Excellent Ealan! I've been looking for while now for someone to talk about this topic and I think you're the only one. Thanks for the great content! Keep it up! 👍
I would think upfiring would cause a bunch of issues interfering with the other speakers. I'd also think you would have some latency with the added distance.
If you run the automatic setup that comes with most modern surround sound amps, it should adjust the time delay to accomodate the speakers position, distance and how long the audio takes to reach the microphone. Latency should not be an issue.
You would be thinking incorrectly. All the speakers uncalibrated for spl and distance/time delay will cause cancelling or echoing. The up firing receiver should ask you for ceiling height and adjust for spl and distance
Thanks for this video. I have Klipsch up-firing speakers on my towers for years (5.2.2). Thought is was ok, but nothing great. Can't do in ceiling speakers, but after watching you video, I moved the up-firing to Front presence height location (8' ceiling). Absolutely huge difference in my room. on ATMOS tracks I actually can sense the sound is coming overhead.
I actually built speaker boxes for "in-wall/ceiling" speakers, and successfully stud-mounted them to my ceiling in a unique manner. Ceiling speakers have always been a priority even when thinking Atmos early on. And I did this for the first FOUR, and down the line I'm going to get it to SIX. Little bits at a time for now.
I agree just upgraded to Dolby Atmos and go the Upward Firing Speakers you put on top of the Tower Speakers. It just made the Tower Speaker sound better..
Great Video, I would just add when I first got the Klipsch 5.1.2 set up with the built in atmos speakers I did A/B testing not with the atmos modules alone but with and without them in the whole set up. While the pinpoint location possible with overhead set ups wasn't there, in my room with my set up, the upward firing speakers did add the 'environmental' immersion with reverb and sound effects that had me forgetting I was supposed to be doing a comparison and sucked me right into the scene every time.
Exactly. That’s why I wanted to stress that upward firing isn’t completely worthless, just not the absolutely best option out there. Gotta do the best you can with what you already have! 🤘
The problem with 90% of upward firing speakers is their design. Dolby limits their bandwidth vs the crossover, to promote beaming, and avoid direct sound to the listener. Its not an effective design. A better solution is for the speakers to be angled, but recessed in the box with acoustic lining. This does a much better job of reducing direct sound, and isolating the reflected sound. Also how one angles them is crucial to insuring the reflected sound even reaches the seating position. The best method is to use a helper with a ladder, who places a mirror on the ceiling where the listener can see the speaker from their normal seating position. Once accomplished, the listener then goes over to the upward firing speaker and angles the speaker so it aims directly at the mirror. A small flashlight or laser pointer is helpful. The height of the ceiling is less important than the angling, as the room correction software will set the appropriate output for all speakers, including upward firing ones. The only off-the-shelf, upward firing Atmos speakers, I would recommend are the Atlantic Technology 44-DAs and the PSB Imagine XA Atmos enabled
I have some Klipsch tower speakers that have Atmos speakers in the top, and they are recessed and angled internally but you can't tell without removing the covers.
That’s interesting. I did something in that idea but in a budget/patchwork kind of way. After selling off all my Paradigm speakers I went with Hsu Research across the front, as well as the sub. Just to get the 4-7 speakers going I got 4 Polk T-15’s to put on the walls. Before I got around to replacing them I became unhappy with the Hsu speakers and replaced them with Klipsch RP across the front. But I’m still unhappy with speakers 6+7 so, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to try them in an Atmos position and re-assign them to “height”. I wasn’t that interested in height prior to this as I first had Paradigm Atom speakers in this position over 20 years ago with my Yamaha 3200, which had outputs called, oddly enough, “height”. Unimpressed, I was. Anyway, I got a couple of small wall shelves at Lowes, installed them above head level (while seated) on either side of the TV, moved 6&7 to the shelves in the horizontal position and propped up the backs with a length of 2”x2” for, oh, let’s call it 30° angle. Purists out there are retching and fainting right about now but the results were quite impressive. I’m just about to start experimenting with the volume levels. Will I decide I need dedicated design height speakers? Small sample test size at this point but I kind of doubt it. The T-15’s project well and I see no pressing reason to replace them (more gasps from the purists)…at this time. We’ll see. Oh, and I’m not sure why Dolby seems to get all the credit for “height”. Yamaha had it in a receiver (probably) designed in the 90’s and, with a limited number of Atmos enabled disks available I just keep the DTS:X button pressed on my Marantz receiver. So I get some effect on everything, even the AAC audio rips, I mean “backups”, I keep on hard drive. Anyway, it’s a good suggestion to at least experiment with speakers on hand before diving in. You can, at least, get an idea if the concept works for you without buying speakers.
