1066 and 7.1 to 8.1

[barona]

How can I incorporate a surround center channel??
So there would be:
2 front mains
1 front center
2 sides
2 rear
....and a center rear.....

[Andrew Pratt]

You can't do 8.1 with the Rotels only 7.1 with two mains, front centre, two sides, and two rears along the back wall. Why would you need more then that?

[barona]

Andrew, so what your saying is place the rears away from the back corners to more in the rear center. I was thinking that you would have your 2 sides, and then 2 rears placed in each corner allowing a big space between speakers that could be filled by a rear center. It probably depends on room size??

[jaakan]

Parasound had an outboard channel expander up on http://www.audioadvisor.com/ but it's not there anymore. if you could find one, it could help you out. Contact Audio Advisor and Parasound and check ebay. Also search online and ask around for one or something like it.

[Kevin D]

Barona,

Yup, the two rear channels on 7.1 are designed to be on the back wall, and not really in the corners.. 6.1 is one rear center, 7.1 is two rear centers.. To do what you were thinking, you would run all four speakers off the the side channels, and then add one (or two) more running off the rear channels behind you.. Overkill unless you have a large room..

Kevin D.

[Andrew Pratt]

If you need to fill a long room use dipoles or bipoles on the side walls instead of direct radiators. In my room that combo works very well to fill my 25 long room.

[barona]

Thanks for clearing that up for me guys, I'm currently using dipoles as surrounds and was going to move them to the sides, use my existing bookshelf fronts as rears and get new mains and center. Wasn't sure what to do with my about to be "old" center channel. Guess I'll keep it for something in the future....can never have enough speakers laying around I suppose....

[Kevin D]

Hmmm... There's talk of the new 'height' channel, ceiling speakers coming to home use soon... :LOL:

Kevin D.