what do you think about 9.1?

[tomagardner]

We're dong the basment remodel and I can put speakers anywhere. Is there much recorded for 9.1 out there?
TIA, Tom

[Hdale85]

Nothing as of yet, but 9.1 is old news lol. We're up to 11.2 capabilities now. Things will likely never be recorded in these formats, but there are some amazing DSP's out there that will do excellent jobs of placing sound where they are supposed to be in these systems. Just something you have to experience first hand.

[audioqueso]

I don't really get the .2
The standard for LFE is 80Hz and lower, right?
But 80Hz and lower is also the audio range that can't be localized... so how would two separate channels of LFE sound any separate at all? Make one explosion pan from left sub to right sub... but you can't localize that.
????
I don't get it.

[Chris D]

The MAXIMUM discrete channels in any recording today is going to be 7.1, which is only going to be found on BD. Anything higher than that, such as 9.1, 11.2, or 25.386 is going to be processing only, like from your HT receiver. If you ARE using higher channels like 9.1, you are not getting DISCRETE sound from each of the extra channels, where the recording was created to have a sound specifically in the front right height effect speaker, for example. Instead, the receiver/processor looks at the sounds that ARE recorded in the original track, whether 5.1, 7.1, or whatever, and then copies some of it to send to those extra channels.

So do those extra channels sound good? you bet! I do find usefulness in many of the extra channels various companies come up with. But just don't be thinking that movies are recorded with extra channels to take advantage of them. Again, the max recording you'll see today is 7.1. Any numbers higher than that are "misleading".

Queso, as to your question about extra ".x" channels, generally any extra LFE channels are not going to be discrete, where they're different material from each other. In my previous theater, I was running a "7.8" setup, where I had 2 subwoofers, and 6 tactile transducers in the theater chairs. What that meant in reality was that there was only **ONE** LFE channel. The 2nd subwoofer output duplicated the primary .1 subwoofer output. The 6 tactile transducers duplicated the primary .1 subwoofer output, and just filtered out everything above like 40 Hz, I think. So just like I said above, anything higher than the "1" in 7.1 is misleading, too.

[madmac]

I really don't believe that 80hz and below cannot be localized. If I'm listening to music on a system that has only 1 sub, I can tell where the bass is coming from easily. My system has 2 powered towers with a sub in each and with that setup, the bass is much less localized. Obviously however, bass is not stereo but mono, regardless of how many sub's you have.

[madmac]

Oh ya and one more thing!. Personally, I think 5.1 is perfectly fine for home theater and that anything more than that is overkill. I can see 7.1 or 9.1 in a large commercial theater though. But then again, I guess being an audio forum, there are no limits to the lust of excess!!??.

[Hdale85]

Hey hey....overkill is just enough thank you

[Chris D]

I do personally think 7.1 is useful for home theater. It's all about that soundfield that you create in the room. With stereo or three channels across the front, you get a nice, wide sound presented at you from the front of the room. Add side surrounds, and you pull the soundfield up to your seats. Add rear surrounds, and you pull the soundfield AROUND you, so you're sitting in the MIDDLE of the experience. Done properly, it really make it more enjoyable.

[George Bellefontaine]

What Chris said. I moved up to 7.1 a few years ago and would never go back to 5.1. Those extra two speakers on the back wall really compliment the overall soundfield.

[gp4Jesus]

+1 to chris & george as far as 6.1 goes.

5.1 worked when my display/LCR was against a flat wall in a near-square room.

Different house square room; display/LCR in a corner, my chair across from same. Side surrounds in the left/right corners. Adding a rear center behind me filled in the gap nicely.

Cheers Tony