I've downfiring speakers, similar distance away from everything else. I've my heights +7db higher. Blends well. Even my yamaha reciever, put them at +6 on auto calibration. Definitely, don't be scared to raise their volume if the effect isn't hitting you!
Use the speaker balancing app on the receiver using the included microphone… This is critical for a Dolby set up. If you haven’t… your listening experience, while interesting, isn’t Dolby. You will over drive your speakers… by a lot. After all you bought them to ‘hear’ them! Right?
My experience with upwards firing speakers is excellent! I have 7.1.2 setup, with front speakers (and upwards speakers) from Definitive Technologies 9060 series, and KEF T301 as surround speakers, connected to Denon X6700H AVR, thoroughly calibrated with Audyssey. While most movies hardly have much going on “up there”, in video games, like Cyberpunk 2077 the effect is insane! Aircraft and monorail trains flying overhead, someone shooting at me from up above etc. My favorite test is to find music source blasting from one of the shops on the streets of Night City, approach them - and you can pinpoint the exact source of the sound above you.
You hit the nail on the head. Dolby killed Atmos for movies with their anti-consumer crap; it's only worth using for fake sound processing, like video games.
this is why I have upfiring speakers in my game room in a 5.1.2 setup. In my theater I have 7.2.4 with my atmos speakers all in ceiling with tweeters aimed at the main listening position.
Really cool calm monologue. Been considering whether to invest in some upward firing speakers, this has given me some food for thought. Thanks. And you’re right, once you begin the home theatre journey, you can’t stop…
Looks like you need to use the Subwoofer 2 output and have it be powered by an external amp. In the link below, scroll down about halfway to where it says “Example connection for the Auro 3D 10.1 Channel System.” manuals.denon.com/AVRX4500H/NA/EN/DRDZSYrjomlmpo.php#
I live in a pretty small apartment, and I have my home theatre in my bedroom. So space is really tiny. so I stacked up boxes to put my height speakers on the side up to the ceiling (pretty short ceilings) and it works very well considering that I'm running 5.1.2. I didn't even bother trying upward firing as I heard it wasn't the best.
After a bunch of experimentation (at least in my Man Cave), I found that making a wood baffle to the tilted Atmos speaker on top of the main stereo mains works very well. A three-sided piece of 1/4" plywood stuck on the speaker on listening side of angled speaker with double-sided tape. Essentially, the key is blocking the direct sound path to the listening ear from the Atmos speaker is key. Audessey, equalizing really made it zone in on a great sound experience. Point is...every room is different and fun to to try out what is best for you.
i've been trying to decide if i wanted to move my atmos speakers from upward firing to wall mounting behind my tv... you just sold me because i've been feeling the same way about having them upward firing. thanks for the video!
I'm experimenting with a 5th option (up-fire, on-wall). I have up-firing Polk XT-90s and found them to be lacking when placed on top of my fronts/rears. I completely agree with your findings... too lossy with the extra distance this creates and they mostly get lost. I have wall mount brackets in the corners of my room (front and back about 1.5' from ceiling), I'm trying out placing them into the brackets but not pointing them directly at me, leaving them pointing up towards the ceiling at 45 degrees. That way, the sound from each "fills" the corners of the room with less directional effect. Still too soon to tell if this is better than placing them pointing directly with those brackets, but so far so good and I like it.
Like some of the other commenters said, did you play around with the volume setting for the upward firing speakers? In most of the autocalibration I did, the receiver boosts the volume for the atmos speakers by 3-6 dBs. Also noticed that your ceiling is not quite flat, so could be a lot of scattered reflection which reduces the sound going into your ears. But this could be just the quality of your video that made the ceiling look halfway between a flat ceiling and a popcorn ceiling.
