5.1 vs. 7.1 surround sound

After 15 years or so, looks like subwoofer no longer wants to woof. We have a 7.1 receiver, so some questions for those who know more than us about such matters:

Just replace the subwoofer? It's part of a 15-year-old JBL 5.1 setup.

Buy a new 5.1 speaker system?

Buy a 7.1 speaker system? Will we really notice the extra two speakers?

The receiver is a Yamaha RX-V475. The room isn't huge, but it's tall--picture an A-frame that's 2.5 stories tall at the peak. Floor is tile. Mostly we use the system for music (lots of music) and some TV and movies. And Magnum PI.

Klipsch rf-7 ii

Think rx-7 turbo ii in terms of cost and amazing sound

I'd rather a better 5.1 than a worse 7.1

Don't replace just the sub. Replace whole thing.

Budget?

If it were me I would buy a sub for now and then next year get a Dolby Atmos system. Atmos for theaters is already out and then last fall home receivers came to market. The issue for home right now is content. Next year that should be fixed. Dolby has a great business plan for both sound and picture!

And our current speaker system: http://www.amazon.com/JBL-SCS145-5-Speaker-Package-Subwoofer/dp/B000VZP040/ref=sr_1_36?ie=UTF8&qid=1419627804&sr=8-36&keywords=5.1+speakers

Looks like we're not the only one with a bad subwoofer.

Ugh. Tiny satellite systems are bad and you should feel bad. How do you enjoy your metal with those little puny things?

Now that I think about it, we bought this system when we still lived in our old house, so that was quite a while ago. No set budget on the new system, but I always appreciate a good value.

Open to things that aren't satellites? Like... can we get some floorstanders at least for your mains?

Take a pass on the sat sustems. I've said it before, and I'll sah it again. Start off with a good 2.1 or 2.0 system. Add 3, 4&5 later. Tell us a budget and we'll spit out some speaker ideas.

I believe B&W to be the Miata of the speaker world a nice 6 series system will play metal with the best I have 683 towers with a 8 series DB1 sub and a old Rotel 1065 receiver/amp blows away pretty much anything I see in the stereo shops these days.

we listen to a lot of older rock and blues.

Budget? Let's say hundreds rather than thousands. And I'm not opposed to a 2.1 system. Hadn't considered that before. I bet 85% of what we listen to is music.

Thanks.

$500 shipped pair - Polk RTi10: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Polk-Audio-RTi10-BLACK-Tower-Loudspeaker-Speakers-NEW-PAIR-/360991679817?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item540cc7e549

$375 shipped pair - Polk TSi500: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Polk-Audio-TSi500-CHERRY-Floorstanding-Tower-Speakers-PAIR-/360984608750?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item540c5bffee

I'm a huge Paradigm fanboi, but i'm not sure which if any i would want to recommend if being powered from a receiver instead of a dedicated amp.

Turn to Craigslist. Take advantage of people who spent to much on Christmas and are now broke. It is your civic duty to help them out

Swank Force One wrote: $500 shipped pair - Polk RTi10: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Polk-Audio-RTi10-BLACK-Tower-Loudspeaker-Speakers-NEW-PAIR-/360991679817?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item540cc7e549 $375 shipped pair - Polk TSi500: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Polk-Audio-TSi500-CHERRY-Floorstanding-Tower-Speakers-PAIR-/360984608750?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item540c5bffee I'm a huge Paradigm fanboi, but i'm not sure which if any i would want to recommend if being powered from a receiver instead of a dedicated amp.

I assume with something like that I'd still want a subwoofer?

Let me change your life. Get a used set of Magnepan panels, MG-IIA is a GREAT bang for the buck. You must add a sub since they don't have a cone driver to move air. I've owned a lot of different speakers in my life, and maggies are by far the best I've ever heard. EVER. You need room for them to really open up, and it sounds like you have that room. You can get a pair from eBay for a few hundred or a touch more. They are big but the sound really will bring out emotions you never have experienced.
But they are power hungry.
Your Yamaha will drive them just fine.
The reason I said go with 2.1 first is because you can get a mediocre, at best, sat setup, or for the same money get some nice floor-standing speakers for the same price. Depending on what you get, the sub would only be for if you want to go super low, typically cinema only. Then add a center and rears later and giddyup. Just try to match sensitivity and timbre of the mains when you add the center and rear effects speakers.

David S. Wallens wrote:

Swank Force One wrote: $500 shipped pair - Polk RTi10: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Polk-Audio-RTi10-BLACK-Tower-Loudspeaker-Speakers-NEW-PAIR-/360991679817?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item540cc7e549 $375 shipped pair - Polk TSi500: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Polk-Audio-TSi500-CHERRY-Floorstanding-Tower-Speakers-PAIR-/360984608750?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item540c5bffee I'm a huge Paradigm fanboi, but i'm not sure which if any i would want to recommend if being powered from a receiver instead of a dedicated amp.

I assume with something like that I'd still want a subwoofer?

That would be up to you. I don't run a subwoofer in my setup, because it's really not necessary and then i have to deal with finding a sub that blends well on my budget. (Paradigm Legend V.3s)

That said, the Polk MicroPro line of subs are pretty musical and will blend well with those.

You'd be less likely to "need" a sub with the RTi10s than the TSi500s. The RTi10s will have more "impact" for movies as well. The RTis are a better all around speaker in my opinion. If it were me, i'd go with the RTis and get a sub later if you felt you needed one.

Also: Your receiver is 5.1, not 7.1. I'm not sure i'd want to try to drive anything real big off of it, but DrBoost may have experience driving Maggies off a receiver, and i don't.

The amplification stage on that Yammie isn't super strong. 110w with one channel driven, with a pretty high amount of distortion at that number. 80w two channels driven, still high distortion. I'd bet on maybe getting 50w clean in 2 channels.

Really comes down to efficiency rating (db) on the speakers. No way you could push my Paradigms, for example, with that.

I ran maggies off a used Adcom, and I think an Arcam as well. Cant remember the power output. Not terribly high, but like Swank eluded to, they were clean watts.
The good news is, buy some used maggies and if they dont work out, sell them for what you have into them.

Adcom and Arcam stuff has real ratings though.

I don't think those big towers are going to work. The TV is in an armoire, so with the doors open they'd be blocked.

Yeah, I know.
That's why I only buy higher end stuff. My financial situation dictates that I'm always a few generations behind though haha.

Dont listen to Doc! He will lead you down a rabbit hole you WILL NOT climb out of! One minute you think your tiny Dynaco speakers sound great (and they dooooo) and the next thing you know its a week later and you have already gone through 5 more pairs, and probably exchanged a thousand texts with him a day! You will never be the same.....!!!!!

Joey

Stay in the rabbit hole Joey. It sounds GREAT down here!

Ha ha! You are correct!

Joey

Mr. Wallens, I submit these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Magnepan-Mg-1-Speakers-/261701265834?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item3cee9c69aa

Little maggies, and they're in Florida http://www.ebay.com/itm/Magnepan-Magneplanar-loudspeakers-Model-MMG-Sound-incredible-/331423148849?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item4d2a5beb31