Q. Is the sound from the various outputs of a 7.1 system vastly different from one another? I'd like to power speakers in different rooms by hooking up to the separate terminals.
--A.S.
A. If you are playing surround-sound material, yes, the output is vastly different, to say the least. The channels are completely different and if you listen to the surround channels on their own it may not sound recognizable at all.
If you are looking to play the same sounds in different rooms with stereo sources and a surround-sound receiver, you need a receiver that has two sets of terminals for stereo, or one which supports multi-zone operation. A stereo receiver with a heavy-duty power supply and two sets of speaker terminals is your best bet if you won't be using surround-sound in any room. Before you buy make sure the receiver will let you run both sets of terminals simultaneously. I recommend looking at models from Harman/Kardon and Outlaw Audio.
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