OK, I have started some good dialog here! I specifically have (currently) Left, Center, Right, Sub, Left Surround and Right Surround as defined by my Pre/Pro manual (Parasound C2). However, my Surround speakers are placed an the rear wall of my room as many articles and people suggest for a 5.1 system. BTW, Ultimate AV has a very good article on placement of equipment in this months issue. So, it looks like the "other" 2 channels I can add in a 7.1 system are "Rear channels". So, if I am deciphering all this correctly when I get my new dipole speakers I will hang them on the left wall and right wall of the seating position and assign them to the SURROUND channels and take the monopole speakers hanging in the rear of my room and assign them to the REAR channel. According to the C2 manual, back channel info is always derived from the SURROUND channel so it is a matrix and not a discrete channel. Apparently, some people take 1 speaker and assign it to the REAR channel and the L and R REAR channel signals are mixed to the 1 center rear speaker. Hmm, maybe I'll look at getting a 3rd dipole and doing that and take my current speakers on the rear wall (1NTs) and move them to my upstairs 2 channel system...
This is rather confusing.
This is rather confusing.