Where to add Atmos speakers for maximum audio impact.

[GabeL]

Si, I currently have a 5.1 system and have purchased four SVS elevation speakers to add as Atmos speakers. My original thought was to add two as front height and two as overhead/ceiling. Any thoughts from those that have Atmos setups about placements that would provide the most audio bang for my buck? Thanks so much.

 

[paligap]

In my opinion, the Atmos experience is best when all 4 speakers are on- or in-ceiling, as in this user picture from the SVS website:
https://cdn.stamped.io/uploads/instagram/231540_17919864842123238_high.jpg

Of course, space or other considerations may dictate otherwise.

 

[GabeL]

In my opinion, the Atmos experience is best when all 4 speakers are on- or in-ceiling, as in this user picture from the SVS website:
https://cdn.stamped.io/uploads/instagram/231540_17919864842123238_high.jpg
View attachment 100140

Of course, space or other considerations may dictate otherwise.

My thought was to add the front heights on the wall and the others on the ceiling about half way.

 

[GabeL]

I have a weird room/ceiling due to ductwork.

 

[alansanchez86]

this is the road map I would recommend and the one I followed.

5.1.2 (front ceilings)
5.1.4 (front & back ceilings)
7.1.4 (rears)

 

[GabeL]

this is the road map I would recommend and the one I followed.

5.1.2 (front ceilings)
5.1.4 (front & back ceilings)
7.1.4 (rears)

With the rears mounted over the seating area? Essentially like four corners for the four ceiling mounted speakers? Thanks

 

[paligap]

I have a weird room/ceiling due to ductwork.

Does the drop down go all the way to the left wall? If so, whether you mount the front speakers high on the front wall or on the ceiling, you would have to decide whether the one on the right would be higher than the one on the left. How high is the ceiling?

How much space behind the listening position do you have for the rears?

 

[humprof]

You can refer to Dolby's official guidelines, using the one that's closest to your configuration. Of course, your room characteristics and/or other considerations may move you to deviate from the recommendations.
https://www.dolby.com/about/support/guide/speaker-setup-guides/https://www.dolby.com/siteassets/te...atmos-installation-guidelines-121318_r3.1.pdf
This reddit thread may also be of interest:

 

[GabeL]

Does the drop down go all the way to the left wall? If so, whether you mount the front speakers high on the front wall or on the ceiling, you would have to decide whether the one on the right would be higher than the one on the left. How high is the ceiling?

How much space behind the listening position do you have for the rears?

There is no left wall, my plan would be to mount the front speakers above the TV (I may end up shifting the TV to the right a bit). The ceiling is at best 8 feet tall. No space behind the listening position; my couch is directly against the back wall. It is a small space overall.

 

[marpow]

You can refer to Dolby's official guidelines, using the one that's closest to your configuration. Of course, your room characteristics and/or other considerations may move you to deviate from the recommendations.
https://www.dolby.com/about/support/guide/speaker-setup-guides/https://www.dolby.com/siteassets/te...atmos-installation-guidelines-121318_r3.1.pdf
This reddit thread may also be of interest:

I have been a Atmos listener since 2020 and as it is evolving like so many things in the audio world, I have come to conclusion and will likely change my set up in 2024.
In your Reddit , it makes mention that in ceiling speakers may be wrong.
I have in ceiling (4) speakers, they primarily fire straight down with the tweeter that is adjustable to my listening position.
I wouldn't go as far as to say it is wrong, I would sat that box speakers as in Post #2 would be more desirable.
Reason is, you get the full use of the speaker firing at you, not the midrange down and the tweeter angled.
Also a highly desirable acoustic treatment is to put a panel above your listening area, some call this acoustic treatment a cloud panel.
If you have flush mount speakers, the presumably 2"-3" depth of your ceiling panel will block some of the directional sound from your speakers.
I am not going to say I did it wrong, just that I found a more desirable way.
I have been a contractor for 50+ years and no installation of anything worries me, but I do know that for some, the lack of skills, makes the ceiling speakers not easy.
The good news is that from a mounting point of view, assuming you have good ceiling joists and/or good anchors a box speaker is actually easier to install than flush mount speakers.
I look forward to changing mine sometime this year.

 

[GabeL]

I have been a Atmos listener since 2020 and as it is evolving like so many things in the audio world, I have come to conclusion and will likely change my set up in 2024.
In your Reddit , it makes mention that in ceiling speakers may be wrong.
I have in ceiling (4) speakers, they primarily fire straight down with the tweeter that is adjustable to my listening position.
I wouldn't go as far as to say it is wrong, I would sat that box speakers as in Post #2 would be more desirable.
Reason is, you get the full use of the speaker firing at you, not the midrange down and the tweeter angled.
Also a highly desirable acoustic treatment is to put a panel above your listening area, some call this acoustic treatment a cloud panel.
If you have flush mount speakers, the presumably 2"-3" depth of your ceiling panel will block some of the directional sound from your speakers.
I am not going to say I did it wrong, just that I found a more desirable way.
I have been a contractor for 50+ years and no installation of anything worries me, but I do know that for some, the lack of skills, makes the ceiling speakers not easy.
The good news is that from a mounting point of view, assuming you have good ceiling joists and/or good anchors a box speaker is actually easier to install than flush mount speakers.
I look forward to changing mine sometime this year.

