apache64d_
I am looking to purchase a surround sound system. Looking at Bose they have the standard 5.1 surround but also now have a 6.1 system. It has an exrta rear speaker to highlight certain sounds. Is this 6.1 supported by the 360 and other DVD devices, or do we need to wait for those components to catch up?
http://www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_PRODUCT_PAGE_EVENT&product=am16_surround_index
Thanks
Answer
Just a quick story about Bose for your consideration...
Bose doesn't make home theater equipment with the listener in mind, meaning that they don't care how the music is SUPPOSED to sound, they just care that they are MUCH cheaper to produce and more expensive to sell than a REAL speaker company, = LARGE PROFIT MARGIN. Having been a salesperson for many years, I didn't mind selling Bose to the people that were just dead set on having it, because that meant a bigger payday for me, but anyone that I respected enough to give the time of day, I would do everything in my power to convince to buy something, or ANYTHING other than Bose.
Bose isn't a quality speaker or electronics company, but they ARE an AMAZING marketing company! They have more than 30% of Americans believing that tubby, bloated sounding, thumping bass with washed out mid's and screeching highs is what music is supposed to sound like, and that makes me sad!! Do me a favor and go to a REAL stereo store that carries not only Bose, but other brands like B&K, Denon, Yamaha, and Pioneer Elite for electronics, and Vienna Acoustics, Klipsch, Definitive Technologies, Martin Logan and many others for speakers. You will notice that Bose is almost NEVER put into the same room as other brands, because Bose tells these copmanies NOT to put their products where they can be compared directly to another brand. They are hoping that your ears will forget the major sound differences in the time it takes to go from the "Bose room" to another listening room! Sad but true! Just bring your favorite quality audio recording (NOT something like Chocolate starfish and the hotdog flavored water!) like Aimee Mann, John Coltrane, Jack Johnson, or Norah Jones (something where audio fidelity was thought of while making the record!) and just close your eyes and listen. You will be SHOCKED at how bad Bose sounds in comparison!
Now that you understand a little bit about Bose, consider the amount of money you are going to waste on Bose, and use the same amount to buy a REAL system with real fidelity, flexibility, is upgradable, and future ready. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!
The difference between 5.1, 6.1, and even 7.1 is marginal if the source media is not recorded in those formats. You can force most better quality receivers to output a matrixed (combined) signal to the extra rear surround speakers, but all they do is combine the signals from the side surround speakers. Not that impressive honestly. Since 99% of all games for either XB360 or PS3 are only going to be 5.1, the extra expense for a 7.1 system is not usually necessary. I own a 7.1 receiver with 7 speakers, and rarely do the surround back speakers come into play on most media. A properly set-up and calibrated 5.1 system, appropriate sound insulating/reflecting materials placed properly in a room, and quality speakers (aka not Bose) will be MUCH more impressive!
Yes, the XB360 can pass a 6.1/7.1 signal if it is available, but it rarely is on most games. SOME movies are encoded for it, so if you plan on using your XB360 as a DVD player as well, which is NOT recommended unless you buy the HD-DVD attachment, there are MUCH better stand alone DVD players out there (check out Oppo at www.oppodigital.com). The XB360 (and the PS3 for that matter) are primarily gaming devices that also play DVD's, and that is how their video decoders are set to work. The PS3 is universally panned for its lackluster standard DVD playback, and the same goes for the XB360.
At any rate, consider other options which don't involve a brand that can only make your ears dead to real music and home theater quality (Bose) while only enriching the pockets of the very fortunate salesperson who suckered you into buying it!
Receiver brands to consider...
http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/AVReceivers.asp
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/avreceivers/rxv_rxz.html?CTID=5000300&CNTYP=PRODUCT
http://us.marantz.com/Products/172.asp
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/v3/pg/album/compare/0,,2076_310069789,00.html
Speaker brands to consider
http://www.us.martinlogan.com/frontpage.html
http://www.definitivetech.com/loudspeakers/loudspeakers.html
http://www.klipsch.com/products/speakers.aspx
Hope this helps!
Just a quick story about Bose for your consideration...
Bose doesn't make home theater equipment with the listener in mind, meaning that they don't care how the music is SUPPOSED to sound, they just care that they are MUCH cheaper to produce and more expensive to sell than a REAL speaker company, = LARGE PROFIT MARGIN. Having been a salesperson for many years, I didn't mind selling Bose to the people that were just dead set on having it, because that meant a bigger payday for me, but anyone that I respected enough to give the time of day, I would do everything in my power to convince to buy something, or ANYTHING other than Bose.
Bose isn't a quality speaker or electronics company, but they ARE an AMAZING marketing company! They have more than 30% of Americans believing that tubby, bloated sounding, thumping bass with washed out mid's and screeching highs is what music is supposed to sound like, and that makes me sad!! Do me a favor and go to a REAL stereo store that carries not only Bose, but other brands like B&K, Denon, Yamaha, and Pioneer Elite for electronics, and Vienna Acoustics, Klipsch, Definitive Technologies, Martin Logan and many others for speakers. You will notice that Bose is almost NEVER put into the same room as other brands, because Bose tells these copmanies NOT to put their products where they can be compared directly to another brand. They are hoping that your ears will forget the major sound differences in the time it takes to go from the "Bose room" to another listening room! Sad but true! Just bring your favorite quality audio recording (NOT something like Chocolate starfish and the hotdog flavored water!) like Aimee Mann, John Coltrane, Jack Johnson, or Norah Jones (something where audio fidelity was thought of while making the record!) and just close your eyes and listen. You will be SHOCKED at how bad Bose sounds in comparison!
