was unhappy with my set up before taking advice from this video. the number of speakers i had got out of hand, now i have tweaked and polished my core 5.1 with great results.now i have a solid reference point to add on or fall back to. thanks gents.
Great video. Nice to see someone not saying you need more than is really practical. With so little source material mixed for 7.1 going beyond it (9.1, 9.2, 11.1, 11.2 and on) can seem a bit superfluous. I've been bitten by the home theater bug for what seems like forever. Adding a good quality subwoofer (Outlaw LFM-1 Plus for me) finally made an enormous and very positive change. Keep these great videos coming!
I have gone from a 5.1 system to 7.1 and nothing says a 5.1 can not give you an experience as good as 7.1. I now run a 7.1.4 and I might add a second subwoofer to run 7.2.4. And I agree at minimum set up a minimum 5.1 with good quality speakers and a good subwoofer. Get your foundation right and do your research so the system fits your room!
5.1 is in my room for years and I`m satisfied with sound. I have realy good front speakers for a price (modified Opera Mezza) but I`m do much more importance on room equalization and speaker placement then on how much speakers I need in room. Good old SPL meter is realy useful tool as a REW.
Yep I have a 7 .1 set up.i spent £8000 on 2012 still enjoy till today only thing never got chance still for second sub. But other priorities at moment kids and so on.
4.1 works great for me. The only CC location in my living room based system is compromised at best, and I found my two towers do a much better job of conveying dialog and effects. My living room is rather long and narrow and there are only two of us in the house, so it works great for my situation............... More is NOT better (hear that Dolby?) It depends on the room and the caveats placed on speaker placements in that room due to real life considerations.
I'm starting with the speakers that came with my receiver, and slowly building up. I got a Polk center speaker, and plan on getting Polk bookshelves once more money comes. Then I'll plan on a new sub and surrounds.
+MuristekTV Same I got two big tower speakers with great bass and I find it to be very good. I mostly listen to music but it does the job for movies aswell. Since I watch alone and sit in the ideal listening possition with the speakers in the perfect spot aswell I get really good sound. There are allmost no rooms that isn't planned for surround systems to begin with that it really fits setting up a 5.1 and it will come out great. Like the couch has to be in the middle of the room and so on, so many inpractical factors.
Original placement for the surrounds was to the rear, not the sides. Some even recommended mounting on the wall, near the ceiling. It wasn't really until the advent of 7.1 that placement of the surrounds included each side of the listener.
Love the videos you make. A breath of fresh air to admit when your wrong (or think you are wrong) and still take advantage of being correct. I would especially like to see a video on using 'phantom' for center. I run a 4.2 setup, could fit 7.2 easily but have no need/desire to add more speakers. I can place a center but no reason/need to. Audyssey XT32 for room correction and...WOW! Incredible audio! And no Dolby Atmos! Imagine that! I honestly have more interest in trying Audyssey DSX and I haven't yet in the years I've had the option.
Thank you for all you do I have a question I have a Marantz 9.2 surround sound set up how do I get music to play out of all of my speakers I haven’t figured it out yet?
5.1 is the basic standard for surround sound. The room size/scenario is also an important aspect of how many speakers will/should be in a setup. Personal preference also plays a big role too. Some people like a simple high end 2.0 stereo-for instance I have a 7.0 surround system, small room size 12x13ft. I have a Denon 4802r receiver. All Definitive Technology speakers. Bp10 towers, clr 2002 center and 4 promonitor 1000 surrounds. I don't want a subwoofer as I don't want more than 7 speakers. The Bp10s have great bass capability-25hz anyway. Personally, I did notice a significant upgrade going from a 5.0 to 7.0 system. It's nice having 4 surrounds vs 2; it's a more immersive experience to me. It's very important to timber match your front 3 speakers. You can also slowly build a setup over time- that way it's not so much $$ all at once. Plan everything out extensively. High Quality speakers over quantity is VERY true and important too.
Hi Gene Please do a comparison review on three av receiver and tell me which is better. First option is Denon avrx2500h, second Marantz Sr5013, Third Onkyo nr tz 730 which is better. First 2 are same price range. Third one is cheaper. Kindly reply urgently.
Good video, but it depends. I am using Seinheiser HDR 195 wireless headphones due neighbors and kid sleeping in the next room. With the headset I have the sound straight in my ear :-) and this works well for me. Have a Optoma UHD 65 4K on a 135 inch Silver Metallic Screen
I've 5.1.2 a 5.1 with a pair of front height speakers. Dolby Atmos or DTX Neo X.. all speakers are JBL speakers except the sub which is a Klipsch 100SW
Great video - I was thinking about getting into all this and buying the PIONEERS-HS100 and the YAMAHA RXV375 receiver. Could you tell be whether this is a good choice and if it's all I need for great surround sound?
I have small ceiling hung speakers/ soundbar and woofer. Are their any small speakers that can give a high quality sound or are you stuck b/c they are small???? My system is 20 years old, I can't get disney or netflix on my system, lol.
Hi Guys you've been very helpful guide.... I wanted to buy a decent low budget home theater system..... I heard paradigm CT 100 at a local dealer, it sounded excellent in music and movie and definitely better then bose am6.... what do you recommend? shall I go for it or there is some other which is better? will appreciate your help. thanks
How big of a room does one need in order to hear the benefits of 7.1, 7.2, 9.2 or even 11.2? Is there an audible difference when putting 7+ speakers in a room? If so, does the difference start at a certain room size and goes up from there? Thanks in advance!
In my opinion, it does not make sense to have more than 5.1 speakers in a small room (like a small bedroom). For larger rooms, it will come down to budget and personal preference. I have a decent sized great room (27'x16') and still do not feel like I need more than 5.1 speakers.
I'm upgrading from an Onkyo TX-NR809 to a Yamaha RX-A3070. I was planning on running a full 7.1.4 system by adding some ceiling speakers, but I have a similar sized room as you and I've never really liked how I have to place the rear surrounds. They should be on the back wall, but my back wall opens into a kitchen. I have them placed on the side walls as a result, so I'm thinking more in line with you about just going to 5.1.4 and ditching one set of the side/rear surrounds. In this size of room I don't think I'll be missing much, and I can use the additional 2 channels of processing to run to my Onkyo out in the garage.