The additional speakers will all be on wall or on ceiling. Thanks for your insights.

 

[paligap]

There is no left wall, my plan would be to mount the front speakers above the TV (I may end up shifting the TV to the right a bit). The ceiling is at best 8 feet tall. No space behind the listening position; my couch is directly against the back wall. It is a small space overall.

No left wall? In your picture, I see part of what appears to be a curtain on the right, indicating a wall on the right. Your picture doesn't show much to the left of the center of your entertainment center, but I assume there is a wall to the left at some point, no?

At any rate, with that drop down, low ceiling, and no space behind the listening position, it's going to be a challenge to get a decent atmos speaker placement. Good luck.

 

[GabeL]

No left wall? In your picture, I see part of what appears to be a curtain on the right, indicating a wall on the right. Your picture doesn't show much to the left of the center of your entertainment center, but I assume there is a wall to the left at some point, no?

At any rate, with that drop down, low ceiling, and no space behind the listening position, it's going to be a challenge to get a decent atmos speaker placement. Good luck.

The lower level of my home is L-shaped. What you saw (and where my set-up is) is in the smaller portion of the L-shape. Hence why I say there is no left wall. But yes, gonna be tough. Thanks.

 

[MTB Vince]

https://www.dolby.com/about/support/guide/speaker-setup-guides/5.1.4-overhead-speaker-setup-guide/

 

[madscot]

There is no left wall, my plan would be to mount the front speakers above the TV (I may end up shifting the TV to the right a bit). The ceiling is at best 8 feet tall. No space behind the listening position; my couch is directly against the back wall. It is a small space overall.

To be honest the atmos back speakers should be behind you and not right above you otherwise you dont get the proper front to back and side to side experience. If that was my space i’d be tempted to go 7.1.2 instead of 5.1.4

 

[DrKlahn]

To be honest the atmos back speakers should be behind you and not right above you otherwise you dont get the proper front to back and side to side experience. If that was my space i’d be tempted to go 7.1.2 instead of 5.1.4

I had a 7.2.2 for a while, then added toppers to channels 4/5 to go 7.2.4 and finally redid the setup with in ceiling speakers mounted in boxes that angle them towards the seating (tweeters are further angled towards the seating). I'd be tempted to do a 5.x.4 setup if 4 Atmos speakers are the end goal simply because you might want to change placement of the ceiling channels going from a x.x.2 setup to an x.x.4 setup (I had the 2 ceiling setup closer to the listening area and spread things out going to 4). It's generally easier to add back channels to the base layer than it is to redo the ceiling setup in my experience.

No wrong way to approach it really, that's just my experience and how others I know locally have approached it. In hindsight I wish I would have just done it right the first time rather than dipped my toes into the Atmos pool. 4 ceiling channels really is a better experience than 2 and I convinced myself otherwise and ended up making more work in the end.

 

[GabeL]

To be honest the atmos back speakers should be behind you and not right above you otherwise you dont get the proper front to back and side to side experience. If that was my space i’d be tempted to go 7.1.2 instead of 5.1.4

The SVS website says that they can be placed directly overhead for the “Voice of God” effect??

 

[madscot]

The SVS website says that they can be placed directly overhead for the “Voice of God” effect??

Wouldn’t that be if there’s only two?

 

[mandrix]

It depends on the room. It depends on the room.
In a good sized room, when I had 5.1.2 I ended up going with the single pair of top speakers as mid-top, in position and in the AVR setup.

In my current (smaller) audio room I have 7.1.4.
The rear top speakers have remained static behind. The other top pair, I have tried as front top, mid top, but have actually moved them several times.
Now, the forward top speakers are about 4 ft forward of the fronts. They are currently calibrated as front top/front high, but when I do another 9 point mic placement with Dirac Live I'm going to once again try as Mid Top.
Since I have a bit of time invested in this I'm thinking at their current position, in this room, that Mid Top as selected in the AVR will give a cleaner, more defined sound.

I do not have a flat, but rather a slanted ceiling. No way around it. I continue to refine but it's "almost there".
Not going to debate about speaker types, only to say that all mine are enclosed and point directly at the MLP. Some have built enclosures to place on the ceiling and I think that could be a great approach. What ever works for you is best!

EDIT: Wanted to add that though the ceiling is slanted, all four top speakers reside at the same elevation from the floor.

 

[paligap]

The SVS website says that they can be placed directly overhead for the “Voice of God” effect??

The website says that in relation to the Auro-3D format, not Atmos. Again, though, the constraints of your room will dictate what you can do with placement.

The website also says: "If you have a unique room layout and are unsure of the best place to install SVS Prime Elevation speakers for height effects, 5.1 surround sound or some other application, contact the SVS Sound Experts at [email protected], 877.626.5623 or chat."