I have the Pioneer add on Atmos module speakers for the front and rear speakers, and I also barely heard anything coming from the height channels when I placed them on top on the main speakers, so I decided to mount the Atmos speakers to the ceiling and it made all the difference in the world. I can easily hear Atmos in a good mix and makes the movie soundtrack totally immersive! I have a Marantz 8802a and updated it to Auro 3D capability. I purchased a few Blu-Ray discs with Auro 3D, and originally set up the Marantz for 7.1.4 Auro 3D configuration. However, speaker placement wasn’t optimized for Auro 3D, but was compatible for Auro 3D and Atmos. Result: Auro 3D wasn’t a dramatic difference from Dolby Atmos, and the price for Auro 3D software wasn’t justified. Since Atmos is prevalent here in the US, I decided recalibrate the Marantz for Atmos. Also, when I had the system optimized for Auro 3D, the front and rear Height Channels didn’t independently produce sound from the LH and RH, rather they both created the same pink noise signal at the same time using an Atmos disc. Furthermore, only the front height speakers were engaged producing any Atmos effects. The Rear Atmos channels were never used. When I recalibrated the system for Atmos, I got back the LH and RH channels on both the front and back Height Channels. Watching in Atmos is more immersive with all speakers engaged. My impressions: Auro 3D sounds similar to Atmos with Auro 3D content, but due to system configuration with Auro, you may not get 7.1.4 with Atmos soundtracks. On the other hand, you do get better overall enveloping sound from the Auro 3D up mixer. It gives a natural sound field for non Auro 3D or 2.0, 5.1 and 7.1 material. Unfortunately, once configuring the Marantz back to Atmos, I lose a few Auro 3D effects options. Btw, Atmos is based on Auro 3D, but due to copyright issues, Dolby changed the speaker placement for their design. AURO 3D uses DTS as their codec to carry Auro 3D information, while Dolby uses Dolby TrueHD 7.1 at the core plus metadata to extend capabilities for Atmos.
I am running a Marantz with the Pioneer up firing in the front. I am going to switch to the SVS prime atmos speakers and mount them to the front ceiling. I was trying to avoid drilling holes into the ceiling and I do not want to cut speaker holes.
I’ve got 4 speakers that I mounted on the ceiling. They’re not as far from each other front to back as I’d like them but it still sounds pretty impressive. Especially when a game is in Atmos.
I'm not disputing your findings with the room and speakers you used, but I have Focal Sib Evo with built-in purpose designed Atmos upfiring speakers and they really work in my living room. Where they lose out is in accurate positioning of the sounds front to rear, but overhead effects genuinely sound like they are overhead. In-ceiling speakers aren't an option for my room, but I have previously tried speakers in various other positions. Up high on the front, but set as front height in my AVR, and they added little to height and no sense of overhead at all. I tried the test you did with all other speakers disconnected and with every movie I tried they pretty much never made a sound. Also ran with them up on the side walls and they were more active in that position, but also never really sounded overhead and it was too easy to localise the sound as coming from a specific speaker. The upfiring are easily the best experience, really filling out the soundstage and adding more height to the front than the physical front speakers did. It doesn't hurt that this is the cleanest setup also with no wires running up the walls.
I have two Klipsch RP500SA's on adjustable speakers stands behind my 65inch Sony Z9D. Their faceplate are 3 feet away from my 8 feet flat ceiling. Both speakers set several DB's higher than bed level speakers. Awesome upFiring Atmos performance. I also have two Focal Evo upFiring as rear. Set their DB levels much higher than bed level speakers. Thus I'm running 5.1.4. My setup Atmos's sounds is so Amazing... Heights or inCeiling is not needed by me. I also have high end SVS Subs. I love SVS. I've been to high end Home Theater Demo rooms. I took my best 4K Atmos Blu Ray there to demo inCeiling Atmos. So my 5.1.4 Atmos decision was much thought out with careful Atmos sound listening and proper setup. Proper Atmos speakers DB levels calibration.
My upfiring atmos speakers are 3 feet from the ceiling. They sound great. I prefer not to know where the sound is coming from when watching movies. It's too distracting and I lose my concentration on the movie story line.
Thats the proper aspect of dolby Atmos, They seems to misunderstood, its suppose to be a blended dispersion, not localized ceiling speakers. A moving helicopter in the city above the sound in real life would be up high but bouncing above you, the sound won't just be in 1 spot from the helicopter 😂
Hi. When you mounted your speakers on the wall, did you configure them still as Dolby atmos front enabled speakers on your Onkyo or high front speakers?
Thank you for the description of what you should expect to actually hear given the different positions. Most people don’t explain it as well thank you.
Like I said in the last video, you're in my head...literally! How?? Amazing comparison and with real world perspectives. I literally feel like you're on the exact same journey as me on discovering Home Theater and ratcheting up your experience with but still offering valuable insights for even seasoned folks. #Nailingit
If you can't hear the upfiring atmos speakers being reflected off a flat ceiling at that height then it is because you're suppose to configure your HT receiver so that it knows that you are using up-firing so it can set the audio levels and time delays properly. It helps if you have a decent quality receiver that has room correction software built-in and can connect a mic so that it can be done automatically. But in saying that it still isn't going to be as good as direct sound.
