Life circumstances have changed (kid) and I need to give up my 13' x 17' x 10' room. The new room is 10' x 10' x 10'. My setup was 7.2.4 with (4) ceiling mounted Atmos speakers in the bigger room. I'd like to keep the same in the smaller 10' x 10' room because why not? However, I cannot get the separation for (4) ceiling mounted speakers since my seating position will now be against the wall in the smaller room. So I was thinking about (2) front heights and (2) rear ceiling. But I have been reading that front height Atmos speakers are rarely used in mixing, whether movies or music. If that's true, id rather not put holes in walls and do anymore attic crawling than I need to conceal speaker wire. Any feedback on that information?
Front heights worth it?
- Thread starter pat bateman
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In my opinion, yes the front heights are used just as much as the rear heights. I'd go for it. I have a very small space as well, 12/12/14 and I can't imagine not having my height speakers in place.
Everything I have read indicates having 4 heights is far better than just 2. I have 4 and, while I can't say I have directly compared to only having 2, I can easily tell the benefits of having 4. There is definitely a lot of information on good Atmos mixes in the front 2 and having them really elevates the front plane of sound.
I'm ignorant of Atmos setups, so forgive my long-winded reply and queries. It seems from your picture that you are contemplating losing your front two ceiling mounted speakers and replacing them with two front heights, right? You would then configure them through your AVR as front heights (so 9.2.2)? Would you be able to configure the front heights as front ceiling Atmos speakers through your AVR (keeping your 7.2.4 setup even though the front ceiling speakers info would be coming out of front heights)? Would doing so mess with the sound?
Congratulations with the new family member
I too had to give up a larger room but for other circumstances.
I'm in an 8.5 x 12.5 room with a 7.1.4 setup. I think you can easily do 5.1.4 in your room.
I'm in an 8.5 x 12.5 room with a 7.1.4 setup. I think you can easily do 5.1.4 in your room.
I disagree with your assessment of height speakers not being used much.
But as far as placement of the height speakers, I have my "front heights" set up as mid heights as they are about 4 feet forward of the fronts and after moving them several times this is what I settled on for this room for best sound.
Heights as in the speakers far up on the wall above the L/R in the diagram? I don't know if I've ever seen a room with them or heard an engineer mention them. Yes the processor can create and steer sound towards them, but compared to the front ceiling pair of an Atmos setup they won't be anywhere near as useful.
^^^This. I think @patbateman is not using "heights" and "overheads" synonymously. He's asking about replacing front overheads with front heights, as in his IMG_314.
Maybe I'm confusing something here.
I don't have any "in ceiling" speakers. All my speakers are regular cabinet speakers.
The height speakers are mounted on the walls on one side, from the ceiling on the other (slanted roof).
All speakers point directly at the mlp.
I don't have any "in ceiling" speakers. All my speakers are regular cabinet speakers.
The height speakers are mounted on the walls on one side, from the ceiling on the other (slanted roof).
All speakers point directly at the mlp.
jimfisheye
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7.1.4 mixes will use any and all of the channels. Simple as that. If you want to hear these 12 channel mixes, you need to set up speakers. And you need to set them up at least close to the intended array to hear unaltered reproduction.
Will there be some faux Atmos mixes barely using all the channels? Sure!
"Are two speakers worth it? How many stereo recordings use both speakers? Do most mixes usually mostly use only the right or the left?"
Will there be some faux Atmos mixes barely using all the channels? Sure!
"Are two speakers worth it? How many stereo recordings use both speakers? Do most mixes usually mostly use only the right or the left?"
That's because it IS confusing. This is my understanding, a traditional speaker mounted high or at the ceiling being fed an an Atmos signal is a what your processor considers a ceiling channel the same as an in ceiling speaker. The height channel he's showing is something that some processors "create". And gets even more confusing when some processors could consider that the same as a wide channel. At least in a wide setup, Atmos will sometimes have a discreet channel or be effective at creating information for it. Height, my understanding would be that it depends on the processor on how or if it's used. And I could be mistaken.
Either way, I would still bet that using them as the front two Atmos positions in a x.x.4 setup would be the most effective use of them.
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I donno, pat--I expect you've done as much reading about this and gathered as many opinions as any of us, probably more. I don't have any direct experience with front heights, but my instincts say more speakers = better in every circumstance. I'd say go for it. Connect & configure those front heights as if they were in-ceiling or ceiling-mounted overheads; that way any musical content intended for front overheads will be directed to them. Then tell the rest of us how it all ends up sounding!
https://support.marantz.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/14464/~/difference-between-a-height,-top-and-dolby-atmos-enabled-speaker
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beerking
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Yes, you will regret at least not trying to.
360⁰ of music is the ultimate for me.
My bat cave is not a large room either but I get all the pleasure I can from my 7.2.4 set up.
360⁰ of music is the ultimate for me.
My bat cave is not a large room either but I get all the pleasure I can from my 7.2.4 set up.
jimfisheye
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Height channel = Ceiling channel = Atmos channel
All talking about the same thing. The .4 channels in 7.1.4. Place them where the Dolby chart says and then you can hear mixes made on the array as the artists intended.
No mystery. Just some different terms. Down mixing 12 channels to fewer is akin to down mixing stereo to mono. You're still hearing the main sounds and content. The full mix in a full discrete system is simple the best seat for it in the house.
Put all the speakers from a 5.1 system lined up on the front wall (I've seen it) and the mixes aren't sounding like they were intended anymore. Something might still sound good. You're still hearing the same vocal performance.
All talking about the same thing. The .4 channels in 7.1.4. Place them where the Dolby chart says and then you can hear mixes made on the array as the artists intended.
No mystery. Just some different terms. Down mixing 12 channels to fewer is akin to down mixing stereo to mono. You're still hearing the main sounds and content. The full mix in a full discrete system is simple the best seat for it in the house.
Put all the speakers from a 5.1 system lined up on the front wall (I've seen it) and the mixes aren't sounding like they were intended anymore. Something might still sound good. You're still hearing the same vocal performance.
I'm pretty sure there were receivers/processors that supported "height" channels before Atmos/DTSX came along (same with wides IIRC). Of course those options were matrixed. That's the reason I made a distinction. I don't know if the processor in this case would treat the "height" channels like the front 2 ceiling Atmos channels. I guess the only way to be sure would be if you took an Atmos mix that is specifically coded to 7.1.4 and played it with the speakers in the height position shown in the diagram and they played the material meant for the front 2 Atmos channels.
If you have floor sitting speakers for the fronts and can elevate "front high" speakers at least I'm thinking 3 feet above the fronts then I think you will get bang for buck.
My height speakers are roughly 4 ft above the (in my case) ear level base 7 speakers.
If I'm still missing the point then just color me confused. lol.
My height speakers are roughly 4 ft above the (in my case) ear level base 7 speakers.
If I'm still missing the point then just color me confused. lol.
jimfisheye
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Roger that!
Another version of a faux product? Like the circa '90s surround AVRs with no actual multichannel inputs that could only add reverb and put it in the surround channels?
Yeah, get out the speaker test recording! A 12 channel version now counting 1 - 12. (Needs a deep voice for ch 4.)
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