7.1 surround sound: Difference between revisions

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Standard 7.1 sound speaker placement.png|thumb|right|270px|Standard 7.1 sound speaker placement configuration]] -->'''7.1 sound''' is the common name for an eight-channel [[surround sound|surround]] audio system commonly used in [[home cinema|home theatre]] configurations. It adds two additional speakers to the more conventional six-channel ([[5.1 surround sound|5.1]]) audio configuration. As with 5.1 surround sound, 7.1 surround sound positional audio uses the standard front, [[center channel|center]], and [[Low-frequency effects|LFE]] (subwoofer) speaker configuration. However, whereas a 5.1 surround sound system combines both surround and rear channel effects into two channels (commonly configured in home theatre set-ups as two rear surround speakers), a 7.1 surround system splits the surround and rear channel information into four distinct channels, in which sound effects are directed to left and right surround channels, plus two rear surround channels.

In a 7.1 surround sound home theatre set-up, the surround speakers are placed to the side of the listener's position and the rear speakers are placed behind the listener.<ref>{{cite web|title=5.1 vs 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receivers - Which is Right For You?|url=http://hometheater.about.com/od/hometheateraudiobasics/qt/5-1vs7-1diff.htm|publisher=[[About.com]]|accessdate=2012-06-04}}</ref> In addition, with the advent of [[Dolby Pro Logic#Dolby Pro Logic IIz|Dolby Pro Logic IIz]] and [[DTS (sound system)#DTS Neo:X|DTS Neo:X]], 7.1 surround sound can also refer to 5.1 surround sound configurations with the addition of two front [[height channels]] positioned above the front channels or two front [[wide channels]] positioned between the front and surround channels.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dolby Pro Logic IIz|url=http://www.dolby.com/professional/technology/home-theater/dolby-pro-logic-IIz.html|publisher=[[Dolby Laboratories]]|accessdate=2011-10-07}}</ref>