Just to clarify things a bit...when I wrote 'rear' surrounds, I was not referring to side surrounds, which I also have, and are not a problem. Rather I was referring to two additional speakers located on the rear wall of the listening room (= 7.1). I have no problems with the side surrounds, and, as I've noted there seems to be almost nothing out there that is truly discrete 7.1. For most other sources, these rears have the problem I have mentioned if I allow the processor to feed them with signal.
Can back surrounds smear the front image?
I'm yet to be convinced of that the addition of rear surrounds represent a general improvement. Theoretically, I realize, it should. And certainly it does, for specifically encoded rear effects (few and far between though).
But in my set-up, I get a smearing of the front image (reduced clarity and definition), a constant problem. My rears are directional (Revels), not dipoles or bipoles.
But in my set-up, I get a smearing of the front image (reduced clarity and definition), a constant problem. My rears are directional (Revels), not dipoles or bipoles.