@@dickfantastic7908 You are on the right track. Experimentation of speaker placement after you have addressed the placement of your 3 main front speakers and you should be able to make any room sound good.
hy ,I have a question? can I put a 4" diameter, super drive tweeter in an open frame or open box for the tweeter, can I do that an will sound the same as we put it in a close box, or not , what dp you recommend me to do a box for them , or I leave it like that...
just get a 5.1 and just move the speakers about the front is east the rears the key, spread them out angle them so it sounds like it's coming from the tv in normal listening no matter where you're sat , then stick a movie with a lot of range in and fine tune the rear, normaly i have my rears low down angled up and angled to the position they'll fill the the room with the sound the best
sir i bought a new bose soundtouch 120 but now my Harmon kardon AV receiver with JBL home theater system n i also have 2 bose 301 book shelf speakers lying ideal please advise me if i can still use it with my soundtouch system
Home theater Klipsch klf 30 Towers Klipsch KLf c7 Center Hsu Vtf mk 5 Oppo 103D Marantz 7008 Panamax 400 Samsung un65ju7100 Blue Jean chords I have a small room unfortunately, what do you think about 3.1
i would like to use yamaha rx v667 receiver with yamaha ns p40 or ns p380 and i am on a budget. Will that be a good combo for bass 5.1 set up? Thanks! :)
I bought a top-o-the-line Yamaha Soundbar and it has the best dialogue and coherent sound for the money, going. Add a Big Subwoofer, and I am very happy. I can set it for several people in front of the TV, or hit a button for a "personal" setting which is optimized for my seat. Very cool. This replaced a Paradigm Reference system. I will say it is not good for music, so the Paradigms are now in a music only system. The yamaha is better, in dialogue, than the ref system, by far.
+DannoCrutch Yamaha sounds better to you because you didn't set up your Paradigm speakers properly. Most people know fuck all about proper speaker setup. Your Yamaha will never sound better than any Paradigm speaker.
+MuristekTV Again, you're presumptive and you're talking out your ass. I've been setting up speakers, scientifically, for over 40 years. Go troll somebody as ignorant as yourself. Have you compared both, in my particular room, with it's inherent absorptive, reflective, and diffusive properties, not to mention resonant frequencies, etc.? Let's add the Electronics used, and seating arrangements. Oh, and there is the other factor which makes it hard to place speakers 3 or 4 feet off of the wall... Wife acceptance factor. The Yamaha has 44 drivers and Room correction software which is highly customizable. It's an excellent speaker, and as I said, FOR THE MONEY. I also don't have to worry about a 50 pound speaker falling on a toddler. Stop reading and thinking you know it all, and really spend some time with equipment and instruments.
+DannoCrutch Why are you freaking out? You made the mistake of replacing your Paradigm speakers with the Yamaha crap. You are the one that has to live with your mistakes. I really don't give a shit. If you have a toddler that can knock down a 50 pound speaker, then it's NOT really a toddler, but a sumo wrestler. Tell him to find another sport. Being fat is not good for him.
+MuristekTV yep, a troll. And, it is spelled "you're" like, You're a pretty lame troll. Since you're such an expert on speaker placement, which method do you like most? (there are several) Long wall, short wall, near field, rule of thirds, Cardas Golden Section, etc? Why do you prefer it? How do move a speaker to tune the bass? How do you deal with first reflections? Put some substance out for the audience you're trying to attract with your ignorant comments. There is a big difference between freaking out, and exposing you as a clueless loser who has nothing better to do than pretend to be an expert. Did your mommy not give you enough attention?
Hey Audioholics, I received your reply, and I placed the subwoofer on the right corner. I doesnt sound like it has too much bass, but it sounds more like boomy.
I am facing a problem in my home theater with the sweet spot. If I am at the sweet spot things sound amazing but anywhere else its not that good. My room is 15 X 10 feet and screen on the 10 feet wall. I have a lot of sitting area but none has the surround right. My problem is with the surround speakers. I use satellite speakers for the rear and front, a very big center and subwoofer at the rear corner of the room. Also I wanted a suggestion that should I add dedicated subs for my front satellites so that they can sound like the towers.
I'd say we don't have the full speck untill you have the full 32 channal speck. Noww some may not be able to take advantage of that but HDMI 2 has been able to do 32 chanals. Now can you guys remind me what the full consuer Atmos spek is? I know the main bed is 9.1 surround. I just don't know if there's a spek for the atmos speakers. 4 or 6 seem to be the thing today but what's the full thing?
I love all the new stuff comes out I buy the older cheaper I'm happy with 5 channel theater and people come over they say wow it sounds better then a movie theater. If your looking for a cheap amp that sounds good and loud its Carver .If You have some more money go with krell.Outlaw may be another to look at but I personally haven't heard that one yet.Like your show.Take care Bob villa and Norm
great video.. I would like to know if I can use my car audio sub as a home theater sub. I have a JL W7 13 in a ported box and was thinking of using a crown amp.. would you recommend this? Is there any draw backs to using a car audio sub vs buying a home theater sub ?
I think if you do a good job Jes it can go toe to toe with the multi thousand dollar JL gothams and fathoms if you do it right. They use the same woofers and I use a crown amp with my sealed dayton 15 inch sub and I love it.
I appreciate your videos guys. Keep up the good work. Looking for some advise in the meantime... I just purchased Focal Dome 5.1 speaker set. And am looking for a receiver. I narrowed it down to a Marantz SR7007 and a Onkyo TX-NR737. They are within the same price range. My issue is I want to incorporate quality and future proofing and I believe the quality is in the Marantz (more Power) but the features of the Onkyo make it more futureproof such as (Atmos). What would you recommend?
AudioholicsLIVE He mentioned two units in about the 500 range and you come back with a stuff that 2 to 3 times as much, without mentioning why, sorry I'm tired and might be a little on the crabby side.
I have currently a 5.1 system with two subs. I just updated my AVR which will support 11.2 Though I would only use 2 for Dolby ATMOS in my ceiling. My question is do the surround sound speakers need to be the same manufacture of that of the mains?
Let me know how Atmos is with 2 ceiling channels instead of 4... And with 2 subs, wouldnt it be 5.2? Trying to decide for my space between planning for a 5.2.2 setup, or a 5.2 with B pair.... or upgrading reciever higher than that to have 5.2.4 or 7.2.2, or even 7.2.4....but an AVR with 9 or 11 channels is way too much to spend for my case.....and that is before the extra speakers...
