Right now I have a 5.1 setup that has served me very well, in-cabinet T60's, VP150, QS8s, and EP500. When I was setting up my theater last year I decided to wait on 7.1 since there weren't really many 7.1 titles out there. I figured I would try to stick to the original sound track. Well, the last several Blu Rays I have bought have 7.1 surround, so maybe now's the time. My AVR is 9.2 capable, so no probs there.
Here's my right rear:
And left rear:
The columns you see on either side of the couch are wired for the additional speakers, all I need to do is pop a hole in them.
I put the QS8s up high and in back because they just worked better there. You can see my rear wall is pretty open, and I think when I had them mounted on the columns (while I was testing my setup) alot of the sound that went backwards never came back and it just didn't sound good at all. Plus they stick out so far you have to walk around them when they are on the columns.
My options are the in-wall speakers, although I will have to build a frame out around them, the columns are only 2" deep and have load bearing 2x6's behind them- I don't want to notch out the 2x6's. So those would stick out an inch from the column. Or just the flat On-wall speakers which look like they stick out 3" but would be simple to hang. I think the in/on wall ones would still have to be built out and would look funny compared to the full in-wall speakers. I'm leaning for the full in-walls for a more slick look.
So two questions: would direct firing speakers right at my head ruin the otherwise great non-directional sound from the existing QS8s? If that's the case I can stick with 5.1.
2: Any reason to look at the M3's over the M2's as surrounds? I figure the M2's 5.25" drivers would be the same as the midranges in my T60 towers, and the same drivers as the Center channel and surrounds I already have.
I realize a lot of people like the high and wides, but right now, in my setup, this is the easiest to add. Plus I want to stick to the dedicated streams in the original sound track and not have my AVR try to guess what goes where.
Thanks for any thoughts.
