Do I really need 6.1/7.1?? (1 Viewer)

[JohnnyN]

I've already answered the question in the general case when I bought my 4802...

but now a more specific case. I've got a fairly small apartment in LA and I need a fairly small system. Within the year I will move this system out of my apartment and into my bedroom back home so I don't know if I will have room for 6/7 speakers. DVD-Audio and SACD are 5.1 and even in my 7.1 system I rarely notice my surround backs. I'm mostly music (2 ch) while I'm at the apt and this will probably be a mostly music when it's in my bedroom.

Can anybody recommend some good 5.1 dd/dts/5.1 input receivers? It'd be nice if they had dpl2, but I figure dpl2 mostly comes with the newer 6.1/7.1 receivers.

I'd say this is for a 70%music/30%HT system. I'm sure if I settle for last year's models or older I can find some really awesome deals on a good 5.1 receiver.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Johnny- Just get an older or a cheaper Denon if you like the 4802.

 

[JohnnyN]

Kevin,

Which older denon would you recommend?

 

[Grant B]

my sony preamp has a virtual 6.1 which works great!

no speakers or extra amps to buy...I am a believer!

grant

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Johnny- You could probably check with www.audioreview.com and www.ecoustics.com for older, well-received (get it? hee, hee) Denon receivers.
Not knowing their line very well, there was the 4801 and 4800 before the 4802 I think. Or go a little cheaper for the 3800, or 3801.
Grant: I have the Sony TA-E9000ES with virtual 6.1. Definately not as good as the real thing.

 

[BryanZ]

Do the obvious: Keep the 4802 and run it in 5.1. Being able to do something doesn't mean that you need to.

 

[Grant B]

Hey Kevin

I heard a few people say they tried it with a decoder and then the virtual ; and didn't have much of a difference

You tried it both ways and found the virtual lacking?

I get 360 sound and two more speakers would have been impossible (its hard enough to get 5 spkers in a victorian....7 HAH!)

plus the pain from my wife..I'll take virtual but curious on your statement

Thanks

Grant

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Grant- I just use 1 rear speaker. (Have my futon/sofa about 3/5 back from the front wall, and a desk on the back wall with one of those shelve things on it. Put the rear on the shelf thing.)
I did find an improvement. The 6.1 virtual mode isn't bad, better than 5.1 decoding of 6.1 discs, but actually having a speaker back there is an even bigger improvement. It fills in a gap in the sound you don't even realize you had until it's gone.
Plus, the sweet spot is not localized as with the 6.1 virtual mode. If you shift seating position from in between the L + R rears, the apparent "image" of the rear center channel shifts closer to the speaker you're now closer to. Having an actual speaker back there keeps the "image" (but it's not an image any more, it's a distinct channel) pinned to it's actual physical location.
Something you gotta try someday if you have the space for it!
I just wish there was more DD EX/DTS-ES software out there to take advantage of it. With the DPL processor I use to get the rear channel, I also have a 3 channel stereo mode I use for normal DD/DTS discs that adds to the soundstage back there.

 

[JohnnyN]

BryanZ,

Of course I'm keeping the 4802, that's my main work horse. I just need a third receiver for temporary living situation. the Denon and the Pioneer Elite stay in Texas. The third and new (or used? who knows) receiver is just to satisfy my HT withdrawals... eventually it'll follow me back home to texas and will serve as the centerpiece for my bedroom system which I am lacking at the moment.