What are the speaker placements for 7.1 HT setup?

Kee_tan,

7.1 will provide a more enveloping surround environment than 5.1. I personally found it significantly better.

A 6.1 speaker array is not a good choice. A single rear speaker is subject to front-to-back reversals and doesn't spread the rear surround information across the rear of the room.

For 7.1, the Dolby web site should show side speakers at plus & minus 90 degrees; i.e., side speakers directly to the side of the listening area (not behind and not in front). Rear speakers should be plus & minus 150 degrees. You may want to experiment with side speaker location if there are multiple rows of seating.

The size of the room per se is not an issue for 7.1, but layout within the room can be. My room is only 13' x 17' x 9.5', but my listening position is such that my rear speakers are behind me. There can be situations when 7.1 is not easy to implement; e.g., if your seating is flush against the back wall and cannot be moved forward to provide some space behind.

Unfortunately, the MX-134 only has DPLII, not DPLIIx, according to the McIntosh web site. You should have DPLIIx or Logic7 to take full advantage of a 7.1 speaker layout. Can you get an MX-135 instead of the MX-134?

Thanks
Bruce

Kee_tan

My comments are focused on the question of a 5.1 vs 6.1 vs 7.1 speaker system.

My recommendation is to go with a 7.1 speaker system, unless you have a physical layout that just will not support 7.1. If you cannot do 7.1, then I recommend 5.1. I do not recommend 6.1. The general layout for 7.1 speaker placement is a guide. The best implementation in your particular room can vary.

If you do decide to go 7.1, and want to maximize the 7.1 listening experience, then I further recommend you have surround processing that can generate 7.1 outputs from the various input sources available (2.0, 5.1, etc.). This is needed, in my opinion, because:

- There are no 7.1 sources available at the present time

- You do not want to simply duplicate the surround information in the side and rear channels

The two best choices for 7.1 surround processing are Dolby Pro Logic IIx (DPLIIx), which is available on a variety of receivers and PrePros, and Logic 7, which is available only on Lexicon products, some/all Harmon Kardon receivers, and I think a JBL PrePro.

Dolby Pro Logic II (DPLII), the predecessor of DPLIIx, will only generate 5.1 outputs. If you are using a 5.1 speaker system, then DPLII is fine, but if you use a 7.1 speaker system I highly recommend DPLIIx instead.

Thanks
Bruce