One thing I really like about my Kali Audio Atmos setup is that I have the option to use speaker stands for my height channels with the mounting hardware that was included!! Just something to think about for anyone living at a rental that REALLY wants to commit to an Atmos setup. (Disclaimer, this is a music studio setup, but still a neat idea!!)
So, are you saying all those high-end Atmos soundbars don't actually work? I've watched many pro reviews of them, and they all say they hear sound bouncing off the ceiling from the upward-firing speakers in the bar. So if they hear them with a soundbar, why isn't this working for you with high end gear?
Soundbars have come a long way since this video was made 3 years ago. At least the flagship systems, like the Sony BRAVIA Theatre Quad, Samsung Q990D and Sonos Arc Ultra. They are by far the best wireless, easy-to-setup systems on the market. But in the end, I still prefer a traditional system with height speakers mounted. Nothing beats direct sound, as opposed to reflected sound.
@@ealanosborne Thanks. I really appreciate the reply! I'm on the fence about what to do because I can't mount Atmos speakers anywhere on the walls or ceilings. I currently have a 5.1 with KEFs, but I don't know if I should get a new Atmos receiver and a pair of upward-firing speakers or a new high-end Atmos soundbar like the Arc Ultra or Bose. I watched all your videos and still need to figure it out! Thanks again; you have fantastic content.
That's why I purchased a Bose 900 about a year ago and their height channels and rear jewel surrounds speakers are a Beast. I have 12foot ceilings and you hear and feel it all even if the content not in Atmos.
I use onkyo upfiring Atmos speakers. 1 feet lower than the ceiling pointing to the ceiling angled to the listener . They work super fine. Please try and you will see how the sound bounces from the ceiling and widens the listening effects
Upfirers can work... but in my experience, the auto-cal in AVRs almost never gets the distance/delay right. Some AVRs have a separate setting for you to manually set distance from the upfirer to the ceiling, but even then, you basically have to put on a good Atmos demo clip and tweak distances until you hear it snap into place. I think that's why most people end up thinking they just don't work at all. That said, you're still right. They should be the last resort.
right...what's the proper way to measure the distance/delay of the atmos modules? is it to measure first from the atmos module to the ceiling and then ADD the distance from the ceiling to the listener? Thanks
@@TheFandangovideoguy It depends. If you have a newer AVR that has the parameter you can adjust to tell it the distance from your upfirer to the ceiling, it does simple math to calculate the delay based on what the third side of that triangle would be (with one side being upfirer to ceiling and the other being the direct path from MLP to the upfirer, which is what your auto-cal detects). If you have an older AVR, it's a crapshoot. They were typically pre-set to an expected 8 foot ceiling height expectation with the upfirers roughly just above typical seated ear level (39 inches, if I recall). So at that point, I found that the best result was to just measure from the upfirer to where it points on the ceiling and then down from that point to the MLP.
@@TheReverendSlim you are math wizard! I have a Denon AVR-4400h...a good one...so I guess the AVR doesn't calculate the real distance from the atmos bouncing module to the MLP...I'll take a look a t the manual and see what distance to enter...it doesn't sound bad as it is...maybe it could be better. Thanks
@@TheFandangovideoguy If you're using upfirers on the 4400, go to the distance section under manual speaker setup. At the bottom, it will have a dolby settings part that will let you adjust the distance from the upfirer to the ceiling.
If you calibrate up firing speakers they are effective.. you should use a volume meter . I found that a 2-4db increase above room calibration is needed to get any noticeable atmos effects... from upfiring speakers... and pointing bookshelves at the listener works best with truehd 7.1 but not atmos which is object based audio. I have tried both ways and TO ME i prefer the up firing sound.. It just sounds more natural (I think many people don't understand the atmos concept and expect it to sound exactly like direct firing speakers) My samsung hw-q990 soundbar really brings the atmos effect to life
You have to calculate the algorithmic scale for reflecting of the ceiling..as NORMAL atmos is made for speakers IN the ceiling...If you want reflective sound to come anywhere near that experience you'll have to add at least 4 to 6db to the volume of the atmos channels...
@@savitarr1162 I don't know, you might get the same "effect" by lowering the level on all the other speakers and turning up the volume. But i don't know when it will start distorting. That might be worth a try. so leave the upfiring at six and lower everything else by 2 or so and turn up the volume a bit and see if there is a difference..
@@justkiddin1980 do the rear/upfiring speakers get louder when You turn on the volume? This sound bar is so loud I never put higher then volume 12-13, maybe thats a reason I dont realy hear sound from above
@@savitarr1162 Okay so its a "soundbar" yeah good luck with that..The solution with a soundbar is never ideal and might never work like you want it to. I thought it was a normal homecinema system you were talking about. All soundbars have limitations and you might never really get the effect you're trying to create i am sorry to say.
