making 10.2

[uncooked]

ok this is sort of on my spare time. i have a good surround set up in my basement with 6.1 "yamaha" amp. but im bored and i need some new stuff, as im addicted to homeaudio and all.

well right now in my room i have a panasonic sahe75k. real basic amp and real cheap. i got all quest speakers hooked up to it. "cheap speakers" not really really cheap but compared to my basement. and it sounds good.

my room is small like a sqaure of like 10 - 11 feet. so its really really loud in there as is. but i wanted to know what it would be like to ad another panny like the one i already have to it?

radio shack sells fibre optic splitters so i would run the fibre from my dvd to the splitter which would then make 2 coming out one into each amp..... = 10.2 surround.

now i was just wondering if anyone has any experince on fibre splitters and if anyone has two amps hooked up. i also thought it would be cool becuase i could use one remote seeing as they were the same model. so if i hit volume up then the both do it at once. i d get a silver one i have a black right now. but then i would have to get more speakers but thats always fun to save up for anyways.

[Woochifer]

Even if you split the optical output and used two sets of five channel amps with two subwoofer, your original soundtrack would still only be 5.1 or 6.1. The whole proliferation of "7.1" and similar misleading terminology is driven by marketing, not technical truth. Just because a receiver splits the rear center output into two identical monophonic speaker outputs does not make it "7.1" for the exact same reasons why 2.0 Dolby Surround is not called a 4.0 or 5.0 format.

The scenario you're setting up has all kinds of potential problems. First, by using two receivers with separate DSP processors, you have no assurance that the output will be coherent and properly matched between the two components. For a ten-channel output, I would recommend using one receiver's preouts and running those into the six-channel analog input, rather than trying to split the digital signal and use two separate processors. Second, with redundant speakers all the way around playing the same thing from different locations, the sound waves will interact with one another unpredictably and potentially cancel each other out at certain times or create timing errors that muddy up the imaging and make the sound harsh and unfocused.

There are all kinds of experiments going on right now with potential new formats with more channels designed to convey height information or more surround encirclement. But, these are different in that they are discrete channels, not redundant doubling up of existing channels.

It's fine to tinker and experiment. But, my suggestion would be to first optimize your 5.1/6.1 setup before you start piling up more hardware and more speakers. Things like speaker placement, addressing room acoustics, correctly setting the delay timing, calibrating the levels, measuring and calibrating the subwoofer, etc. will all make a far more critical improvement in the overall sound of your system than doubling up the speakers and amplification can. These adjustments are nothing more than using what you already own correctly and optimally, the adjustments don't cost very much and almost always make a more significant improvement than new hardware can. With 10 speakers and two subwoofers, you're getting a system that sounds louder, but in all likelihood not better.

[uncooked]

yea well i was going to use different speakers. i was going to get some 3 ways for the front to give it the mid range.

and what you said about the different dsp. wouldnt it not be effected if i used the exact same amp?

plus what height should i mount my rears at in my room. the celing is like 9 feet i think. the standard is 5-5 " to 6 " i think

its just that in my room my bed is right against the back wall. so would it be good to place them on the outsides and then slant them in so you can hear them better?

i know its not the best place for a 5.1 setup. but it will have to due for now until i get a bigger room to put them in.

also like i said its a small room do you think it would be an advantage to get a 150 watt sub over a 100 or 80 watt? becuase i dont think i need a whole lot to shake the little room. does a more powerful sub sound better then a low powered sub? like if i had the 150 at 100 watts it would probably sound way better then a 100 sub cranked