Hi guys, thanks a lot for all your informative videos, I have a question regarding my prospective 5.1 setup. I have SVS ultra bookshelf as my front speakers and center which are really amazing. I have paired it with a SVS SB-2000 sub for my 3.1 needs driven with Yamaha 775 receiver. I am looking to add surrounds on a budget, is it ok use SVS PRIME surround for my rear speakers? I listen to classical music and watch a lot of Netflix and Blu ray movies. Thanks a lot for your time guys
Sushmit Goyal Sure those are great speakers. Though it may be easier for you to use one of their on-wall bipole speakers for surrounds as most people can't accommodate bookshelf speakers on stands for the rears. Also bipoles give you a more diffuse sound which is great for movies as it also widens the sweet spot without compromising the sound quality for music listening.
Audioholics Thank you so much for the immediate response!, my reason for thinking about Prime surrounds is the net price difference which is around 1130$ for a pair (Prim - 270; Ultra - 1400). Do you think it is better to wait and buy the ultra surrounds when I can afford them? Once again thanks a lot, you guys are really helpful
Hey guys great video. I also would like to offer some constructive criticism. I would love to see some better lighting in your setups. The shadows are kind of distracting. Also I think zooming in closer to Gene and Hugo would look a lot better. They seem too far away. I think maybe a backdrop or a green screen would be good that way you could still display your logo. Other than that great work. Keep the videos coming!
Thanks Ralph. We didn't have a camera person for these series of discussion videos so we just let the camera roll from a distance. Future video reviews will be a different story however. Also we used one less light this time b/c I felt prior videos were too bright but we will experiment to make things better. Appreciate the feedback.
The way I work around it to suit my modest budget is, I have a 2.1 music system, consisting of a pair of B&W 685's, Emotiva DAC and amp, which I have running through my PC, as most of my listening is done via lossless format. For movies and T.V I purchased a fairly decent home theatre package here in Australia which is a Yamaha YHT-999AUBG. I am in the process of saving for an SVS sub, to replace the one that came with the package.
+JoshDownUnder You are probably getting the best bang for your buck with that set up. I have 3 home theatre set up's in my home and it has cost a small fortune to be honest. And one of the systems doubles as a music player as well. I my self love SACD.
Your setup sounds like a dream come true to me.. The SVS brand for your sub is an excellent choice. They have several models that would be excellent with the equipment you already have. I can't say enough positive things in regards to your choice of B&W speakers and Yamaha amp or receiver. No experience with the Emotiva brand but they certainly do get a lot of positive reviews, so I'm guessing you nailed it with that too. I'm particularly envious of those B&W 685's. In a word, sweet. I wasn't aware that any B&W speakers fell into the hands of anyone with a modest budget....lol.
My audio system includes the two main (front) speakers, a center speaker, and a subwoofer, but no rear (surround) speakers. Should I set my receiver to a 2.1 setting or a 5.1 setting?
+LauriEllila I think there are much better options than those Sony's. If you already own them, then give it a try. Otherwise save your pennies and get something much better like the new RSL in-ceiling Atmos speakers or something similar. You want a speaker with broad dispersion to help scatter the sound so it doesn't beam directly below the listener.
+Audioholics Well, I have two of them - upgraded with Focal FE83En fullrange-elements which I had laying around. I am getting four B&W M-1:s for ceiling at some point. I was now kinda wandering if it made sense to even experiment with the current things at hand while waiting for budget to get the four M-1:s. Currently the set is B&W CM5 for main, B&W CDM -center, B&W 686 for rear and side surrounds, subwoofer is B&W ASW608 (7.1 effectively currently and looking to go 7.1.4 at some point)
Come on man. Your bad mouthing TITB systems while Onkyo has one that is really good. I beleive its the 7700 series. I may be off a little but it comes with the Onkyo HT-R693 receiver which is a very good one and the speakers are not tiny plastic one . They are in wooden boxs. Its a very good startup system that is very easy to set up. You can manually set it up as well. The options are great. Im sure you know exactly which systwm Im referring to. I only purchased the receiver and bought speakers seperately. Mainly because I could not afford the whole thing at once and I wanted different speakers but that doesnt mean the ones that come with it are no good. They may not be the best but they are great starters.
I have a 5.1. Ultimately I want a 9.2. Klipsch THX ULTRA 2. Right now I’m running B&W 600 with the matching center and bookshelf surrounds, SVS p-2000.
+priyanka verma I have an Acoustimass 10 and it is brilliant as it paired with a 3D 75 inch led TV. It works great for watching TV and pop corn movies when we have guests around and we are eating food in the room. But this system and set up would never compare with a AVR with large speakers. I have a home theatre with large speakers and it blows the 10 series out of the water. You could buy a AV receiver and speakers for the same price as a 10 series and it would blow it out of the stratosphere.
The number of speakers needed is not the same as the number och channels. L (C) R 4-8 sealed subs with 5-20 dm3 displacement (Xmax x 2 x Sd) depending on room size. 6-10 Surround 2 surround speakers is not enough! Atmos? don't know. Have not tried.
It's no more obsolete than 7.1 is to atmos. A good 6.1 system will sound great and will add an extra dimension to 5.1. A lot of films in the early to mid 2000s used 6.1.
I have to disagree. The minimum requirement for home theater is stereo: two front speakers. Anything beyond that might be nice, but not required. For me, I have a small room. I don't have room for proper placement of rear speakers, so stereo does it for me. Saying 5 speakers s required is marketing. The reality is that if your front speakers are balanced and place near your tv, you don't need a center channel.
you guys may be wrong. With the complexity of positioning speakers for a 2.1 thru to a 9.1 system set up, etc then on to the correct decoding device in your multichannel receiver open the set up variables to a large number of options most of which are not correct so knowing how to get your system to sound good(forget about the ideal-perfect set up) short of experts(if the local audio salon or walmart will do, it is suspect. Gang a good stereo set up((2.0 or 2.1) with imaging sensitivities (a good component set up) sounds just great and obviously bypassed by most.as options. Is simple better? For most of us untrained listeners it's ALL A CRAP SHOOT SETTING THIS STUFF UP_I speak for myself. Reminds me of that gang of neurotophiles who could set up a Linn Sondek Turntable and were self labeled as experts...No two set ups were ever identical and you never knew if what you were hearing was the best sounding , ideal, or most appropriate set up. So too in this case most of us don't have these systems positioned or selected appropriately to even invite guests in to listen.... But folks who want to make money sell us on more channels and complexity. A shame..
