7.1 channel receiver with 5.1 channel speaker configuration - poor instructions
Today, I was configuring a Marantz SR4001 AV receiver for a client.
The 5.1 channel speakers in the home theatre room had two front and two rear speakers, a centre speaker and a powered subwoofer.
After going through the Simple Setup, I got sound from the front and centre speakers, but not from the rear speakers.
An illustration for a 7.1 channel installation in the manual shows that the speaers at the back of the room speakers should be connected to the Surround Rear terminals. I thought I had to connect the speakers at the back of the room to the Rear Surround terminals.
Later, during a noise test option, I found I had to connect the rear speakers to the Surround (not Surround Rear) terminals. The penny then dropped
.
The illustration for a 7.1 channel installation in the manual had confused me (and possibly others)
, considering the fact that an illustration for a 5.1 channel installation was not shown. Marantz apparently wanted you to only use a 7.1 channel speaker installation, otherwise you are wasting the capabilities of this AV receiver 
.
So now we know for a 5.1 channel installation, the rear speakers go to the Surround (not Surround Rear) terminals on a 7.1 channel receiver.
The 5.1 channel speakers in the home theatre room had two front and two rear speakers, a centre speaker and a powered subwoofer.
After going through the Simple Setup, I got sound from the front and centre speakers, but not from the rear speakers.
An illustration for a 7.1 channel installation in the manual shows that the speaers at the back of the room speakers should be connected to the Surround Rear terminals. I thought I had to connect the speakers at the back of the room to the Rear Surround terminals.
Later, during a noise test option, I found I had to connect the rear speakers to the Surround (not Surround Rear) terminals. The penny then dropped
.The illustration for a 7.1 channel installation in the manual had confused me (and possibly others)
, considering the fact that an illustration for a 5.1 channel installation was not shown. Marantz apparently wanted you to only use a 7.1 channel speaker installation, otherwise you are wasting the capabilities of this AV receiver .So now we know for a 5.1 channel installation, the rear speakers go to the Surround (not Surround Rear) terminals on a 7.1 channel receiver.