I've wondered about those 5.1 speaker systems, which usually contain four "surround" speakers, one center speaker, and a subwoofer. They work great in a single room of a certain size, but how do they work if you want to hook to speakers all over the house, or in a large room?

The women's center when I do volunteer work is a huge, old firehouse with four engine bays, with a long bay off to the side which must have housed the hook-and-ladder truck. We have at least eight speakers mounted on the ceiling, and I have them hooked to an old stereo I bought at a thrift store. Works great that way, but would it work very well if I hooked it to a stereo made for 5.1 or 7.1 speakers? Is the next generation of thrift shop sound going to outpace the speakers we have in the firehouse?

-Joe-