Poll: 5.1 Rules in the World of Surround Sound

With Dolby Atmos looming on the horizon we asked how Sound & Vision readers do surround and learned that nine out of 10 of those who responded to our poll have either a 5.1/5.2 (59%) or 7.1/7.2 (30%) setup. The complete breakdown is below.

The poll spurred a conversation about the marvels of multiple subwoofers with TimmyS singing the praises of his 7.4 setup: “Nothing like having 4 awesome subwoofers placed properly with the levels, phase and crossovers set properly...Everyone must have four subwoofers!” (Tell that to my wife.) Docevil chimed in to tell how his 11.2 system is ready for 15.2 Dolby Atmos action with its dormant center and rear height channels. Now that’s surround sound.

59% 5.1/5.2 channels

30% 7.1/7.2 channels

6% No surround for me. Good old-fashioned 2-channel stereo is all I need.

3% 9.1/9.2 channels

2% 11.1/11.2 or more channels

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