Poll: What's your current Atmos speaker layout?

[Sal1950]

Its a good suggestion, but it would take-away from the vaulted space to hang speakers. I thought about it briefly. BTW, are 4 ceiling mounts a different channel than 2? Is it the same output in other words.

More or less. Talking about object based audio in channel terms is hard. As I understand it, home Atmos can support up to 6 overhead speakers and would feed separate information into each IF they exist. If not it gets "folded" down into what it has to work with.
When discussions turn to the number of overheads, my thoughts has always been to at least attempt to install 4.. Think of a movie where a starship flies overhead moving from front to back.
You can never have the properly presented experience with only 2 L& R overheads.
That said, We all can do only what is possible for our unique situations and have to live with that, doing what we can to get the best possible reproduction.

 

[PK]

Dolby was designed for movies first! As shown there is a lot of forward "space" not covered by an actual speaker. In the case of pans that will surly result in the dreaded "cogging" effect. INHO it would be better to better fill in the front quadrant. With a typical music mix what are those closely spaced rear and side speakers actually doing anyway? Two speakers to the side or slightly behind the listener will do the same thing, no?

...just wondering if this doesn't deserve it's own thread as this is a poll??? That, and it's early here for out of the box thinking on my part

 

[par4ken]

The Dolby (Atmos) recommended speaker locations are that: Recomendations.

If you install your speakers at the recommended locations (recommended angles) you will have a guarantee that you will listen the mix in the closest way to how the engineer who created the mix heard it in his studio.

If you use a very different locations, of course you will listen all sound, but the intended effects may not be perceived well or even not perceived at all.

It happens the same with Stereo. At the recommended MLP location at the vertex of an equilateral triangle with the speakers, when you are not at the recommended location you will listen all the 2.0 music, but the stereo effects and stereo images may be lost.

I could care less what was originally intended only what sounds good! I don't believe that the recommendations are optimal regardless of how the recording was actually mixed. No need to specify actual angles they can be deduced from the diagrams. Yes the speaker positions are recommendations but far too many people seem to be taking it as gospel!

As for stereo I only listen in surround via Tate or Vario-matrix which might not be what was originally intended but it is miles above regular stereo and you can better hear everything that was in original mix. It's like listening through a magnifying glass!!!!

That diagram in question differs greatly from others that I've seen. So who is right?

 

[Sal1950]

I could care less what was originally intended only what sounds good! I don't believe that the recommendations are optimal regardless of how the recording was actually mixed.

So in your pre-multich days you just threw one speaker in a front corner and used the other as an end table next to the listening chair? You could "care less what was originally intended" ?

 

[par4ken]

So in your pre-multich days you just threw one speaker in a front corner and used the other as an end table next to the listening chair? You could "care less what was originally intended" ?

That is what a lot of people did and still do! Worse is when both speakers are placed side by side! Actually I usually placed the speakers about eight feet apart as was recommended for stereo. No mention was ever made of angles!

With stereo if the speakers are too far apart you get the hole in the middle effect, not correct but it doesn't necessarily sound bad! I listened to stereo for a very short period before graduating to Dyna Quad and then to real quad.

 

[Sal1950]

That is what a lot of people did and still do! Worse is when both speakers are placed side by side! Actually I usually placed the speakers about eight feet apart as was recommended for stereo. No mention was ever made of angles!

With stereo if the speakers are too far apart you get the hole in the middle effect, not correct but it doesn't necessarily sound bad! I listened to stereo for a very short period before graduating to Dyna Quad and then to real quad.

If none of it makes any dif to you, why not just save the time and money and use one mono speaker?
So did you position your Quad speakers properly or just stack them all up in one corner since you could "care less what was originally intended" ?

 

[par4ken]

If none of it makes any dif to you, why not just save the time and money and use one mono speaker?

???? did I say that???? While I've long said that most people only need mono, they don't even know the difference with stereo. I didn't make that particular remark here and I've never said the same for myself, I thought that I was very clear! Back in the day I tended to follow the stereo recommendations of the time, so what is your point? I did say and maintain that improperly placed stereo speakers (i.e. too far apart) can sometimes sound good.

So did you position your Quad speakers properly or just stack them all up in one corner since you could "care less what was originally intended" ?

You know that ia a ridiculous remark when did I say anything close to that? Yes I did say that "I could care less what was originally intended" (as long as it sounds good). So what is your point????

 

[Sal1950]

You know that ia a ridiculous remark when did I say anything close to that? Yes I did say that

Simply my response to what I feel was a ridiculous statement or posting when we were trying to
help MrMarty make the best possible use of the speakers he has.

