Receiver recommendation for 6.1 with height

[jadog]

I'm looking for a receiver to replace my TX-SR607 (bad HDMI board with no video). I currently have my room hard wired for a 6.1 with rear center and 2 front high speakers. It seems that most receivers these days don't have the option for a SINGLE rear center channel while still retaining the front highs. I don't need the latest and greatest (can be an older model) but looking for some recommendations on what may be some good alternatives without breaking the bank.

In 3-4 years from now I'd like to upgrade to an 11.2.4, but that's a bit out of budget for me currently.

 

[dante01]

Denon and Marantz still facilitate a 6.1 setup with a single back suttound, but you'd not be able to also have an Atmos setup if the floor level speakers are 6.1. THe floor levels has to be 5.1, 7.1 or 9.1.

I'd suggest you simply get a 7.1 receiver and have a 5.1.2 setup or get a 9 channel receiver and have a 7.1.2 channel setup.

 

[Kapkirk]

Many of the new receivers can do 6.1, although ideally they are made for 7.2. for example, During the on screen set up on the Denon avr-x3700h you should be able to tell the receiver you are running 6.1 with a single rear center (no atmos heights) and you wire it to one of the rear surround outputs. I looked into this as I have the same situation. I believe the Marantz receivers do the same.

 

[dante01]

You aren't asked if you want a 6.1 setup, you simply configure the AVR as though you'd a 7.1 setup, but with only one back surround connected to the LEFT speaker terminal. The Auddyssey calibration will then accept that it is a 6.1 setup without an error message during the calibration.

As said, you cannot add heights or additional Atmos speaker to a 6.1 configuration though.


This is the case with Marantz and Denon AV receivers. Yamaha no longer support or facilitate 6.1 setups.

 

[Kapkirk]

Yes I read it is possible when Looking at upgrading my own receiver. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Deleted member 901590]

You can get a box that combines a stereo RCA signal (twin RCAs) into a single RCA mono signal (not losing any of the signals). An idea, you could use the preouts for SBL and SBR into one of these then externally amplify the single mono signal into your ONE surround back speaker.
That way, the AVR would think it has both surround backs, running Audyssey it would just do the test tone twice and "think" they were different speakers. It would then enable height modes.
I realise not ideal, as I believe that Dante has said elsewhere that Atmos etc is not designed to work with one surround back. But could be a functional interim situation until you have the readies to upgrade?

 

[dante01]

Even if you combine and mixdown the 2 surround back channels externally, Atmos will not be portrayed correctly. It requires 2 surround back speakers to be present in order for the setup to be able to place objects using the phase shifts associated with those speakers. You cannot emulate this in mono. This is why you cannot have an Atmos 6.1.2 setup.

 

[Deleted member 901590]

@jadog what did you do?

 

[jadog]

My TV stopped working as well a few months later. Surprisingly, the kids have been behaving much better with less visual stimulation. So for now I've decided to wait. Thanks for all the great advice!