I went with a 4.2 system. Two main speakers, two surrounds and two sub-woofers. I did away with the center channel speaker. They always sound way too boxy and localized. They're such a waste of money in my opinion.
+Taco Conch If its only you watching in the ideal position your left and right channels should replicate the center channel just fine, and it should sound like its comming from your screen aswell. Problem comes up when people are sitting off angle in a bad listening position they might not hear the vocals right and they might only hear them really from 1 side etc.
I have Bose 701 - Bose VCS - 10 and Bose 201No need for a Sub, Bose has beautiful base. Sure you guys 2 subs I would love that But I live in an apartment People in the building would want me killed
+John Smith I live in an apartment-building and my neighbours haven't shot me yet. I've got only one sub currently, but some day will get another one... :P
+anthony guada I wouldn't be surprised if one day someone did... This week I got this great idea of upgrading to Dolby Atmos and last night I put together some speakers for testing, today my neighbours woke up to the sound of hammer drill... at 0600 hours... =D
....come on guys. I concur with the 5.1 amp you suggest, but ,it astounds me you don't seem to hear all the problems running a center channel brings any system. Kill the center, run it in phantom, have 2 line arrays up front, 2 boxes in the rear, and you only need 1, properly designed sub. 4.1 that's how you should run a home theatre. for most applications. (but hey, we all have opinions)
That's great if your sitting in the sweet spot but phantom center image collapses on all other seats hence why you need a dedicated center speaker. For PLII Music Mode or DTS:Neo, I agree, turn off the center when upmixing 2CH music sources!
Audioholics The line arrays Kaiserkraut mentioned will give you a wider sweet spot than you'd expect (especially with aggressive toe-in) because their response will fall off more slowly with distance than from a point-source-approximating speaker.There is another format that arguably works even better, and that is to use mains that have a 90 degree (-6 dB limits) constant-directivity pattern in the horizontal plane all the way down into the upper midrange, and then set them up to criss-cross in front of the "sweet spot". I can explain why this works if you'd like. I have several customers who sold their center channel speakers after trying this configuration, but it only works if the left and right mains meet the criteria.So while your criticism of phantom center mode is perfectly valid in nearly all cases, there are a few exceptions... and in high-end audio, often it is exceptions that are the most interesting.
+MuristekTV If your 2.0 system goes down to 20hz in the bass region then yes that is all you need. But even most floorstanders do not go that low. It is much better to allow the subwoofer to do the grunt work that the mains cannot do. I doubt any floorstander can compete with a sub over $1000 in bass. Get dual subs and it gets even better. Plus subs allow you to improve the bass by placement, speakers are stuck wherever they image the best, not where they produce the best bass. Bookshelves need a subwoofer, that is not even a question.
Well no.... The title asks how many speakers are required for surround sound not stereo listening...... Are you just trying to justify your inadequate setup? Are you still on 2.1 3 years on?
Quality over quantity. I'd much rather have a four thousand dollar 3.1 system with expensive high-end speakers instead of a three thousand dollar 9.2.2 system with mid-range speakers.
Great video but please don't say 3D is a fad because it isn't and that's a sad misconception from people who haven't experienced great 3D says. Get yourself a LG Oled 4K and watch some of the many great 3D movies out there and then you won't watch certain movies any other way...guarantee you. It's because of this misconception that 3D is slowly being forced out as it is currently being.
Great video! One contention, though: 6000sf room!? Lol! My whole house is 1000sf ranch. P.s., I didn't go Bose. I went Martin Logan lx16 for mains. Still need to buy a receiver and subs x2. I'm doing like ya said, slow build. I like the marantz nr1508 & 1608 (my cubby hole cabinet clearance is 6.5 H.). Your review of the speedwoofer has me convinced. (I only spent 40$ on 12g copper wire and spades.)
was unhappy with my set up before taking advice from this video.
the number of speakers i had got out of hand, now i have tweaked and
polished my core 5.1 with great results.now i have a solid reference point
to add on or fall back to. thanks gents.
Great video. Nice to see someone not saying you need more than is really practical. With so little source material mixed for 7.1 going beyond it (9.1, 9.2, 11.1, 11.2 and on) can seem a bit superfluous. I've been bitten by the home theater bug for what seems like forever. Adding a good quality subwoofer (Outlaw LFM-1 Plus for me) finally made an enormous and very positive change. Keep these great videos coming!
+John Cain
Anything beyound 7.1 at the moment is just Matrix set up.
I have gone from a 5.1 system to 7.1 and nothing says a 5.1 can not give you an experience as good as 7.1. I now run a 7.1.4 and I might add a second subwoofer to run 7.2.4. And I agree at minimum set up a minimum 5.1 with good quality speakers and a good subwoofer. Get your foundation right and do your research so the system fits your room!
How big is your space?
5.1 is in my room for years and I`m satisfied with sound. I have realy good front speakers for a price (modified Opera Mezza) but I`m do much more importance on room equalization and speaker placement then on how much speakers I need in room. Good old SPL meter is realy useful tool as a REW.
Yep I have a 7 .1 set up.i spent £8000 on 2012 still enjoy till today only thing never got chance still for second sub. But other priorities at moment kids and so on.
A SPL meter and a good set of ears is all you should really need in setting up a decent home theatre system.
4.1 works great for me. The only CC location in my living room based system is compromised at best, and I found my two towers do a much better job of conveying dialog and effects. My living room is rather long and narrow and there are only two of us in the house, so it works great for my situation............... More is NOT better (hear that Dolby?) It depends on the room and the caveats placed on speaker placements in that room due to real life considerations.
We miss you Hugo!
No. You need a center channel most of all. A center, L, R. Is the bottom of barrel what you need.
I'm starting with the speakers that came with my receiver, and slowly building up. I got a Polk center speaker, and plan on getting Polk bookshelves once more money comes. Then I'll plan on a new sub and surrounds.
sorry that background noise is driving me nuts! Good video though, thanks :)
I have a 2.0 home theater setup and I am fully satisfied.
