5.1, 6.1 Or 7.1?

Ron — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:30:47 +0000

It’s all about realism.

1.0 Monaural Sound Systems

To understand the difference between 5.1, 6.1, and 7.1 it is helpful to know some of the history of sound reproduction equipment. In the beginning, all sound equipment was monaural(1.0). This means that all sounds came through a single channel and out of only one speaker. Unfortunately the sound quality was not very good.

2.0 Channel Stereo Systems

The first significant improvement to revolutionize the sound industry was the invention of stereo where the sound is transmitted using two independent channels. The was a totally outstanding improvement. For the first time ever, you could experience sounds traveling from one side of you to the other! A stereo system (2.0) consists of two-channels of sound produced by two independent speakers — left and right. This was the first time that listener felt a sense of realism for what they were listening to. People listening to concert music could close their eyes and imagine they were sitting in the middle of the concert hall. Any equipment that did not have a set of speakers rapidly became expendable.

For any given number of audio channels, there is an optimal physical setup for the speakers that produces the best effects. (This is shown in the blue boxes embedded on this page.)

5.1 Channel Systems

5.1 Channel A/V receivers have five full frequency range channels. These channels are left/right, center and left/right surround channels. An additional subwoofer channel (the .1 or LFE channel, Low Frequency Effects) adds very low frequency sounds for music sources and special effects on movies from DVDs.

For best results, we recommend that you follow our speaker placement guidelines when setting up your home theater.

6.1 Channel Home Theater Systems

6.1 channel systems have an additional rear-center channel speaker for a total of three front and three rear speakers. 6.1 channel sound provides more precise positioning of sound effects and creates a more enveloping soundfield.

7.1 Channel Home Theater Systems

7.1 channel receivers have three front channels, two surround channels, two surround-back channels, and a subwoofer channel.

The recommended speaker set up or a 7.1 channel sound system.

The additional rear surround channel produces a soundfield with more precise placement of surround sound effects.

Using The Selector Table

Ron — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:14:41 +0000

If you are a home theater newbie, buying a home theater receiver may be a high anxiety undertaking for you. Hopefully, we can fix that.

In most home theater applications, the receiver is responsible for audio and video switching, surround sound decoding, signal processing, and amplifying in addition to being an AM/FM radio tuner. Other terms used interchangeably with home theater receiver include the following: audio/video receiver, video/audio receiver, surround receiver, and receiver to name a few.

Choosing the cheapest receiver is not always the best way to go. A far better approach is to find a unit that will meet your present and anticipated needs, and worry about the price later. See how much the best receiver to match your needs actually costs. You will most likely be quite surprised when you see how affordable it is.

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