5.1 or 7.1 not sure what to install

[Heedly]

I am setting up a dedicated room and have purchased a sony STR dn 1040, and warfdale dx1 HCP surround sound system with an extra 2 speakers, now as this is my "virgin" install I'm now not sure if I should install the extra 2 speakers or just stick to the 5.

Cheers in advance

 

[Ghostrider]

If you already have the speakers what do you gain by not using them?

 

[Heedly]

Not sure from what I have read there is very few 7.1 films so does running 5.1 films though the system disrupt the quality or am I being silly!! This is my first jump into surround sound so not sure bout setting up, will my receiver know that I am just watching a 5.1 and only put out to the 5 speakers???

 

[Joe Fernand]

Your room/seating layout will guide you in terms of 5.1 vs. 7.1.

Joe

 

[Heedly]

The room at the min is a bare shell, so I'll need to do my research as to where I am placing the speakers and the seats....if I'm really cheeky I could post up a plan of the room and see if all you good people could show me where to place everything

 

[Ghostrider]

The room at the min is a bare shell, so I'll need to do my research as to where I am placing the speakers and the seats....if I'm really cheeky I could post up a plan of the room and see if all you good people could show me where to place everything

This sounds like a plan - floorplans are great, floorplans + pictures are even better.

 

[Heedly]

I'll get my camera out today and take a few shots, though there's nothing to see at the min as it's just a bare shell of a room, just had the ceiling plastered, so waitin on it fully dryin then the work starts

 

[Ghostrider]

Pictures just help to visualise doors, radiators, windows etc... well at least they do to me.

 

[Heedly]

Right took some photos on my phone, could be bothered to get out the camera just for some quick shots of the room. The room measures 4400 x 3100 the longest being the window wall to the opposite 1. The room is a true rectangle so hopefully makes setting up much easier. Ideally i'd like to get the 7.1 set up but not sure if there is enough room or not, i'll let you experts tell me

Ceiling has just been plastered next is to strip the wallpaper off then sort out what lights are going where.

 

[John]

I would just go 7.1 whilst you have the chance for it to be easy. even if you don't use it all the time.
Its like saying "do I need 5.1 because the rears are not in use all the time?"

It can be a big ball ache to upgrade at a later date. I speak from experience of having to run a HDMI through conduit with a right angle turn in it and upgrading to 6.1 when the opportunity presented itself without have planned for it in advance

 

[John]

The left and right used to be about a meter either side of where I put the rear. Get it right now whilst you have the chance. i needed to run new cables because one was now a lot longer than it had been

 

[Heedly]

That's the answer I needed thanks, better to run the cables now before the carpet n all are down. Is that a meter forward from the back of the room?? My main prob will be correct placement of the speakers.

 

[Joe Fernand]

Your 'primary' seat is the Ref. not the rear wall - Home Theater Surround Sound Speaker Placement and Setup Guide

Joe

 

[Ghostrider]

OK, so it's a good sized room.

As this is to be a dedicated room let me ask a couple more questions :

1 - Are you planning on using a TV or projector / screen and what size?
2 - How much seating do you want to fit in?

 

[Heedly]

I've purchased an optima hd25e and a Sapphire 106" screen, I'm either puttin in 2 separate recliners or a 3 seater recliner sofa, most of the time it'll be me n the missus but if people are over for a film r moto gp I have a load of big bean bags to throw about for them.

 

[Heedly]

I'll have to check that link in the morning joe won't let me open on the iPad so will have to check it out on the desktop in the mornin cheers

 

[Ghostrider]

OK - my take on how I would go about this is as below :

I'd put the screen in front of the window with some blackout blinds behind. The screen itself has a light-proof back but installing without additional light control measures would introduce light spill around the edges of the screen when used in the day.

With a 109in screen (2.4m) and your chosen PJ it is not possible to fully utilise the screen of you were to project across the shorter room dimension as to get to a 2.4m diagonal projected image you need a PJ to screen distance of >3100mm and hence it won't fit.

To achieve the THX recommended maximum 40 degree viewing angle with a 2.4m screen (2.1m wide) you need a minimum viewing distance of 2.9m and this distance is replicated in the diagram above.

The screen is not accoustically transparent so you would need to place the speakers to the side of and below the screen to avoid attenuation - Fortunately this places the Front L&R speakers pretty well spot on the THX recommendations.

 

[Heedly]

Wow thanks very much Ghostrider, woke up to this n found that u've been busy!! It never crossed my mind of putting the screen at that end, I was always going to be puttin it on the opposite wall, but looking at that drawing it'll work much better. Thanks for puttin the time in and drawing that out.

From what I have read elsewhere the side speakers should be up to a meter higher than head height when seated, should these be directed down to the seats or straight out? Also the rear speakers should these be head height or can they be installed at a height so there is not risk of the door being opened onto them?

 

[jason1wood]

Ghostriders plan is spot on.
Why not place the speakers high up and on tilt and spin brackets so you can play around with them.
Sorry but not familiar with your speakers or specs so if they're large, just forget my suggestion.

There's a wealth of knowledge around this site.
Pretty jealous of you having a dedicated room.

 

[jason1wood]

I would say go 7.1. I watched Transformers DOTM again last night with a USA disc that's 7.1 and it was amazing. Much more so than when I watched it in 5.1

 

[Heedly]

Yeah Jason they are satellite speakers so wall mounts are possible, as this is all new to me I'm worried bout placing things in the wrong place so they can never be set up correctly....def have learned a lot from just trawling through this forum, I'd be well lost without it lol.

I have decided to do the 7.1 setup as it looks like the room will be able to cope with it size wise, as has been mentioned before it's better to do it now when I'm building the room than decide later to try and install it.

 

[jason1wood]

Well with sats, I'd say mount high and angle down, that way you can reposition the direction of throw.

I have M&K sides and surrounds and they are more bookshelf size so they had to be positioned exactly as too big for swivel mounts.

Once you get the hang of this, you'll really get the upgrade bug, so start saving. Haha

 

[Ghostrider]

I went that way around mainly because of the door foulling both the screen and the Front Left speaker if it were spun around.

The Surround and Rear speakers are generally installed higher than the fronts so I don't think that you will have a problem if you want to lift the rears to above the height of the doors - alternately just move them inwards a bit so that the Right Rear is not fouled when the door opens. It will probably ony mean having the speakers 6 inches or so away from ideal positioning and it won't make any practical difference to your experience of the room.

 

[Heedly]

I'll have to hide that last comment from the missus can't have her thinking of upgrading even before I get the room up n running lol

Ill have a look and see what brackets suit my speakers, I take it cause they are moveable it doesn't really matter on the height they are placed?

 

[Heedly]

It makes sense Ghostrider to keep it on the opposite wall I will be having the receiver at that end too, is there a prob with the heat from the radiator effecting it