetup) applied properly and room treatment applied properly as well as the speakers placed correctly and these matrix enhancements applied at the relevant time it can actually make it sound as if it was encoded as 7.1 natively and it works to give you a wonderful effect which enhances your enjoyment of the movie experience

Obviously though you disable all the effects for stereo music though since you want a naturally projecting soundstage for that, which is why I have attempted to keep my stereo setup as close to possible separate from the surround setup but basically when the surround works my stereo setup forms my front stage of the surround setup

[JJinID]

Originally Posted by Douglax

Do you use a center channel or a third surround speaker?

I'm using McIntosh WS350 in-wall speakers for all three (left, right, and back surround). I also use them for my Zone 2 stereo speakers in my living room.

[tigerhonaker]

Originally Posted by Douglax

does anyone use one of these in their systems?

Doug,

I have the 7.1 (4-Subs) and I like it just the way it is.
I'm certainly more the Movie sort of fellow than the 2-channel audio type of guy.

I can tell you that even with my current older (8-Yrs.) Integra Research RDC7 processor and Integra Research RDV1 DVD player the rear surround
works.

And in fact the rear two surround speakers are simply Awesome-Sounding according to what one is listening.

I (Highly) recommend the 7.1 with Rear-Surround-Speakers if they are High-End with right power amp.

One example I can think of is,

Queen (The DVD Collection) Greatest Video Hits 1
Remastered by David Mallet in 96/24
Completely Restored and Remixed in 5.1 Surround Sound.
http://www.amazon.com/Queen-Greatest-Video-Hits-1/dp/B00006LPAH/ref=cm_cmu_pg__header








I can't wait until the new gear is installed so I can take full advantage of the 7.1 surround.

I do think one thing that makes a difference with the rear surround is what speakers and amp/amps powering them.
I can tell you mine just simply Rock






And speaking of Movies in Blu-ray recored in 7.1 surround.
Here are a few.

http://forum.blu-ray.com/blu-ray-movies-north-america/91824-definitive-list-7-1-blu-ray-movies-will-update-accordingly.html

Definitive list of 7.1 Blu-ray movies (will update accordingly)

I have seen a number of threads asking for a list of Blu-ray movies with 7.1 audio.
So I decided to create a list of all the current movies with 7.1. I will update as needed.
If you don't see a movie, please tell me and I will post it.

• 3:10 to Yuma
• The Arrival (Release date April 21st 2009)
• Bach: Orchestral Suites No.1, 2 & 3 / Tripelkonzert
• Bangkok Dangerous
• The Bank Job
• Be Kind Rewind
• Beethoven - Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos - Acoustic Reality Experience
• Belly
• The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
• Black Mask
• Busoni: Doktor Faust Blu-ray
• Chris Botti in Boston (Release date March 31st 2009)
• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
• Circle of Iron (Release date May 19th 2009)
• The Condemned
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: The First Season Blu-ray (Release date May 19th 2009)
• Daddy's Little Girls
• Dark City
• Dead & Buried
• Delta Farce
• Disaster Movie
• Doctor Strange
• The Doors
• Dragon Tiger Gate
• The Eye
• Fast Company (Release date May 19th 2009)
• Fearless (Directors Cut)
• Ferruccio Busoni: Doktor Faust
• The Final Countdown
• The Forbidden Kingdom
• Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata at La Scala
• The Golden Compass
• Good Luck Chuck
• Grieg - Piano Concerto / Symphonic Dances / In Autumn - Acoustic Reality Experience
• Hairspray
• Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour
• Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
• Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army Universal
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army Collector's Edition
• House of a 1000 corpses
• House of Fury
• Hulk Vs.
• The Invincible Iron Man
• Ip Man
• Johann Strauss: The New Years Concert in Vienna - Acoustic Reality Experience
• Lady Cop & Papa Crook
• La Traviata at La Scala
• Lust Caution
• Meet the Browns
• The Midnight Meat Train
• Mr. Woodcock
• My Best Friend's Girl
• Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Nino Rota: Complete Music For Viola /Violin and Piano - Acoustic Reality Experience
• Oldboy
• The Orphanage
• Pan's Labyrinth
• Perhaps Love
• Pinocchio
• Protege
• Punisher: War Zone
• Rambo (2008)
• Red Cliff
• Red Cliff 2
• Repo! The Genetic Opera
• Run Fatboy Run
• Rush Hour 3
• Saw IV
• Saw V
• Secret
• Semi-Pro
• Shoot 'Em Up
• Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 9 - Acoustic Reality Experience
• Sleeping Beauty
• Space or Dream of Life
• Spatial Dynamics
• The Spirit (Release date April 14th 2009)
• Star Trek - The Original Series - Season 1 (Release date April 28th 2009)
• Star Trek: Motion Picture Collection: The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier, The Undiscovered Country (Release date May 12th 2009)
• The Stendhal Syndrome
• Step Into Liquid
• Tchaikovsky - Piano Concertos Nos. 1&3 - Acoustic Reality Experience
• Transporter 3
• Two Evil Eyes (Release date March 31st 2009)
• Ultimate Avengers
• Van Wilder
• Verdi: Rigoletto
• Vivaldi: L'Estro Armonico - The Best of Violin Concetros - Acoustic Reaity Experience
• W.
• Wagner: The Best of Overtures & Preludes - Acoustic Reality Experience
• Waiting...
• War
• The Warlords
• Weeds: Season Two
• Weeds: Season Three
• Weeds: Season Four (Release date June 2nd 2009)
• Witless Protection

Terry

[Doug Lax]

Thanks Terry,

I can't wait to hear your review of the new system when it comes in