+MuristekTV Same I got two big tower speakers with great bass and I find it to be very good. I mostly listen to music but it does the job for movies aswell. Since I watch alone and sit in the ideal listening possition with the speakers in the perfect spot aswell I get really good sound. There are allmost no rooms that isn't planned for surround systems to begin with that it really fits setting up a 5.1 and it will come out great. Like the couch has to be in the middle of the room and so on, so many inpractical factors.
That's great. Some aren't happy even with a 11.2
Would atmos be overkill for a computer desk speaker set-up? I'm currently running a 5.1
Original placement for the surrounds was to the rear, not the sides. Some even recommended mounting on the wall, near the ceiling. It wasn't really until the advent of 7.1 that placement of the surrounds included each side of the listener.
Love the videos you make. A breath of fresh air to admit when your wrong (or think you are wrong) and still take advantage of being correct.
I would especially like to see a video on using 'phantom' for center. I run a 4.2 setup, could fit 7.2 easily but have no need/desire to add more speakers. I can place a center but no reason/need to. Audyssey XT32 for room correction and...WOW! Incredible audio! And no Dolby Atmos! Imagine that! I honestly have more interest in trying Audyssey DSX and I haven't yet in the years I've had the option.
Thank you for all you do I have a question I have a Marantz 9.2 surround sound set up how do I get music to play out of all of my speakers I haven’t figured it out yet?
5.1 is the basic standard for surround sound. The room size/scenario is also an important aspect of how many speakers will/should be in a setup. Personal preference also plays a big role too. Some people like a simple high end 2.0 stereo-for instance
I have a 7.0 surround system, small room size 12x13ft. I have a Denon 4802r receiver. All Definitive Technology speakers. Bp10 towers, clr 2002 center and 4 promonitor 1000 surrounds. I don't want a subwoofer as I don't want more than 7 speakers. The Bp10s have great bass capability-25hz anyway. Personally, I did notice a significant upgrade going from a 5.0 to 7.0 system. It's nice having 4 surrounds vs 2; it's a more immersive experience to me.
It's very important to timber match your front 3 speakers. You can also slowly build a setup over time- that way it's not so much $$ all at once. Plan everything out extensively. High Quality speakers over quantity is VERY true and important too.
Hi Gene Please do a comparison review on three av receiver and tell me which is better. First option is Denon avrx2500h, second Marantz Sr5013, Third Onkyo nr tz 730 which is better. First 2 are same price range. Third one is cheaper. Kindly reply urgently.
Good video, but it depends. I am using Seinheiser HDR 195 wireless headphones due neighbors and kid sleeping in the next room. With the headset I have the sound straight in my ear :-) and this works well for me. Have a Optoma UHD 65 4K on a 135 inch Silver Metallic Screen
Which best setup in 7.1 or 5.1.2..I have 36 inch space to back wall and coach.
I setup my first home theater in 2000. I used 4 Cerwin Vegas with 12inch woofers. No center channel, no sub-woofer. The system was AWESOME.
I've 5.1.2 a 5.1 with a pair of front height speakers. Dolby Atmos or DTX Neo X.. all speakers are JBL speakers except the sub which is a Klipsch 100SW
Great video - I was thinking about getting into all this and buying the PIONEERS-HS100 and the YAMAHA RXV375 receiver. Could you tell be whether this is a good choice and if it's all I need for great surround sound?
I have small ceiling hung speakers/ soundbar and woofer. Are their any small speakers that can give a high quality sound or are you stuck b/c they are small????
My system is 20 years old, I can't get disney or netflix on my system, lol.
Couldn't agree more I returned a new marantz receiver for the older mcintosh MHT 200 . Subs Canton ergo as2 and velodyne spl 1000
Hi Guys you've been very helpful guide.... I wanted to buy a decent low budget home theater system..... I heard paradigm CT 100 at a local dealer, it sounded excellent in music and movie and definitely better then bose am6.... what do you recommend? shall I go for it or there is some other which is better? will appreciate your help. thanks
How big of a room does one need in order to hear the benefits of 7.1, 7.2, 9.2 or even 11.2? Is there an audible difference when putting 7+ speakers in a room? If so, does the difference start at a certain room size and goes up from there? Thanks in advance!
In my opinion, it does not make sense to have more than 5.1 speakers in a small room (like a small bedroom). For larger rooms, it will come down to budget and personal preference. I have a decent sized great room (27'x16') and still do not feel like I need more than 5.1 speakers.
I'm upgrading from an Onkyo TX-NR809 to a Yamaha RX-A3070. I was planning on running a full 7.1.4 system by adding some ceiling speakers, but I have a similar sized room as you and I've never really liked how I have to place the rear surrounds. They should be on the back wall, but my back wall opens into a kitchen. I have them placed on the side walls as a result, so I'm thinking more in line with you about just going to 5.1.4 and ditching one set of the side/rear surrounds. In this size of room I don't think I'll be missing much, and I can use the additional 2 channels of processing to run to my Onkyo out in the garage.
@@dickfantastic7908 z
@Brian Barratt I appreciate your thoughts Brian. Hope you have a fantastic 2019.
@@dickfantastic7908 You are on the right track. Experimentation of speaker placement after you have addressed the placement of your 3 main front speakers and you should be able to make any room sound good.
hy ,I have a question?
can I put a 4" diameter, super drive tweeter in an open frame or open box for the tweeter, can I do that an will sound the same as we put it in a close box, or not , what dp you recommend me to do a box for them , or I leave it like that...
