5.1 to 7.1 with JBL S-series (1 Viewer)

[JeffB]

I would like to try a 7.1 set up. My current system is 4 S-38's & the S center. I have the 2 rear speakers in the back corners of the room. With my room layout I would have to leave the S-38's in the corners and hang smaller speakers somewhere in the middle. I'm looking at the S-36's. My question is, Am i going to loose anything in sound quality by using the S-36's as SR&SL and moving the S-38's to SBR&SBL? I like the way it sounds right now with SACD and DVD-A. I assume the S-36's wont be as good for multi channel music. Can anyone comment on this setup.

 

[Charlie B. Ch.]

I would spend the extra $50 and get another pair of S38. I originally had 2 pairs of S26 and bought a pair of S38ii to upgrade to 7.1. I wasn't very happy with the result as it didn't sound "seamless" to me. Ended up ordering 2 more pairs of S38ii. One pair is still in the box until I can figure out how to place them on the back wall.

But your proposed setup is different with the S36 being three-way. Since Best Buy also sell the S36ii, I guess that you bring a pair home to try out.

 

[JeffB]

I agree 100% about the s-26's as I also replaced them with the s-38's. Problem is the wife will not let me put them or another set of 38's on the wall, too big. Any one interested in a pair of S-26's?

 

[LanceJ]

JeffB: is your room the right shape for a 7.1 system? If it isn't, in my opinion 7.1 or 6.1 won't give you any significant benefits compared to the money you would be spending. Also, hanging any speaker--much less two--in the middle of a wall usually looks butt-ugly, not to mention the wiring itself. And using the S38s as surround back speakers would be a waste of their potential in most listening rooms.

LJ

And there are more and more surround discs placing low bass at high levels in the rear channels, and a 6.5" woofer might have trouble reproducing it (surprisingly enough, the Pet Sounds dvd-audio, the original recording being made way back in 1966, has the most rear channel bass of any surround disc I own. Enough bass in fact to cause the 6.5" woofer in a Polk Audio RTi speaker to move almost a 1/4" at high volume settings).

 

[JeffB]

Thanks Lance,
Thats what I was afraid of. My room is rectangular but about twice as long as wide. I would have to put the speakers about halfway back (legnthwise) but up near the ceiling. I'm using a Denon 3802 so for 5.1 material I could set the back speakers to play the same as the sides, forget what that is called. The more I think about it this beginning to look like a bad idea.

 

[LanceJ]

Not everybody here visits the Music forum regularly so.......

This is just an extra blurb about how surround mixers are deciding to place heavy bass in the rear channels in certain surround music & how this might adversely affect the small satellites some people use for rear channels.

Porcupine Tree, an English semi-progressive(?) rock band, is releasing their 2002 album In Absentia on 5.1 dvd-audio on Tuesday. In the HFR review and the interview with the album's producer, each mentions that sometimes rear channels include some woofer-rattling bass, specifically the song "Gravity Eyelids". In the producer interview, he decribes his philosophy towards mixing like this (starting with the 39th--whew!--paragraph; HFR doesn't want anyone copying/pasting quotes :frowning: ).

And Porcupine Tree's homepage, which includes song samples (this album is alternately full-blast rock, then suddenly can get dreamy & Pink Floyd-y by the next track).

LJ