I could care less what was originally intended only what sounds good! I don't believe that the recommendations are optimal regardless of how the recording was actually mixed. No need to specify actual angles they can be deduced from the diagrams. Yes the speaker positions are recommendations but far too many people seem to be taking it as gospel!

This is just wrong!
If you don't care about getting things functioning in the way the mix intended, that's fine, for you.
But yes, there is a "gospel" on the proper way to arrange speakers for stereo, quad, 5.1, 7.1, Atmos systems.
At least if you want to hear it in the manner the folks sitting at the mixing desk did.
Anything else is going to produce less than optimum results.
We all have to make sacrifices for our rooms and wallets but at least try to do things right best as possible.
YMMV

 

[par4ken]

we were trying to
help MrMarty make the best possible use of the speakers he has.

Yes and he was being criticised because according to the posted diagram his surround speakers were too far forward. I disagree with that assessment and think that as described he was doing just fine on his own! He has limitations with his listening room, a point obviously lost on you. I did/do suggest that the more forward placement might be better anyway!

I have never made any ridiculous statements!!!! Disagreeing with "official" Dolby speaker placement is not a crime nor is it "wrong". There have been discussions about placing speakers at 90°, while I like the effect (like headphones) others don't. Putting sides there plus back speakers behind as diagrammed, I think would just just be too much! You would get better "mileage" with those speakers moved forward. Other drawings/recommendations posted in the past differ significantly!

 

[mandrix]

This crude pic show roughly how I have mine set up.
People can tell me it's wrong all day, but that's what we have speaker calibration systems for.
Anyway it works for me, far it be from Dolby's recommendations.

 

[Sal1950]

This crude pic show roughly how I have mine set up.

Anyway it works for me, far it be from Dolby's recommendations.

What's wrong with it? Looks pretty dang close to the perfect Quad layout, enhanced for Atmos.
With at least 4 different basic (Quad, 5.1, 7.1 and Atmos) multich configurations to try and satisfy, not to
mention Auro, no one choice will be perfect for all.

 

[mandrix]

I guess I was illustrating that people worry too much about having everything set up perfectly according to Dolby or ITU standards.
My rear surrounds are clearly set up in what most would consider a Quad configuration, not at 90-110* from MLP.

How can anyone tell me they know what my room sounds like, and that I'm getting less enjoyment than them? Or that the mixer doesn't mix with my setup in mind, who cares?

 

[barfle]

Its a good suggestion, but it would take-away from the vaulted space to hang speakers. I thought about it briefly. BTW, are 4 ceiling mounts a different channel than 2? Is it the same output in other words.

If you have four ceiling speakers, Atmos can give you four overhead channels. That’s what I have: four outputs from the decoder, four amplifiers and four speakers. If your hardware does not support that, you probably can parallel the right and left speakers to single right and left amplifier outputs Just make sure your amps can drive the load.

 

[barfle]

I’ve said it several times before, and now it seems it’s time to do it again. Nobody has a perfect setup. Every setup has compromises. I know mine does, but it’s still “pretty good” to me, which is all I’m after.

I don’t have matched speakers. I don’t have side speakers (whatever you want to call them). My ceiling is lower than Atmos would like, and the trusses kept me from ideal placement of the ceiling speakers. My front seat backs are too high. Whoopdefreakingdiddlydo. I know it’s not perfect, and I know it will never be perfect. But it’s pretty damn good.

And I don’t have any $10,000 power cables, either.

 

[par4ken]

What's wrong with it? Looks pretty dang close to the perfect Quad layout, enhanced for Atmos.
With at least 4 different basic (Quad, 5.1, 7.1 and Atmos) multich configurations to try and satisfy, not to
mention Auro, no one choice will be perfect for all.

Sal you are such a hypocrite you agree with with barfle but call me "ridiculous" for suggesting the very same thing!

 

[petrimyllyla]

They can but not openly. I have great room, great sound with very average set up. Hifi seller said its best he have heard in such price tag. Also highs were perfect.

 

[andyp]

Time out...

 

[RustyM]

My set up is 11.1.

 

[MrMarty]

My set up is 11.1.
View attachment 112914

You need another subwoofer.

 

[Sal1950]

You need another subwoofer.

Or 3

My set up is 11.1.

If those overheads are for Atmos, it's called a 7.1.4

I guess I was illustrating that people worry too much about having everything set up perfectly according to Dolby or ITU standards.

It simply comes down to trying to do the best you can with what you have available.
That's what I tried to help MrMarty accomplish.
It makes no sense to totally ignore Dolby or any one else's recommendations if they were the ones that designed the system. You could chose to drive your car backwards all the time if you so desired, but it's not going to work out quite right that way.