Always Great Video my friends
just get a 5.1 and just move the speakers about the front is east the rears the key, spread them out angle them so it sounds like it's coming from the tv in normal listening no matter where you're sat , then stick a movie with a lot of range in and fine tune the rear, normaly i have my rears low down angled up and angled to the position they'll fill the the room with the sound the best
Which av provide best natural sound .....plz suggests 5.1 one channel av under 40k
sir i bought a new bose soundtouch 120 but now my Harmon kardon AV receiver with JBL home theater system n i also have 2 bose 301 book shelf speakers lying ideal please advise me if i can still use it with my soundtouch system
Home theater
Klipsch klf 30 Towers
Klipsch KLf c7 Center
Hsu Vtf mk 5
Oppo 103D
Marantz 7008
Panamax 400 Samsung un65ju7100
Blue Jean chords
I have a small room unfortunately, what do you think about 3.1
I'm moving from 2.0 to 4.0 at the moment, getting a second hand yamaha dsp e800 and bipolar rears so that I don't change the way music works.
i would like to use yamaha rx v667 receiver with yamaha ns p40 or ns p380 and i am on a budget. Will that be a good combo for bass 5.1 set up? Thanks! :)
I bought a top-o-the-line Yamaha Soundbar and it has the best dialogue and coherent sound for the money, going. Add a Big Subwoofer, and I am very happy. I can set it for several people in front of the TV, or hit a button for a "personal" setting which is optimized for my seat. Very cool. This replaced a Paradigm Reference system. I will say it is not good for music, so the Paradigms are now in a music only system. The yamaha is better, in dialogue, than the ref system, by far.
+DannoCrutch Yamaha sounds better to you because you didn't set up your Paradigm speakers properly. Most people know fuck all about proper speaker setup. Your Yamaha will never sound better than any Paradigm speaker.
+MuristekTV Again, you're presumptive and you're talking out your ass. I've been setting up speakers, scientifically, for over 40 years. Go troll somebody as ignorant as yourself. Have you compared both, in my particular room, with it's inherent absorptive, reflective, and diffusive properties, not to mention resonant frequencies, etc.? Let's add the Electronics used, and seating arrangements. Oh, and there is the other factor which makes it hard to place speakers 3 or 4 feet off of the wall... Wife acceptance factor. The Yamaha has 44 drivers and Room correction software which is highly customizable. It's an excellent speaker, and as I said, FOR THE MONEY. I also don't have to worry about a 50 pound speaker falling on a toddler. Stop reading and thinking you know it all, and really spend some time with equipment and instruments.
+DannoCrutch Why are you freaking out? You made the mistake of replacing your Paradigm speakers with the Yamaha crap. You are the one that has to live with your mistakes. I really don't give a shit.
If you have a toddler that can knock down a 50 pound speaker, then it's NOT really a toddler, but a sumo wrestler. Tell him to find another sport. Being fat is not good for him.
+MuristekTV yep, a troll. And, it is spelled "you're" like, You're a pretty lame troll. Since you're such an expert on speaker placement, which method do you like most? (there are several) Long wall, short wall, near field, rule of thirds, Cardas Golden Section, etc? Why do you prefer it? How do move a speaker to tune the bass? How do you deal with first reflections? Put some substance out for the audience you're trying to attract with your ignorant comments. There is a big difference between freaking out, and exposing you as a clueless loser who has nothing better to do than pretend to be an expert. Did your mommy not give you enough attention?
And my receiver shows to put sub between left channel and receiver does that sound right? Great videos by the way
Hey Audioholics, I received your reply, and I placed the subwoofer on the right corner. I doesnt sound like it has too much bass, but it sounds more like boomy.
move it off the walls a few feet. Check your AV receiver bass management settings and check your levels.
I am facing a problem in my home theater with the sweet spot. If I am at the sweet spot things sound amazing but anywhere else its not that good. My room is 15 X 10 feet and screen on the 10 feet wall. I have a lot of sitting area but none has the surround right. My problem is with the surround speakers. I use satellite speakers for the rear and front, a very big center and subwoofer at the rear corner of the room. Also I wanted a suggestion that should I add dedicated subs for my front satellites so that they can sound like the towers.
I'd say we don't have the full speck untill you have the full 32 channal speck. Noww some may not be able to take advantage of that but HDMI 2 has been able to do 32 chanals. Now can you guys remind me what the full consuer Atmos spek is? I know the main bed is 9.1 surround. I just don't know if there's a spek for the atmos speakers. 4 or 6 seem to be the thing today but what's the full thing?
I love all the new stuff comes out I buy the older cheaper I'm happy with 5 channel theater and people come over they say wow it sounds better then a movie theater. If your looking for a cheap amp that sounds good and loud its Carver .If You have some more money go with krell.Outlaw may be another to look at but I personally haven't heard that one yet.Like your show.Take care Bob villa and Norm
great video.. I would like to know if I can use my car audio sub as a home theater sub. I have a JL W7 13 in a ported box and was thinking of using a crown amp.. would you recommend this? Is there any draw backs to using a car audio sub vs buying a home theater sub ?
as long as you have enough output to fill your room and bandwidth out to at least 80Hz, you should be fine. Go for it!
AudioholicsLIVE Thanks for the quick advice!! now I just have to figure out how to make the room stop rattling lol
I think if you do a good job Jes it can go toe to toe with the multi thousand dollar JL gothams and fathoms if you do it right. They use the same woofers and I use a crown amp with my sealed dayton 15 inch sub and I love it.
I appreciate your videos guys. Keep up the good work. Looking for some advise in the meantime... I just purchased Focal Dome 5.1 speaker set. And am looking for a receiver. I narrowed it down to a Marantz SR7007 and a Onkyo TX-NR737. They are within the same price range. My issue is I want to incorporate quality and future proofing and I believe the quality is in the Marantz (more Power) but the features of the Onkyo make it more futureproof such as (Atmos). What would you recommend?
Get the Denon AVR-X5200W or Yamaha RX-A3040 if your budget allows.
AudioholicsLIVE He mentioned two units in about the 500 range and you come back with a stuff that 2 to 3 times as much, without mentioning why, sorry I'm tired and might be a little on the crabby side.
I have currently a 5.1 system with two subs. I just updated my AVR which will support 11.2 Though I would only use 2 for Dolby ATMOS in my ceiling. My question is do the surround sound speakers need to be the same manufacture of that of the mains?
Let me know how Atmos is with 2 ceiling channels instead of 4...
And with 2 subs, wouldnt it be 5.2?
Trying to decide for my space between planning for a 5.2.2 setup, or a 5.2 with B pair.... or upgrading reciever higher than that to have 5.2.4 or 7.2.2, or even 7.2.4....but an AVR with 9 or 11 channels is way too much to spend for my case.....and that is before the extra speakers...
I use 5.1 set up. Should I go to 5.2?
These guys crack me up!
