Recommend a rear channel speaker...

ScottMayo · « **on:** 3 May 2005, 09:59 pm »

I am putting together a 5.1 system, mostly for music but movies are in the mix. I'm using VMPS RM/x for the front channels, a VMPS RM-30C for the center, and my ancient but still working Infinity QLS-1's for the rear surrounds. (And an Earthquake sub). The amps are Bryston.

What I forgot is that THX demands a back speaker. So here I am, pretty tapped out financially, needing to add one more channel to get movies to sound right. I do not want to spend a lot on this channel. It doesn't get used much and it doesn't need to be the last word on accuracy. I figure it has to handle 200-300W because that's what the other channels run at, and I don't mind using a small speaker (in THX terms) for this because I have the sub.

Any recommendations? I'm looking for best bang for the buck here. I'm guessing for an amp that means an Outlaw M-200. What's good in speakers? I'd like to spend 200-400$ max on the speaker. Can I get by using another center channel speaker for the rear? I see Axiom has a VP-100 in about the right range...

wshuff · « **Reply #1 on:** 3 May 2005, 11:12 pm »

You'd be better off with two rear speakers. The sound from one rear speaker directly behind you is often perceived as coming from the front. Two rears eliminates that problem.

In the past I've used two Def Tech BP1 speakers in the rear and thought that they sounded just fine.

Carlman · « **Reply #2 on:** 4 May 2005, 01:51 am »

So, it 5.1 or 6.1? Are you talking about a rear middle speaker for 6 channel surround?

You have a Left, Right, Center, and 2 rear surrounds, and a sub. That's 5.1.

-C

ScottMayo · « **Reply #3 on:** 4 May 2005, 01:59 am »

Quote from: Carlman

So, it 5.1 or 6.1? Are you talking about a rear middle speaker for 6 channel surround?

You have a Left, Right, Center, and 2 rear surrounds, and a sub. That's 5.1.

-C

I have 5.1. Some surround modes specify 6.1; or rather, my sound processor grumps that I'm missing a center rear channel whenever I select THX. That's what I'm trying to solve. The extra speaker was a surprise to me, since thx.com only talks about 5.1. Maybe the processor is hallucinating. Or I am.

Carlman · « **Reply #4 on:** 4 May 2005, 02:03 am »

Ok, so you are indeed looking for a 6th channel, the rear middle surround.

I have a 6.1 receiver and somehow set it up to where it knows that there is no middle rear surround connected and I'm satisfied with the results.

I'd just wait until you can afford 3 cheap-ish speakers that match across the back and forget that surround for now.... Unless you have a 20' wide room... in that case, you may get more out of it. Dunno... haven't tried and only have a 14' wide room.

-C

bubba966 · « **Reply #5 on:** 4 May 2005, 05:28 am »

Tell your processor that you don't have a rear center channel. Then it won't keep trying to run 6.1 when you don't have it.

Just don't bother with a single rear center channel. If you really have some need to run with a rear center, run it in a THX Surround EX style where there's a pair of rear center's that are being fed the same signal (ala Pro Logic rears).

It's much, much easier to hear a rear center if two speakers are used that are slightly off to the sides than if a single rear center is used. Think about how your ears are situated on your head, then you'll have a good idea why a single rear center doesn't work worth a shit. I tried demo'ing a single rear center vs. a dual rear center years ago. The single rear center was terrible, but the dual rear center worked OK.

So I went with dual rear centers run THX EX style. Sure, it works fine if there's anything back there. But there almost never is. And I run every single 5.1 source in "7.1" mode. It does work great though for Xbox games that have 5.1 audio. And that's the best reason to run a THX EX/DTS ES type of setup.

Anyway I've found during the 5 years that I've run 7 speaks (& 2 subs) that the extra $ spent on the 2 rear centers & the amps to run them wasn't worth the $ that it cost. Good 5.1 is almost always better than 6.1/7.1 stuff...

bubba966 · « **Reply #6 on:** 4 May 2005, 05:37 am »

Here's a pic of how a THX Surround EX setup should be placed.

If you run a pair of rears as shown in the pic, it works fine. There's just hardly anything that ever uses the rear centers, even if it's actually mixed in DD EX or DTS ES.

Shut off the rear center/centers in the setup. Take the $ that was designated for rear centers and pick up some movies, or room treatments, or something else.