Now that you understand a little bit about Bose, consider the amount of money you are going to waste on Bose, and use the same amount to buy a REAL system with real fidelity, flexibility, is upgradable, and future ready. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!
The difference between 5.1, 6.1, and even 7.1 is marginal if the source media is not recorded in those formats. You can force most better quality receivers to output a matrixed (combined) signal to the extra rear surround speakers, but all they do is combine the signals from the side surround speakers. Not that impressive honestly. Since 99% of all games for either XB360 or PS3 are only going to be 5.1, the extra expense for a 7.1 system is not usually necessary. I own a 7.1 receiver with 7 speakers, and rarely do the surround back speakers come into play on most media. A properly set-up and calibrated 5.1 system, appropriate sound insulating/reflecting materials placed properly in a room, and quality speakers (aka not Bose) will be MUCH more impressive!
Yes, the XB360 can pass a 6.1/7.1 signal if it is available, but it rarely is on most games. SOME movies are encoded for it, so if you plan on using your XB360 as a DVD player as well, which is NOT recommended unless you buy the HD-DVD attachment, there are MUCH better stand alone DVD players out there (check out Oppo at www.oppodigital.com). The XB360 (and the PS3 for that matter) are primarily gaming devices that also play DVD's, and that is how their video decoders are set to work. The PS3 is universally panned for its lackluster standard DVD playback, and the same goes for the XB360.
At any rate, consider other options which don't involve a brand that can only make your ears dead to real music and home theater quality (Bose) while only enriching the pockets of the very fortunate salesperson who suckered you into buying it!
Receiver brands to consider...
http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/AVReceivers.asp
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/avreceivers/rxv_rxz.html?CTID=5000300&CNTYP=PRODUCT
http://us.marantz.com/Products/172.asp
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/v3/pg/album/compare/0,,2076_310069789,00.html
Speaker brands to consider
http://www.us.martinlogan.com/frontpage.html
http://www.definitivetech.com/loudspeakers/loudspeakers.html
http://www.klipsch.com/products/speakers.aspx
Hope this helps!
Will a 5.1 speaker system work if I don't use the subwoofer?
dman30464
I want to buy a new speaker system for my room (my old one is over 20 years old), but I have no room for a subwoofer, and also I don't want to disturb the rest of my family. If I buy a 5.1 system, but don't use the subwoofer, will it still work alright? I know it'd just be 5.0, but the other speakers would still work, right?
Answer
Like the other poster said, it depends on what 5.1 system you get, some of the lower quality models use the sub as the middleman, so a proprietary connection is used from the receiver to the sub, then has all the speakers attached to the sub, even some high quality systems like bose use this type of connection, but some companies do that for simplicity, it would be a lot easier to connect wires to a sub that is out of a cabinet, than a receiver that is inside of a cabinet, this also allows a smaller form factor for the receiver, as instead of having 6 ports for 6 different channels, just 1 port is needed for all 6 channels, and they could just add it to the sub that would be large anyway
Now most high end systems, like JVC, have the spring connectors (where you push the spring, put the wire in, then release the spring) for the 5 major channels, then uses an RCA cord for the sub, and those will operate without the sub connected (like mine, since I don't have a sub), the thing with these (and the thing I like about high end systems), is they are compatible with a wide range of speakers, of multiple brands, but because of this, they don't include speakers, you have to go out and buy them yourself, while with low end systems and systems like bose, they only work with thier brand of speakers (well, they can work with other speakers, they are usually an unusual ohm impedence, something you don't find with other brand speakers), so you can't mix and match, but they include the speakers in the kit
Like the other poster said, it depends on what 5.1 system you get, some of the lower quality models use the sub as the middleman, so a proprietary connection is used from the receiver to the sub, then has all the speakers attached to the sub, even some high quality systems like bose use this type of connection, but some companies do that for simplicity, it would be a lot easier to connect wires to a sub that is out of a cabinet, than a receiver that is inside of a cabinet, this also allows a smaller form factor for the receiver, as instead of having 6 ports for 6 different channels, just 1 port is needed for all 6 channels, and they could just add it to the sub that would be large anyway
Now most high end systems, like JVC, have the spring connectors (where you push the spring, put the wire in, then release the spring) for the 5 major channels, then uses an RCA cord for the sub, and those will operate without the sub connected (like mine, since I don't have a sub), the thing with these (and the thing I like about high end systems), is they are compatible with a wide range of speakers, of multiple brands, but because of this, they don't include speakers, you have to go out and buy them yourself, while with low end systems and systems like bose, they only work with thier brand of speakers (well, they can work with other speakers, they are usually an unusual ohm impedence, something you don't find with other brand speakers), so you can't mix and match, but they include the speakers in the kit
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