Hi guys, thanks a lot for all your informative videos, I have a question regarding my prospective 5.1 setup.
I have SVS ultra bookshelf as my front speakers and center which are really amazing. I have paired it with a SVS SB-2000 sub for my 3.1 needs driven with Yamaha 775 receiver.
I am looking to add surrounds on a budget, is it ok use SVS PRIME surround for my rear speakers?
I listen to classical music and watch a lot of Netflix and Blu ray movies.
Thanks a lot for your time guys
Sushmit Goyal Sure those are great speakers. Though it may be easier for you to use one of their on-wall bipole speakers for surrounds as most people can't accommodate bookshelf speakers on stands for the rears. Also bipoles give you a more diffuse sound which is great for movies as it also widens the sweet spot without compromising the sound quality for music listening.
Audioholics Thank you so much for the immediate response!, my reason for thinking about Prime surrounds is the net price difference which is around 1130$ for a pair (Prim - 270; Ultra - 1400). Do you think it is better to wait and buy the ultra surrounds when I can afford them?
Once again thanks a lot, you guys are really helpful
Hey guys great video. I also would like to offer some constructive criticism. I would love to see some better lighting in your setups. The shadows are kind of distracting. Also I think zooming in closer to Gene and Hugo would look a lot better. They seem too far away. I think maybe a backdrop or a green screen would be good that way you could still display your logo. Other than that great work. Keep the videos coming!
Thanks Ralph. We didn't have a camera person for these series of discussion videos so we just let the camera roll from a distance. Future video reviews will be a different story however. Also we used one less light this time b/c I felt prior videos were too bright but we will experiment to make things better. Appreciate the feedback.
The way I work around it to suit my modest budget is, I have a 2.1 music system, consisting of a pair of B&W 685's, Emotiva DAC and amp, which I have running through my PC, as most of my listening is done via lossless format. For movies and T.V I purchased a fairly decent home theatre package here in Australia which is a Yamaha YHT-999AUBG. I am in the process of saving for an SVS sub, to replace the one that came with the package.
+JoshDownUnder
You are probably getting the best bang for your buck with that set up.
I have 3 home theatre set up's in my home and it has cost a small fortune to be honest. And one of the systems doubles as a music player as well.
I my self love SACD.
check out bk subwoofers highly recommended
Your setup sounds like a dream come true to me.. The SVS brand for your sub is an excellent choice. They have several models that would be excellent with the equipment you already have. I can't say enough positive things in regards to your choice of B&W speakers and Yamaha amp or receiver. No experience with the Emotiva brand but they certainly do get a lot of positive reviews, so I'm guessing you nailed it with that too. I'm particularly envious of those B&W 685's. In a word, sweet. I wasn't aware that any B&W speakers fell into the hands of anyone with a modest budget....lol.
3 efficient LCR and a 15 inch sub is more than enough for any enjoyable movie experience!
No surround? I don't think is enjoyable
4 speakers if you get the Involve Audio Y surround system. You can sit anywhere with no center channel
My audio system includes the two main (front) speakers, a center speaker, and a subwoofer, but no rear (surround) speakers. Should I set my receiver to a 2.1 setting or a 5.1 setting?
Randy W Ruppe some receivers have a 3.1 setting.
Randy W Ruppe do 5.1 setup then disable surround speakers manually. It will send all surround sounds to front.
Hey Audioholics, how do you feel about the use of bipoles like Sony SS-SR30 for Dolby Atmos ceiling speakers?
+LauriEllila I think there are much better options than those Sony's. If you already own them, then give it a try. Otherwise save your pennies and get something much better like the new RSL in-ceiling Atmos speakers or something similar. You want a speaker with broad dispersion to help scatter the sound so it doesn't beam directly below the listener.
+Audioholics Well, I have two of them - upgraded with Focal FE83En fullrange-elements which I had laying around. I am getting four B&W M-1:s for ceiling at some point. I was now kinda wandering if it made sense to even experiment with the current things at hand while waiting for budget to get the four M-1:s. Currently the set is B&W CM5 for main, B&W CDM -center, B&W 686 for rear and side surrounds, subwoofer is B&W ASW608 (7.1 effectively currently and looking to go 7.1.4 at some point)
What are Audioholics views on rear speaker placement. Do you guys recommend the rear speakers be on the sides or slightly behind the seats?
+JohndeBeaufortAFC In 5.1 somewhere between the side and rear walls. In 7.1, the sides and rears.
Thanks guys very addictive channel by the way.
Come on man. Your bad mouthing TITB systems while Onkyo has one that is really good. I beleive its the 7700 series. I may be off a little but it comes with the Onkyo HT-R693 receiver which is a very good one and the speakers are not tiny plastic one . They are in wooden boxs. Its a very good startup system that is very easy to set up. You can manually set it up as well. The options are great. Im sure you know exactly which systwm Im referring to. I only purchased the receiver and bought speakers seperately. Mainly because I could not afford the whole thing at once and I wanted different speakers but that doesnt mean the ones that come with it are no good. They may not be the best but they are great starters.
Can someone please tell me which is the best spot in the living room to place the subwoofer ???
start with front left or right corner and move a few feet away in both directions if you find bass too strong or boomy.
I have a 5.1. Ultimately I want a 9.2. Klipsch THX ULTRA 2. Right now I’m running B&W 600 with the matching center and bookshelf surrounds, SVS p-2000.
how do you recon bose acoustics 10 series with denon avr 1713
+priyanka verma We Don't.
+priyanka verma
I have an Acoustimass 10 and it is brilliant as it paired with a 3D 75 inch led TV. It works great for watching TV and pop corn movies when we have guests around and we are eating food in the room.
But this system and set up would never compare with a AVR with large speakers.
I have a home theatre with large speakers and it blows the 10 series out of the water.
You could buy a AV receiver and speakers for the same price as a 10 series and it would blow it out of the stratosphere.
Has anyone ever had the Sony 300 Watt DAV-TZ140 Home Theater System ?
The number of speakers needed is not the same as the number och channels.
L (C) R
4-8 sealed subs with 5-20 dm3 displacement (Xmax x 2 x Sd) depending on room size.
6-10 Surround
2 surround speakers is not enough!
Atmos? don't know. Have not tried.
It took me about 3min to realise there are only 2 people in this video
There are 4 people, look again ;)
Is 6.1 obsolete?
