home theater from scratch

[a55]

Q. on the reciver i should get, I'm starting from scratch and wanted to get a 6.1 channel recevier but might start out with 5.1 speaker system that is upgradable later...will this work???thanks

[Geoffcin]

Q. on the reciver i should get, I'm starting from scratch and wanted to get a 6.1 channel recevier but might start out with 5.1 speaker system that is upgradable later...will this work???thanks

It's not a problem. Even if you only have two speakers to start, buying a 6.1 capable receiver will be perfectly OK.

[Woochifer]

Just about any receiver above the bare entry level nowadays will have 7.1 output, so this is a nonissue. Get the best receiver in your price range. All of the home theater receivers allow you to turn off the speaker outputs that you don't use via the setup menu.

The real issue is whether you want to extend your speaker setup beyond the basic 5.1 configuration. Whether or not you decide to go with a 7.1 speaker setup or 5.1 depends on how your room is situated. If your sofa is right up against the backwall, then it's pretty simple, you stick with 5.1. If you got a few feet behind your listening position, then you can give 7.1 a try.