Wow, thanks for the detailed response, this is exactly what I was hoping to get!
I will definitely be experimenting at first. I have a primary row of HT couch seating. I pull out a second row if I have company over and need more than 6 spots. The second row is essentially a 4 seat couch I put on a 6" platform.
Seeing as the 2nd row is not in use often, my primary focus is on the experience in the 1st row. I'll probably set up a 5.2.2 system first.
That said, I hear you about creating a sound dome to better incorporate the 2nd row when in use. A solution to this could be an A/B switch between the back surrounds and ceiling speakers. Switching from 7.2 to 5.2.2 would then be easy through the AVR speaker setup... just need more speakers :-)
