Ventriloquist with 7.1 receiver

[rarerules]

I have an Onkyo 7.1 receiver, and I am interested in purchasing the Ventriloquist speaker system, but its manual only shows diagrams of how to hook the speakers up to 5.1 and 6.1 receivers.

Without purchasing the additional VT-254 speaker, what is the correct way of hooking up the Ventriloquist to a 7.1 receiver? Or do I have to purchase the additional speaker?

Thanks!

[cacihome]

You will be fine.The ventris do really sound good.
Start only with the 5.1 option with the ventriloquist.Buy the regular package and keep the back center channel speaker as spare...
You dont need to use all 7 channels of your receiver.There are only very very few movies that carry 7.1 soundtracks.
Are you buying a package w/sub or you already have a good sub?

[wuzzzer]

If you are using a 5.1 system you want to hook your side surrounds to just that, the "Side Surround" outputs on your Onkyo. You will have to buy two more speakers to put in the back for a 7.1 setup. In your Onkyo's menu then change rear surrounds to OFF and side surrounds to ON. You should also use the Audyssey speaker calibrating system in your receiver and it will find the speakers you have hooked up and set their levels properly for you.

Side surrounds should be placed to your side and only slightly behind you. Rear surrounds should be placed directly behind you.

You can google the THX or Dolby labs speaker setup pages to show proper speaker setup.

[rarerules]

Thanks so much for your replies.

I will be purchasing the "Performance 2" package to get the STF-2 sub as well. Hoping for a nice Black Friday deal =)

So the recommendation is to just not use the rear center speaker, and make this a 5.1 system, correct? There won't be a big loss in sound quality as opposed to if I purchased the additional speaker to make this true 7.1?

I'm deciding between the Onkyo 606 and 706 receivers, any recommendations as to which one will work best with the Ventriloquist?

[cacihome]

The 606 is the best deal, in my opinion.
The saved bucks can go to a VTF-1..HAHAHAA
It is a bit more powerful...

[rarerules]

Haha thanks for the advice =)

So what is the difference in sound quality between removing the rear center speaker to make a 5.1 system and adding an additional speaker to make 7.1? Is it noticeable?

And is it impossible to just use the "as-is" 6.1 Ventriloquist package with the Onkyo 7.1 receiver?

[mojave]

I have connected the Ventriloquist package to two different Onkyo 7.1 receivers. With each one, the rear surround is connected to the L Surround Back Speaker Terminal. This is indicated in the Onkyo manual under the Connecting Your Speakers section. You can then use the Onkyo in 6.1 mode. You don't have to go 5.1 if you still want to use all the speakers.

[richardbk]

^The difference in sound quality is insignificant. In fact, the difference really is not one of "quality" at all; but simply the number of discrete channels of sound you'll have. And remember—all channels are not created equal; the front three - left, center and right - and the subwoofer do the heavy lifting; the rear and surround speakers are mostly for a) creating ambience (i.e. crickets, trains in the distance, wind, etc.) and b) in action/adventure/scifi movies, having 'things' (i.e. space ships, cannonballs, meteors, arrows, etc.) coming up dramatically from around and behind you.

But even a 5.1 system does a fine job of conveying all that. The only difference, really, would be that, in a 7.1 system, an arrow shot from behind you, over say, your left shoulder, will appear to come at you closer to the exact angle the audio engineer envisioned. In the 5.1 or 6.1 systems, that arrow might seem to come a little more from directly behind you—or from the sides, if that makes any sense. Honestly… who cares if the angle is slightly different from what the audio engineer had in mind; we're really splitting hairs here! What's more, as others have said, the vast majority of movies are 5.1 channels—or less. HD broadcasts are 5.1 or less. And classic movies are often just 2.1 or even Mono.

And yes, you certainly could use the Ventriloquist system with its 6 speakers "as is" with the Onkyo 7.1 receiver. Just wire the speakers, including the rear center, as described in the Owners Manual. When you run Audyssey, it will figure out that you have 6 speakers and adjust them accordingly.

[rarerules]

Thank you so much guys. If I wasn't convinced already to buy HSU speakers, this support forum has told me "its a go".

You all have been very helpful to such a newbie! Now I just have to wait to see what deals come along for Black Friday :)

[cacihome]

SO... what did you buy?

[rarerules]

Well, nothing yet. The Performance 2 package isn't on sale for Black Friday so I'm waiting a bit.

[cacihome]

The VTF-1 is on sale...
If I were you Ill call them and ask...

[cacihome]

You know what...

They have a B-stock ventriloquist for 239 at the clearance center...
Add that to 385 for the VTF-1 = 624

[rarerules]

Why are items put on the clearance center? And what does B-stock mean?

Sorry, I'm a complete newbie with all of this. Thanks for your help!

[cacihome]

No problem, my pleasure to help.

Well.. Peter may correct me if Im wrong here...
Clearance center have A-Stock or B-Stock products, depending on availability.
A-Stock is simply something in a previous finish or something they do not offer no more, so it ends as something new... but in the "clearance area"...
B Stock are items that are returned for some reason, but they carry the same warranty as new. Maybe it has a little dent or something, but nothing that affects its performance...

[pincarry]

here's a Ventriloquist 7.1 setup:
http://forum.hsuresearch.com/showthread.php?t=8545&highlight=pincarry

I have an Onkyo 7.1 receiver, and I am interested in purchasing the Ventriloquist speaker system, but its manual only shows diagrams of how to hook the speakers up to 5.1 and 6.1 receivers.

Without purchasing the additional VT-254 speaker, what is the correct way of hooking up the Ventriloquist to a 7.1 receiver? Or do I have to purchase the additional speaker?

Thanks!