Can we simply put these upward firing speakers in the wall? I’m thinking of buying a monitor audio bronze Atmos unit and thinking of wall mounting them?
Yes. I highly recommend mounting height speakers up on a wall or on a ceiling, if at all possible. Upward firing is a last resort, if those kinds of circumstances arise. 👍
@@ealanosborne thank you very much! This seems to be not so discussed topic on UA-cam relatively speaking. Thanks for creating this video! I’m thinking of a 3.1.2 setup as I have no space for surrounds . I’ll see how it goes!
Please tell me the best placement for my upward firing sound bar.. should i place it below my tv or above ? Or below and slightly in front of it.. please help me with this problem
In front below the TV. If it’s on a TV stand or cabinet, make sure it’s right at the edge so you don’t get any reflections off the cabinet from the front speakers. Upward firing can be decent, but not the best, so that should be your best bet with what you have. And if you can independently adjust the volume of the upward firing speakers, you might want to turn them all the way up for maximum bounce off your ceiling.
Just some industrial strength Velcro from Home Depot. Can hold up to 10 lbs. www.homedepot.com/p/VELCRO-Brand-4-ft-x-2-in-Industrial-Strength-Tape-90593/202261931
Hi good video. Question. What is better. Put the height speaker (upfiring) directly on the ceiling or on the wall right next to the ceiling? (Video 9:18 min)
It’s personal preference, honestly. Although I do prefer the science behind Auro 3D setups where they want you to mount height speakers 30 degrees up from your listening position. So it depends on how far your couch is from the TV and how high your ceilings are if 30 degrees means on the wall or the ceiling. 👍
I would like to ask, if there is an effect on the surround channels of a soundbar in case the surface behind my couch is a glass wall and the soundbar is located 4.5 meters parallel to glass surface? I heard glass may be a soundwave insulator and may take away the effect of the surround channels since they need walls to bounce from
Glass is still highly reflective, like a wall. But depending on how thick the glass is, it can still absorb some low frequencies, but not much. So it’s not AS reflective as a wall, but pretty darn close.
i have wiring for four speakers in the ceiling. can i just do a center speaker, sub, and four ceiling mounted speakers, with nothing on the ground/stand? would these be "atmos" or would they just be surround sound??
That would just be considered surround sound, since you don’t technically have any other ear level speakers besides your center. That’s how my previous house was set up when we first moved in. It’s popular among new construction homes so you can still have a 5.1 system without it being an eye sore or obtrusive in any way. 👍
Hello good sir! Timecode 9 minutes and 17 seconds. Are the Atmos speakers taped onto the ceiling? What kind of magic is that? I am not able to drill into the ceiling due to a cooling system and your solution looks like it will work? I have the Dali Alteco C1 x4.
Industrial strength Velcro from the hardware store! Worked like a charm for temporary placement, but strong enough to stay up there for a long time if needed. 🤘
Ealan, I'm converting a small bedroom into a dedicated front projection HT room. It measures 12.5" x 12.5" x 9. I've heard from some don't do atmos in this room due to how small it is. Or the separation of the atmos speakers wouldn't be big enough. I've decided to install 2 atmos speakers and then maybe decide later to add 2 more. What are your thoughts??
I think Atmos should be fine since you have 9 foot ceilings. But I would invest in a DSP for subwoofer(s) since square rooms can sometimes be a nightmare for bass management. Like those from MiniDSP.
Well, you might consider getting the Spatial Audio Calibration Toolkit. Tomorrow I’m posting a review on it, and it’s an amazing tool for manual adjustments with the ease of either downloadable files or a Blu-ray disc. spatialcd.com And if you use my code “EALAN10”, you get 10% off! 😁🤘
I’m trying to set up a separate room for another Entertainment area. Can I place upward firing speakers on my coffee tables at the ends of my couch to turn a 5.1.2 to a 5.2.4? I have front height speakers on the wall but I have nothing in the rear that are atoms capable. I just have two bookshelf speakers surrounds . Also my couch is against the wall which sucks. So my main question is will upfiring speakers sitting on a coffee table sound odd? Especially since they’ll be sitting below/lower height than my surround speakers.