It's no more obsolete than 7.1 is to atmos. A good 6.1 system will sound great and will add an extra dimension to 5.1. A lot of films in the early to mid 2000s used 6.1.
I have to disagree. The minimum requirement for home theater is stereo: two front speakers. Anything beyond that might be nice, but not required. For me, I have a small room. I don't have room for proper placement of rear speakers, so stereo does it for me. Saying 5 speakers s required is marketing. The reality is that if your front speakers are balanced and place near your tv, you don't need a center channel.
Just looked at the date on this vid...if yall could hear the soundbars we have now👍
Watching this many years later. The Atmos fad lol
5.1?? since its the most popular
you guys may be wrong. With the complexity of positioning speakers for a 2.1 thru to a 9.1 system set up, etc then on to the correct decoding device in your multichannel receiver open the set up variables to a large number of options most of which are not correct so knowing how to get your system to sound good(forget about the ideal-perfect set up) short of experts(if the local audio salon or walmart will do, it is suspect. Gang a good stereo set up((2.0 or 2.1) with imaging sensitivities (a good component set up) sounds just great and obviously bypassed by most.as options. Is simple better? For most of us untrained listeners it's ALL A CRAP SHOOT SETTING THIS STUFF UP_I speak for myself. Reminds me of that gang of neurotophiles who could set up a Linn Sondek Turntable and were self labeled as experts...No two set ups were ever identical and you never knew if what you were hearing was the best sounding , ideal, or most appropriate set up. So too in this case most of us don't have these systems positioned or selected appropriately to even invite guests in to listen.... But folks who want to make money sell us on more channels and complexity. A shame..
I went with a 4.2 system. Two main speakers, two surrounds and two sub-woofers. I did away with the center channel speaker. They always sound way too boxy and localized. They're such a waste of money in my opinion.
+Taco Conch If its only you watching in the ideal position your left and right channels should replicate the center channel just fine, and it should sound like its comming from your screen aswell. Problem comes up when people are sitting off angle in a bad listening position they might not hear the vocals right and they might only hear them really from 1 side etc.
it may all depend on your room....
I have Bose 701 - Bose VCS - 10 and Bose 201No need for a Sub, Bose has beautiful base.
Sure you guys 2 subs
I would love that
But I live in an apartment
People in the building would want me killed
+John Smith I live in an apartment-building and my neighbours haven't shot me yet. I've got only one sub currently, but some day will get another one... :P
+LauriEllila
Haha ya made me smile
they haven't shot me YET
+anthony guada I wouldn't be surprised if one day someone did... This week I got this great idea of upgrading to Dolby Atmos and last night I put together some speakers for testing, today my neighbours woke up to the sound of hammer drill... at 0600 hours... =D
Gosh I like your style 😄
....come on guys. I concur with the 5.1 amp you suggest, but ,it astounds me you don't seem to hear all the problems running a center channel brings any system.
Kill the center, run it in phantom, have 2 line arrays up front, 2 boxes in the rear, and you only need 1, properly designed sub.
4.1 that's how you should run a home theatre. for most applications.
(but hey, we all have opinions)
That's great if your sitting in the sweet spot but phantom center image collapses on all other seats hence why you need a dedicated center speaker. For PLII Music Mode or DTS:Neo, I agree, turn off the center when upmixing 2CH music sources!
Audioholics The line arrays Kaiserkraut mentioned will give you a wider sweet spot than you'd expect (especially with aggressive toe-in) because their response will fall off more slowly with distance than from a point-source-approximating speaker.There is another format that arguably works even better, and that is to use mains that have a 90 degree (-6 dB limits) constant-directivity pattern in the horizontal plane all the way down into the upper midrange, and then set them up to criss-cross in front of the "sweet spot". I can explain why this works if you'd like. I have several customers who sold their center channel speakers after trying this configuration, but it only works if the left and right mains meet the criteria.So while your criticism of phantom center mode is perfectly valid in nearly all cases, there are a few exceptions... and in high-end audio, often it is exceptions that are the most interesting.
2.1 is all you need.
+Douche Bag In Name Only A good 2.0 system can be more than enough.
+MuristekTV If your 2.0 system goes down to 20hz in the bass region then yes that is all you need. But even most floorstanders do not go that low. It is much better to allow the subwoofer to do the grunt work that the mains cannot do. I doubt any floorstander can compete with a sub over $1000 in bass. Get dual subs and it gets even better. Plus subs allow you to improve the bass by placement, speakers are stuck wherever they image the best, not where they produce the best bass. Bookshelves need a subwoofer, that is not even a question.
Well no....
The title asks how many speakers are required for surround sound not stereo listening......
Are you just trying to justify your inadequate setup? Are you still on 2.1 3 years on?
A well made 5.1 or 7.2 system blows out 2.0 in every possible way when it comes to games and movies
i would think i 5.2 would blow a 7.1 away
#Music 85%... 15%
Quality over quantity. I'd much rather have a four thousand dollar 3.1 system with expensive high-end speakers instead of a three thousand dollar 9.2.2 system with mid-range speakers.
sjdkvhfbrfonxfeinc wrong. a good 2.1 will fill the room.
You can’t chisel what you don’t have.
These guys are trolling us hard with the mics they use
The guy in the blue shirts needs to go to the gym ?.
Great video but please don't say 3D is a fad because it isn't and that's a sad misconception from people who haven't experienced great 3D says. Get yourself a LG Oled 4K and watch some of the many great 3D movies out there and then you won't watch certain movies any other way...guarantee you.
It's because of this misconception that 3D is slowly being forced out as it is currently being.
Johnny Blaze but it is. It’s 2018, 3D is dead
Great video! One contention, though: 6000sf room!? Lol! My whole house is 1000sf ranch. P.s., I didn't go Bose. I went Martin Logan lx16 for mains. Still need to buy a receiver and subs x2. I'm doing like ya said, slow build. I like the marantz nr1508 & 1608 (my cubby hole cabinet clearance is 6.5 H.). Your review of the speedwoofer has me convinced. (I only spent 40$ on 12g copper wire and spades.)
No our room is 6,000 ft^3. LOL.
Audioholics ahhhhh...cubed! Lol! Gotcha! You guys are my go-to for reviews and info. You guys are excellent!