Do I need Pro Logic IIx?

Well Duane,

To be honest your methods are several steps above average but one of your biggest handicaps is the equipment you choose to use as your reference, to me an expert is going to know what the best equipment is and to use Classe and their limited processors as your sword is to me a bit of a strike against you. They will not allow you to setup your system properly without great difficulty.

You would be shocked at whatI could do to your system after your 5 hours of setup. Your approach is why you don't believe bruceomega's excellent informative totally correct post on 7.1, because you treat every speaker as stereo pair, 7.1 messes you up because it is a three channel matrix like the front speakers.

In surround sound you should be a brand zealot because so few companies make quality surround products. Wide dispersion and quality wide dispersion are two seperate things as you indicate but how many companies actually make a solid center channel?

"Bass is directional except in the frequencies that are the room nodes because the whole room amplifies the sound."

Yeah that's not true, but if i teach you I'll have to charge.

"If a speakers is well designed, the fronts and sometimes the center can run full range with better dimension and agile body to the bass."

Very rare and expensive those speakers are, two subwoofers or 5 which I like personally will always be better because where the mids are great the bass is usually not very good.
This is a problem when the bass driver is attached to the midrange driver. So you might as well accept that reality before you walk in the door. Use your Sencore to measure the difference, my little cheapy system posted here on the gon is +/- 2 DB to 30hz if you ignore 1 very Hi-Q cancellation at 42 hz. No way you get that performance from a fullrange speaker.

Let me close in saying 1. I hope to be teaching a class on how to setup a surround system properly at the local community college this spring and its great to see someone trying hard to do it right!

My recommendation here, is that QUALITY ABOVE QUANTITY!!
Many people are more concered aboust subjects like 5.1 vs. 7.1 (or 6.1), SACD vs. DVDA, HD DVD vs. Blue Ray, Dipoles vs. Direct firing, and so on!!! The problem here is that the vast majority of these people never actually get a system that's setup for quality in the first place, and never get the maximum potential from their system's to begin with!
Give me quality (even 2 channel w/sub) over 7 channels of mediocre quality, poorly setup and un-calibrated system performance, ANY TIME!!!
If I were you, I'd work on the overall integrity of your system, as opposed to what signal tweaks/formats you're trying to get on your next processor purchase. That's my 2 cents anyway.
Infact, if It came down to buying used pre's on the market, I'd buy the likes of old quality sounding pre's WITH OUT DpII or IIx personally, like the krell HTS, before buying any receiver or sonically compromised pre/pro, with more bells and whistles personally. good luck

"Give me quality (even 2 channel w/sub) over 7 channels of mediocre quality, poorly setup and un-calibrated system performance, ANY TIME!!!"

I agree totally! EXCELLENT POINT!! BRAVO!

However, this statment looses it merit EXTREMELY fast when you have a good quality, correctly setup and calibrated 7 channel system. But thanks for your 2 cents anyway, Flrn. ;)