Adding two speakers to a 5.1 system, worth it?

[Muzza]

Hi

I currently run my TV, DVD and PS3 through a Onkyo 609 through two B&W 601's only. However I have just purchased an entry level surround package (the MONITOR AUDIO RADIUS R90HD10) and was wondering if keeping my two current speakers is worth it, maybe making it a 7.1 deal?

I could make the B&W's the two extra speakers or keep them as the main two, any thoughts?

 

[Tom Moreno]

Hi

I currently run my TV, DVD and PS3 through a Onkyo 609 through two B&W 601's only. However I have just purchased an entry level surround package (the MONITOR AUDIO RADIUS R90HD10) and was wondering if keeping my two current speakers is worth it, maybe making it a 7.1 deal?

I could make the B&W's the two extra speakers or keep them as the main two, any thoughts?

I did exactly this- except in reverse. I had a 5.1 Mordaunt Short set that were alright but needed to get my front two off of speakerstands thanks to a curious one year old and two toppling incidents- so the wife agreed to a pair of RX6's (weyhey!) and I put the L/R MS bookshelves on (wait for it...) a bookshelf at the back of the room. Our sofa is not against the rear wall but is about a meter or so away from it with the Surrounds towards the sides of the room on either side of the sofa, so surround was already quite good but adding the back speakers and decoding in 7.1 (even with 5.1 source material) gave a better cohesiveness and sense of envelopment to the rear soundstage.

All of that said, there was a little bit of integration issues with the Monitor Audio L/Rs and Mordaunt Short Centre but that was taken care of nicely when I won a set of MA BX2AV 5.1 speakers (thanks WHF!!!!). So now the room is great with BX's around the back, centre, and sub and RX6's at front L/R. After the experience I would definately say that if you are mixing and matching different brands (and very different tonal balance) it is best to put the pair of speakers with the bigest difference to the rear.