Four surrounds, but only 3 amp channels (7.1)

ajzepp · « **on:** 17 May 2006, 01:18 am »

Okay, I want to go ahead and put some surround speakers up in back. I have DeVore Fidelity Super 8s up front, but I'm just going to go with inexpensive surrounds. I love movies, but I'm just not all that particular about the quality of my surrounds since I don't listen to much multi-channel music.

Anyway, I was thinking of ordering four of those Orb things, but I've only got three available channels of my Butler 5150 available. Can I just use two of them for the side surrounds and then wire the rear surrounds in series/parellel since the rear channels are not discrete like the sides are? I don't know which term is appropriate here, and I really don't know how to do the wiring, so if someone can help me understand whether this is feasible or not that would be great. Otherwise I'll just put 3 Orbs back there and hope that I don't have any psychoacoustic issues with the 'rear center' speaker.

Thanks!

woodsyi · « **Reply #1 on:** 17 May 2006, 02:58 am »

Butler is a 5 channel amp which leaves only 2 after LRC. How do you get 3 left? I would just get a cheap stereo amp for the rear 2.

ajzepp · « **Reply #2 on:** 17 May 2006, 03:52 am »

Sorry, forgot to mention that I run a phantom center. I don't want to buy any additional amp channels until I see what DeVore Fidelity comes out with for on-walls down the road. The Orbs I'll just use until that time, and then I'll pass them along to my brother or something.

woodsyi · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 May 2006, 12:02 pm »

I guess it will depend on your processor. Does it have 6.1 as well as 7.1 option? If 6.1 is available you can just run one back there or connect 2 in parallel. You will have to play with the trim to get them as a pair to match your sides from your listening position. If you only have 7.1 (or you want discrete rears even though you have a 6.1 option) I am afraid you will have to get another amp channel. You may just want a cheap stereo amp anyway to run the two rears and reserve that one Butler channel for center just in case you get one.

DTB300 · « **Reply #4 on:** 17 May 2006, 02:23 pm »

Quote from: ajzepp

Okay, I want to go ahead and put some surround speakers up in back. I have DeVore Fidelity Super 8s up front, but I'm just going to go with inexpensive surrounds. I love movies, but I'm just not all that particular about the quality of my surrounds since I don't listen to much multi-channel music.

You will be surprised at how much sound comes from Surrounds. I used to run smaller bookshelf type speakers for Surrounds, and I really enjoyed the upgraded sound when I went with Full Range speakers.

Dan

ted_b · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 May 2006, 02:33 pm »

Option 1 (no compromise):
Use a center channel (very important on movies, etc. for dialog stabilization) and amplify it, then use two stereo channels of surround and amplify them. Classic 5.1 (assuming subwoofer).

Option 2 (many compromises)
Phantom center, stereo side channels and mono back surround.

Option 2 is full of compromises but wil sound ok if your 7.1 processor does a good job of steering the sides, etc.

I'd do option 1, which will also double as a great 5.1 music surround setup (which you are currently not into, but with the right setup may surprise you). Option 2 will not sound good on hirez music multichannel due to the side surrounds being too far forward for 5.1 imaging (and the rear mono surround being irrelevant). You have a great mch amp, use it in a good basic 5.1 surround setup and you'll be amazed.

ajzepp · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 May 2006, 05:14 pm »

Thanks, guys. This is really only a temporary deal until DeVore comes out with their on-wall speakers later in the year. When that happens I'll re-think the whole thing. The phantom center is just a preference of mine. I've been doing it that way for about four years now, and having run my rig both ways I just feel it's better for me w/out a center. My processor is an Outlaw 950, which can pretty much do anything I ask it to, so I was mainly just wondering how to hook up the rear surrounds (with regard to wiring). If wiring them in series is not advisable, I could just use single orbs for the sides and one double orb for the rear. Maybe that would work?

John Ashman · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 May 2006, 05:44 pm »

I'd just do three rears if I were you. Nothing wrong with that, IMO.

ajzepp · « **Reply #8 on:** 18 May 2006, 03:09 am »

John: Thanks, I could definitely live with that. I keep hearing that there is some sort of psychoacoustic effect where a single rear surround can sound like it's coming from the front instead of the back. But since I'm going on the cheap for now, it might be the best way to go.