If you have the ability to run a 5.2.4 system, might as well test it out. Having Atmos speakers directly above or to the sides of your listening position is what I recommend if you only have 2 height speakers, so it might still sound good with two upward firing rear speakers. Although it might only have any effect if you’re sitting directly in the middle of the couch, since it might miss your head all together sitting on the sides of the couch. 🤷♂️
I recently installed my first front hight speakers, svs prime elevation. Now I am immediately curious about having 4 higt speakers. But I have my back against the wall and I think its called slanted ceilings. The ceiling is about 3.5meters where my hight speakers are placed. The ceiling is about 26*. So witch solution for 4 hights is best? In ceiling is not an option since they wound point away for the listening position. So on ceiling speakers that can be pointed at the listening position or behind the listening position😅💩 I often think about this, and witch kind of speakers I should use.
Yeah, I would still go with on-ceiling pointed at the listening position. Techno Dad did an experiment with 6 heights and came to the conclusion that the middle heights should be as close to straight above you as possible. So the same goes for 4 heights if you’re in a position where you can’t have the rear heights behind your MLP
I used some heavy duty Velcro from Home Depot since I knew it’d be temporary for the review. But it worked great! Otherwise, they have keyhole mounts on the back 🤷♂️
And of course, this came out AFTER I bought the R-625fa pair. (This is life though) Definitely selling them to give more options, as the apt I am moving to has a 2ft higher ceiling. This particular apt will actually allow for mounting of speakers and tv! Thank you a ton for sharing your experiments and results!
I wanted to get your opinion… I have a 5.1 setup. Upgrading to Atmos capable receiver. If I place 2 speakers on the wall, about 4 feet higher than the left and right fronts, would this be better than pointed straight up at the ceiling? I realize I will not get the ceiling reflection effect, but the speakers would be directed at the viewer from higher up than the left right fronts.
That’s what I recommend to everyone getting into Atmos for the first time. I know not everyone has the luxury of mounting speakers up high, and MUST rely on audio bouncing off the ceiling. But if you can mount them 4 feet above the main speaker? Absolutely do that. 😁🎉
I have a 5.1.2 reciever Which one would be more immersive ? Front heights or top middle ? The tallness of sound with front heights only or sound being above me with top middles ?
Since I’ve been starting to lean towards Auro 3D lately, front heights seem to be my first choice. Height speakers having a 30 degree angle from your listening position is important for psychoacoustics, since we hear out of two ears on the sides of our heads. Anything higher might not have the same effect, or even noticed as much. I’ll be doing more testing with the theater I’m currently building in a shed, so stay tuned for more comparisons 😁🤘
@@ealanosborne I will just go with front heights as well but if ever it's not really giving that 3d bubble effect I will just change to top middle Really loving the content Can't wait to see more from you !
My room is only 12' long and I have chosen to mount my 2 atmos speakers as top front. 45 degrees vertical up from my listening position and 35 degrees horizontally. I set the marantz as top front and I'm really not that impress with it. Maybe I should try setting them up as top middle but I really can't be moving them around now, as they are basically there for good. any suggestions?
Which Marantz do you have? And are you not impressed in general with anything you watch? Or just not impressed when watching something specifically mixed in Atmos?
@@ealanosborne I use a Marantz AV 7705 with Emotiva and Rotel amps. Using two Focal Domes for atmos and two focal Domes for surrounds. Unfortunately the surrounds are up high by the ceiling and I know they should be bed layer. My source material was A Quiet Place Part Two where I had heard that the alien was supposed to feel like it was crawling down out of the ceiling towards you in some scenes. The other thing I listened to was the Dolby Atmos demo on Xbox series X and it didn’t really sound like the plane was above me in the demo. Sounds pretty good but maybe I just gotta do some more tweaking. Maybe my expectations were just too high.
These days I'd prefer 5.1.2, since a lot of TV (Hulu, Netflix, HBO, etc) is mixed in 5.1 if not Atmos, so it's a more universal configuration to have 5 ear-level speakers. And then I'd usually start with front height, but that's also something you might want to experiment with, depending on your listening space, furniture placement, etc.
Heavy duty Velcro! Although that was knowing it would just be temporary. But at the same time, I'm pretty sure they would have stayed up there to this day, had I not taken them down. That Velcro was strong!
Yeah, that might sound funny, since Atmos is object-based and needs boundaries to properly place those objects within 3D space. But I haven’t tested that specifically, so if you want to see what happens, go for it! For science! 😄🤘
In your vids you mention that upward firing drivers are mostly ineffective with ceilings higher than 8 feet. Can you compensate for taller ceilings by increasing the volume level of those drivers?
To some degree, you can, but it’s still not ideal. Although I understand there are a lot of people out there who can’t mount or install speakers up high for various reasons. Do the best with your circumstances, really. 👍
Transformers: The Last Knight isn’t the greatest Atmos mix, no. But regardless of the mix, this was a test regarding the effect sound had in general, depending on the location of the Atmos speakers.
