Should I install a 7.1 speaker setup or a 5.1 setup? [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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drummar
07-02-2005, 07:54 AM
I am building an addition in my house and I am trying to decide if I should go for a 7.1 speaker setup or should I go for the standard 5.1 speaker setup? If I go for the 7.1 will my movies and or music encoded in 5.1 be compromised? Are the new movies being encoded in the 7.1 format or are most still the 5.1 format? The room size is 19' wide, 21' long and the ceilings are about 10' high.
Thanks

Quagmire
07-02-2005, 09:12 AM
I am building an addition in my house and I am trying to decide if I should go for a 7.1 speaker setup or should I go for the standard 5.1 speaker setup? If I go for the 7.1 will my movies and or music encoded in 5.1 be compromised? Are the new movies being encoded in the 7.1 format or are most still the 5.1 format? The room size is 19' wide, 21' long and the ceilings are about 10' high.
Thanks
If you have that much space, I'd go for a 7.1 setup. In a larger room the difference in sound can be worthwhile and if you're building this room from scratch, there will never be a better time to run speaker wire and do all of the other necessary installation. If for some reason, you just don't like the sound of 7.1 (doubtful), you can always configure the system for 5.1 playback instead. No real loss, and if you are going to be buying new audio gear for the room, you'll discover that most of the equipment available today is 6.1 or 7.1 anyway, so it isn't like you'll be wasting your money by buying something extra. This processing/decoding has become pretty much standard on all receivers and pre/pro's being produced nowadays. Simply put... I think you'd be foolish to not at least run the speaker wires in the walls to ensure you have this future capability. You can always make a determination later as to whether or not you want to utilize the "extra" speakers, but if you don't run the wires, and at a later date decide that really do want a 7.1 setup, you'll be kicking yourself for not taking advantage of the opprotunity to make it part of your initial installation when you had the chance. I dare say, there are probably quite a few folks here who would love to be in your envialble position.

Q