Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems 7.1 vs. 5.1 surround - what is my best option?

Hi guys,

I have my room at a point where I need to make a decision regarding speaker placement. The room is 4m wide, 5.2m long and 2.6m tall - final measurements will reduce maybe 300mm on each wall, due to acoustic treatments. I will lose 600mm length due to a Screen Research 120" wide 2.35 TheaterCurve screen. Speakers will sit behind the screen and SW5500 sub probably below (all hidden from view).

My question is about the surrounds. I'm looking for opinions for this size room on the effectiveness of 7.1 vs. 5.1. If I go 7.1, then surrounds will more than likely be two pair of DSP3100s mounted within the wall. If I go 5.1 then I will try and find a 2nd hand set of DSP5200s and place them angled at the rear of the room.

I'm wondering if the room is too small to consider or make the most of 7.1?

Seating will be for four on a raised platform, 3.5m back from the screen. Source will be 1920x1080, so not too worried about video quality. The room will 95% be used for movies and usually more towards action and adventure - Chronicles of Riddick, 300, Highlander, etc.

All opinions welcomed.

Cheers,

Chris

One other factor I think that makes a difference is how "live" the room is. If it is fairly live room and small it really hard to hear the effects of 7.1. If all your walls are going to be treated I think you might be better off with 7.1.

All walls and ceiling will be treated and the construct will be similar, although not to the same degree, as Mark's (Mark_H) - we agreed creative license I'm attempting a mini-me version, so everything will sit behind the walls and be covered by fabric.

I want the biggest impact for sound and vision, hence the big screen. I'm keen to go 7.1, but I don't want to muddy the sound by everything being too close.

Hey Chris

Based upon your wish to have the biggest audio impact, IMHO going 7.1 is what you want, all things being optimized to support the side speakers. Of course you may be considering a two rear surrounds configuration, rather than sides. I have no experience. I'm sure other HHs have plenty of such experience.

Again depending on your system to support 7.1, in my experience the sides increase the size of the sweet spot, enhance front to rear or vice versa audio effects like the most recent THX movie credit and increase the spaciousness of the sound stage.

If your processor is a 7.1 configured M product with MRC, the 7.1 configuration process gives you a great start to fine tuning the mix. After that, you'll probably want to tweak the volume levels to optimize the over all sound. The down side is additional cost. That's my best advice. If supported right, you won't be disappointed.

Tim

Thanks Tim. I already have a G68D, so no issues there. Money is a secondary concern, because if it was primary, I would have never got into M. Not that I would ever make that statement to my wife

So my other question is, has anybody auditioned the DSP3100s as surrounds and how effective are they? I am hoping they should blow me away in a room that size, especially with an SW500 as the sub. I'm considering DSP5200s across the front, behind the screen. Does anyone have this exact set up?

Chris,

I have a similar setup. 5200s across the front and 3100s in the back. My room is 13 wide by 20 deep and 8ft ceiling. At one point I had 7.1 with some old speakers and an amp.(The fronts were 5200s.) I really appreciated the envelopment of the 7.1 setup, however, when I replaced the amp and the speakers with 3100s concert videos, DTS CDs, etc sounded substantially better(even though I dropped to 5.1). The only reason I have not added 3100s to the sides is that I can not acheive that with the current M setup since I am running stereo subs. Bottom line...go 7.1 and use 3100s for back and sides.

Damn, don't I wish you were local in Australia, so I could hear how good it is

Cheers,

Chris

Heck, while you're at it, go 8.1. Use a matrix decoder to extract rear center information - works GREAT!

Interesting point. How would you do this? Who is selling the matrix decoder and does it has an effect on every movie? If not, how big is the percentage of the movies that benefits froom such an 8.1 approach?

Didn't Thx Holman reckon 10.2 would really cover it ?

~M~

If M offered a 10.2 upgrade, it would be interesting. Rather than rush into it, HDMI, BD&HDDVD upgrades would be a great start.

In my last post I erroneasly referred to a 7.1 configuration with "two rear surrounds." DUHHH. I wonder if many HHs have 7.1 systems with multiple rear surrounds beyond Left and Right instead of sides or in addition to sides. Would the .2 channels have different information?

Tim

I bet some of you guys would cringe at my 7.0 channel system in a 3 metre square room ! I don't use a sub because I have Amphion Xenon floorstander main speakers, which have side firing 8" woofers and go down to 28Hz. It's compromised in many ways, but still manages to sound fantastic in the circumstances. If my wife ever lets me out of the back room and into the big room I could really make it sing.