How much program is really in those rear speakers you spent so much money to buy? What is that super subwoofer you have accomplishing? The answers to those questions; maybe not much.
Before everyone starts throwing stones, let me explain.
Lets start with the subwoofer. What is the point of a subwoofer? No, the point is not to gyrate the popcorn you are stuffing down. Different size speakers naturally lend themselves to producing different frequencies better. Small “tweeters” are specially designed to reproduce the highest frequencies in the audio spectrum. Larger speakers lend themselves better to producing lower frequencies. A set of 2-way main speakers should be pretty hefty with at least eight inch woofers in my opinion. A good eight inch speaker should have no trouble handling frequencies all the way down to 20Hz. If your main speakers can handle frequencies all the way down to 20Hz, a subwoofer is no longer needed.
Next, lets talk about the center speaker. Maybe someone can set me straight on this, but I can not think of a good purpose for the center speaker. It seems to me, that if your system includes a good set of main speakers, the center speaker is close to worthless. If you want a sound positioned in the center of the sound field, it can be panned evenly left and right to achieve the same effect as putting it solely in the center speaker.
Now since we have eliminated the center speaker and the subwoofer by adding a great set of main speakers, the rear speakers are all that is left to get rid of. Depending on the setup, 5.1 or 7.1, a surround system could include 2 or 4 different rear speakers. These speakers really complete the ultimate theater experience by immersing the viewer in the sound. Dolby 7.1 is really overkill and most movies do not even support it, so we can automatically reduce our system to just two rear speakers. Now many people will say that they must have their rear speakers for the full theater effect. For the rest, remember first of all, almost any movie made before 1990 does not have surround. Also, any other material which you shove through your system, over 95% of it is going to have material located in the front speakers only. So for those of you who want to have their rear speakers for the 5% of material that uses the rear speakers 5% of the time, go ahead, get yourself a set of rear speakers. For everyone else, realize its just not worth it.
All this is to say that cheep surround sound is really a lie that has been brought into. Investing in a great set of main speakers will yield a much better result than buying a full surround system set.
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