Great video! Very useful information for a lot of people. Obviously with it not being your space more in-depth testing wasn't probably possible however if you do it again I'd use a different movie with known good atmos uptop. Another thing I've heard helps with upward firing is adjusting the angle since if you think about it they are usually a set angle so assuming you're not sitting at the exact perfect spot based on baffle angle, ceiling height - module height, and seating distance it's possible all the reflected sound is infront or behind the seats. That's why I never recommend build in ones as you can't prop up the front or back of the module to increase/decrease the angle. I was originally planning on doing a 5.2.2 top middle atmos setup but I'm thinking before I go cutting holes in my ceiling I might see if I can do 5.1.4/5 auro3d setup since I can't do 5.1.4 atmos due to couch being on back wall.
Can you please give me some advice? The theater i built in an existing space has 2 ceiling speakers already, 1 in center towards the screen and 1 in center towards the listening seats. Is it possible to wire this up for atmos without problems?
Whoa, interesting! Hmmm…that’s really tricky, though with most AVRs, since you can’t really specify only 1 height channel up front (or in the back), unless it’s the “voice of god” channel in an Auro 3D setup. But typically, voice of god is straight above the listening position. Only with something like a Trinnov processor can you specify pretty much any configuration you want that’s out of the ordinary. 🤔
No kidding, this is the best dolby Atmos speakers placement and real experience explanation ever. Thank you so much again for being straight to the point. It is a ton better than other people and channels that don’t really give details and how to and what to! Awesome video!👍
Can you tell me if I remove upfiring speaker from my samsung sound bar and placed in to the ceiling, so dose atmos effect will improove?? Or any do you have for me so please tell me.
I wouldn’t go so far as to remove a speaker from a sound bar (unless it’s supposed to detach), but to answer your question, yes - mounting height speakers up high on a wall or on the ceiling is better than bouncing audio off the ceiling
@Ealan Osborne which mount did you use to wall mount the speaker. I am trying to mount the speaker and couldn't get a nice mount that would sit flush with the wall
Well, just so I didn’t put a bunch of holes in the wall in my bro-in-law’s house, I used heavy duty Velcro from Home Depot. But each Atmos speaker has their own wall mounting system (typically).
If you buy actual in ceiling speakers and site them as directed 2ft in front of the listener then the sound will be fantastic. For those who don’t want to cut open the ceiling try building a ceiling box .
Anything that utilizes the new SoundSend supports Atmos (up to 5.1.2). Although since WiSA is a separate wireless protocol from wi-fi or Bluetooth, you unfortunately can’t play music directly from your phone. You’d have to have the TV on to hear audio. Although you could play music from a built-in smart TV app like Spotify and technically CONTROL the music with your phone… 🤷♂️
I have four prime elevations hooked up two up front on the wall near the ceiling and two in the back on the ceiling aimed down towards listening area. On my receiver do I tell it I have on celling speakers for the rear atmos?
Thank you for saving me the time and expense of moving forward with purchasing upward firing speakers. My only placement option, at this time, would be flanking my center speaker on my entertainment center. This less than optimal positioning would not have been close to satisfactory.
I have a new Denon Avr. Ive set it up using my existing speaker setup of 7.1 using surround back speakers. The amp will now use visualisation for the atmos sound. It also allows you to switch these two connections to front height or middle speakers for atmos. My question is, am i getting all the information through the 7.1 setuo or should i change the surround back and put them towards the front to get atmos? Thanks.
In a 5.1.2 setup, it’s best to have the heights close to your listening position (even straight above you), if possible. If not possible, yes, up front would work as well. I’ve personally not enjoyed “Atmos virtualization,” since it’s not as accurate or effective as actual speakers up high. Having a 7.1 system is more immersive on the ear-level, but a properly configured 5.1.2 setup is quite the cool experience! 😁
For upward-firing speakers, what he didn't mention is if he actually tried every possibly setting - adjusting the proper height, cross-over, volume, etc. Some people swear by them (when configured correctly).
I live in a rented townhouse and would like to add Atmos but can't and don't want to drill holes all over. If I got the SVS elevation speakers which weigh 7.8 pounds each do you think I could use heavy duty Velcro tape or is there a 3M command strip that could hold them? I know maybe dumb questions but I'm never doing upfiring bouncy house Atmos.
