What does the .1 in a 2.1 or 5.1 channel speaker system stand for?

Answer 1

It signifies the subwoofer (i.e. LFE).

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Answer 2

The 5.1, 6.1 etc. designations refer to the number of discrete audio channels that can be decoded, regardless of how many speakers are being used. The ".1" channel is the "LFE" (low frequency effects) channel. It is given the fractional designation because it is a limited bandwidth channel, whereas the other channels are full bandwidth.

The LFE channel USUALLY is played through one (or more) separate amplifiers and speakers, most often in the form of one (or more) powered subwoofers. It is possible to play the LFE channel through the front left & right speaker channels by adjusting the bass mangement system in the surround decoder (usually built into the receiver) to tell it there is no subwoofer and setting the front speakers to "large". The digital surround decoder still decodes the LFE channel, the bass management system just handles where the resulting signal is to be sent for amplification and reproduction.

By the same token, a 5.1, 6.1 etc. system decodes a center CHANNEL even if there is no center speaker. By setting the speaker setup menu to "none" for the center speaker, you are telling the surround decoder to split the center channel signal evenly between the front left & right speakers.

Note that Dolby Digital refers to the encoding scheme used to digitally record the sound, but it is not necessarily recorded in surround sound. Hence, "Dolby Digital 2.1" on a DVD means that it is recorded in stereo with a LFE channel.

Answer 3

All the numbers refer to the number of speakers. The number befor the period tells you how many speakers there are sournding. The number after the period tells you how many bass drivers (subwoofers) there are.

2.1=
Two sournding speakers
One subwoofer


2.2=
Two sournding speakers
Two subwoofers


5.1=
Five sournding speakers
One subwoofer


7.3=
Seven sournding speakers
Three subwoofers

Answer 4

Well, lets see...

1.0 is Mono channel
2.0 is Stereo channels, left and right
3.0 is Stereo and a center channel
4.0 is Stereo surround (FrontLeft, FrontRight, BackLeft, BackRight)
5.0 is Surround with a center channel
6.0 is Surround with TWO center chanels

If you add a .1, this means it supports a subwoofer.
If you add a .2, this means it supports TWO subwoofers

I hope that helps, I know it is a lot of info, but then again, I am an audio nut!

Answer 5

the .1 is the subwoofer

Answer 6

.1= subwoofer

Answer 7

the subwoofer

Answer 8

What they said