Speaker upgrade: sides or rears? (1 Viewer)

[Dave Gorman]

After upgrading from a 5.1 to a 7.1 system, and upgrading the front l/r speakers, I now have the opportunity to upgrade either the sides or the rears, but not both. Given that that the sides are rears are currently at about the same level of mediocrity, and realizing that there will be sonic inconsistency until the other can be upgraded as well, would there be a significant advantage to either sides or rears for the initial upgrade? TIA for any advice.

 

[Jim Mcc]

I would upgrade the sides first. They have a lot more sound going to them than the rears do.

 

[Al.Anderson]

Definitely the sides. A lot of DVDs aren't even recorded in 7.1.

 

[Dave Gorman]

Thanks for the advice, Jim & Al. I was assuming for 5.1 presentations that the sides and the rears get the same sounds -- is that correct? That's why I wasn't sure which would be more advantageous.

 

[Jim Mcc]

The rears will only get sound sent to them if the Blu-ray is recorded in 7.1(which not many are yet). I don't have a 7.1 receiver, but I think the rears would also get sound if you use the "All Stereo" mode or whatever your receiver calls it.

 

[Jason Charlton]

I have a 7.1 setup in my basement. Had I known when I set it up how little program material is out there that is natively 7.1, I might not have bothered.


Consequently, the nearly 15 year old PSB Alpha bookshelf speakers that were the first speakers I ever got (and used to be my fronts way back when) are relegated to rear surrounds and won't be upgraded in the foreseeable future. I stopped upgrading my speakers when I got a pair of nice bipole surrounds.

 

[Ed Moxley]

I listen to blu rays and dvds the way they are recorded. But I listen to tv in 7.1 using Dolby Pro Logic IIx setting. It sounds pretty good.