I totally agree with Brainwater. I have a Lexicon MC-1 processor, and up until recently I was diappointed with it's performance for HT. It turned out the problem was not with the processor, but rather my speaker make-up and positioning.
I had been trying to combine a 2-ch and a 7.1 HT system with both sharing the 2-ch main speakers. Bad idea, in that they were not a good match with the center and surrounds. I decided to split the systems and go with 5 matched speakers for HT and eliminated the side surrounds. I located the rear surrounds in the rear corners of the room firing right at my listening position. What a huge difference! The surround field is much more enveloping and convincing as compared to before, and with 2 less speakers.
I'm convinced that the most important factor in surround is having 5 identical speakers. In my case 4 of the 5 are identical, with the center having essentially the same drivers but in a horizontal orientation with the ability to aim the tweeter via the use of a built-in led light and adjustable tweeter. They're all Triad In-Room Gold speakers. I can't speak highly enough of them. For me they turned out to be the Holy Grail of surround, and I've been looking for the past 7 years.
I had been trying to combine a 2-ch and a 7.1 HT system with both sharing the 2-ch main speakers. Bad idea, in that they were not a good match with the center and surrounds. I decided to split the systems and go with 5 matched speakers for HT and eliminated the side surrounds. I located the rear surrounds in the rear corners of the room firing right at my listening position. What a huge difference! The surround field is much more enveloping and convincing as compared to before, and with 2 less speakers.
I'm convinced that the most important factor in surround is having 5 identical speakers. In my case 4 of the 5 are identical, with the center having essentially the same drivers but in a horizontal orientation with the ability to aim the tweeter via the use of a built-in led light and adjustable tweeter. They're all Triad In-Room Gold speakers. I can't speak highly enough of them. For me they turned out to be the Holy Grail of surround, and I've been looking for the past 7 years.