Best was to run 2.1 HT setup on 5.1 receiver?

[slackerinabox]

I'm seriously stripping down my home theater set up for various reason (wife, wires, etc). and am turning my bulky 5.1 system into a very small bookshelf and sub 2.1 system.

What's the best way to do this? A or B

A) Set receiver to STEREO
B) Set receiver to 5.1 but individually set the CENTER and REAR to NONE in "Speaker Type" setup section of receiver

I'm not sure if it would make a difference.

Thanks!

 

[Spicedaddy]

If your sub is hooked to the sub output on the receiver, I'd go with the B) option.

Stereo might send the low frequencies to the 2 front channels, and nothing through the sub output.

 

[slackerinabox]

If your sub is hooked to the sub output on the receiver, I'd go with the B) option.

Stereo might send the low frequencies to the 2 front channels, and nothing through the sub output.

Cool - will try that! Would my receiver do an adequate job of down mixing (especially since I won't have a center ch. speaker), or is this a recipe for disaster?

 

[CrimsonWolf]

Cool - will try that! Would my receiver do an adequate job of down mixing (especially since I won't have a center ch. speaker), or is this a recipe for disaster?

Yep, option B. It should be fine. Your receiver should be able to take the 5.1/whatever source and figure out how to play it across the two fronts and sub once you configure it that way.

That's what I've done with my 2.1 setup and it works great. I'd need to wall-mount the rear surrounds and that's not something I want to mess with while renting. I've pondered getting just a center channel, but I don't watch enough movies to justify it.

P.S. - If your receiver has some sort of configuration program (Audyssey, MCACC for Pioneer, etc.) it should be able to take care of this.

 

[slackerinabox]

Yep, option B. It should be fine. Your receiver should be able to take the 5.1/whatever source and figure out how to play it across the two fronts and sub once you configure it that way.

That's what I've done with my 2.1 setup and it works great. I'd need to wall-mount the rear surrounds and that's not something I want to mess with while renting. I've pondered getting just a center channel, but I don't watch enough movies to justify it.

P.S. - If your receiver has some sort of configuration program (Audyssey, MCACC for Pioneer, etc.) it should be able to take care of this.

Awesome - thanks very much. I do have a configuration program of sorts on the yamaha so I think everything should be ready to go.

Thanks!

 

[vi edit]

Honestly with a 2.1 setup I'd rather just run full stereo with the highpass input on the sub and tweak the crossover setting on the sub to blend in with the mains at a point I was comfortable with.

 

[JSt0rm]

Run stereo.

The stereo is already a fold down of the 5.1 but I would MUCH rather have the stereo folddown done by the engineer in a studio then some random chinese pos.

 

[Insomniator]

What about 3.1? I have FL FR and C with a sub connected to the sub output but I'm finding it difficult to set the sound field correctly. Voices are supposed to come from the center mainly while the rest is from FL and FR right?

 

[JSt0rm]

What about 3.1? I have FL FR and C with a sub connected to the sub output but I'm finding it difficult to set the sound field correctly. Voices are supposed to come from the center mainly while the rest is from FL and FR right?

you need to use the 5.1 and fold down the ls/rs into the l/r. Your receiver may do this it may not. Not only voice comes from center channel lots of stuff does. There are no rules to how these things happen. Generally voice ONLY comes from center channel no matter where in the sound field people are. Some movies "break" this rule though so its no rule. heh.

Running 3.1 and trying to force a stereo signal into the center channel will make your world very odd.

 

[BurnItDwn]

No woman will ever have the power to feminize my HT setup!!! NEVER!!!! FREEEEDOM