Moving up from 5.1 to 7.1

[nightflier]

...I'll add another post if HK tech support has anything else interesting to add.

Well HK wasn't very elaborate. Apparently the receiver splits the signal evenly between the left and rear speakers. Appart from that they just refered me to p26 of the manual. Not very helpful.

[Rycher]

Basically what Woodchifer said is correct. For movies 6 channels (5.1) are discretly recorded onto the medium, except for the few DTS titles that add one more descret center rear. SACD and DVD-A are only a 6 channel medium. Playing back any of these formats in 7.1 requires matrixing for the extra channels. &.1 sounds really good in movies, but I've never heard a music CD in 7.1.

[nightflier]

...but I've never heard a music CD in 7.1.

This probably should have been my first question: Has anyone with a 7.1 system and SACD heard what happens to the rear chaenels?

I'm going to gess that all receivers conform to the same standard on how they divide up the two analog inputs for the rear channels (?).

[Woochifer]

This probably should have been my first question: Has anyone with a 7.1 system and SACD heard what happens to the rear chaenels?

I'm going to gess that all receivers conform to the same standard on how they divide up the two analog inputs for the rear channels (?).

Whether or not a receiver can do that depends on how they implement the multichannel input. A lot of receivers setup the multichannel analog input as a straight analog bypass, meaning it goes directly into the amp with no digital conversion or processing. Since none of the SACD and DVD-A players I'm aware of do any kind of 7.1 processing of the high res formats internally, then that means that if your receiver uses a straight analog bypass for the multichannel input, your only option is the 5.1 playback that's standard with SACD and DVD-A.

Only a few receivers I know of can do any kind of processing with the multichannel input. With those models, you might be able to get the 7.1 processing done. But, this entails an extra AD/DA conversion, and if the high resolution is one of the benefits with SACD and DVD-A, then this kind of defeats the purpose. The difference between discrete channels versus matrixed channels is very noticeable, because the matrixing does cause audible degradation.

Whether or not you would even want to apply 7.1 processing to a 5.1 SACD or DVD-A track in the first place is much the same as with movie soundtracks -- your results will vary. If the recording mostly has ambient sounds in the surrounds, such as a classical or jazz recording done in a concert hall, the 7.1 processing would likely collapse those ambient cues into the rear center channels and sound pretty bad. If there's a lot of discrete channel separation, then the 7.1 processing might help fill in the rear soundfield and improve the overall sound, provided that you're willing to live with some degree of tonal degradation.

[equate]

Hi,
I just updraged from 5.1 and 7.1. What movies is good to test the system out? Thanks

[KRiTiKaL]

Hidalgo was recorded in THX, sounds awesome!

[equate]

You say movies with THX are great for 7.1? I don't have THX on my receiver. Thanks

[Woochifer]

Hidalgo was recorded in THX, sounds awesome!

Keep in mind that DVDs are not recorded in THX, because that's not a playback format. DVDs with the THX label on them are simply certified to meet minimum picture and sound quality standards. And there are plenty of DVDs out there without the THX certification with stellar sound and picture quality. For example, the DVDs that Warner makes are routinely among the best ones out there for picture quality IMO, yet none of them are THX certified because they don't participate in the program.