Kind of…it’s a little tricky with the SVS, since they need space between the wall and the speaker. I used heavy duty Velcro for the video, but they were barely hanging on since the Velcro could only be applied to the bracket, not the speaker, and the bracket has a very small footprint. It’s possible, but you’d have to get real creative. 😁
@@ealanosborne thank you, appreciate the reply. I guess I should have said I would be hanging then off the ceiling, not the back wall. So the Velcro would go on the top of the speaker and I would get the black oak version. Thanks again, great video man. Great channel actually.
I really enjoyed your video! Atmos is such a quirky experience. This is coming from an old guy that bought one of the first dolby pro logic amps back in the early 90's. I think it was 1994, yamaha pro logic. fitted to a 21 inch TV, lol. Suffice it to say that i have moved through the technology as it has happened and can honestly say Atmos is my favorite upgrade so far (but not always). Ghost inthe Shell is one of my favorite Atmos soundtracks. I have forward firirng atmos speakers and find those to do an excellent job. I have no other frame of reference (other than a proper cinema) but for c onvenienc e etc, that fornt firing do a great job. Thanks for the video and continued success for your channnel.
For my SVS Prime Elevations, mentioned in another post, I'm going to need some additional speaker wire. For the Atmos height speakers, I'm not going to use expensive, boutique wires. I want to buy something in bulk from Amazon, and something that's light enough to hang on hooks while I experiment with speaker placement. I'm probably going to have runs as long as 25 ft. What gauge wire should I use?
You could technically get away with 16 AWD speaker wire. But I typically use 14 AWD because it’s a little thicker and more durable, although it costs a little more. 🤷♂️
Ok, so it sounds like you really liked the wall mounted height speakers more than the on-ceiling/in-ceiling speakers. Is that an accurate assessment? I'm working on finishing my basement at the moment and am getting ready to run speaker wire before drywall goes up. Trying to decide if I wire for in-ceiling while I have the chance or if I should go for wall mounted height speakers instead. Thoughts?
I did like on wall better. And it’s more versatile in the long run in case you get into Auro 3D at some point, since Auro works best if your heights are on wall. 👍 But even Atmos and DTS:X sound phenomenal with on wall heights.
I am planning to upgrade from 7.1 to 9.1, but not sure where to place the atmos speakers. Above fr and fl or above surr l and surr r. Also now i may need to think of even upgrading to 5.1.4 with auro 3d because i am in europe and can take advantage of it.
Can you do an Auro3D upmixing comparison? My Denon supports it but only if I pay a lot of money to download license. My 5.4.4 ceiling mounted setup rarely really impresses when it comes to the heights. It's confusing and a disappointment.
I compare to a certain degree in the video link below. Although Joe N Tell has a few comparison videos too, if you wanna check him out. 👍 ua-cam.com/video/9IJOIiaJHyE/v-deo.html
There are so many variables like room size, ceiling height reflection points. The ideal would be overhead when applicable and then second choice being elevation type and lastly upfiring. Mine is an opinion but the reason I say ceiling mount first over elevation type is aesthetics. But I say if you can do any type of Atmos is a winner winner chicken dinner 😁👍
I thought I was doing something worng but it's true, I can't hear anything from the up-fire Atmos speakers. Can I install them on each the side of the walls of the room?
You can ALWAYS add a secondary ceiling. Which is the most beneficial for sound and running new wiring plus the added eye glory of the speakers being hidden....
I have 2 front-height channels (Klipsch R-41SA) that sit on top of my entertainment unit (10-foot high) in a room with 18-foot vaulted ceilings. While I do get some sound I would do better, of course, mounting them (however my wife not going to be happy looking at speakers on the walls). Kinda curious if I added a second set of upward-firing speakers (connected wireless via pre-out) and placed them on my rear surrounds. Will having 2 sets of speakers using the same front-height information sound weird?
Yeah, it’d probably sound weird, since the ultimate goal of Atmos (since its object-based) works best by creating a 3D array of speakers that the objects can then be precisely placed within. So having 4 speakers playing all the same metadata might cause some weird panning anomalies. Although I’ve never done it in person, so who knows?! Maybe it sounds incredible! 😄
@@ealanosborne So I have 5.2.2 setup using a Marantz SR5015 which also has a Top Middle speaker assignment using Audyssey. If I do decide to experiment I might use this setting.
Wonderful content. Have 3 pair of Atmos speakers. Klipsch r 41sa Klipsch rp 500sa SVS Prime Elevation Going to try the side wall placement for my Elevation pair.
I just hooked up these Klipsch KSF S5s for Atmos and I think they are working for Atmos. I have nothingnto compare it to really. Some are saying I should of pointed them to my listening position from where the pic was taken. What do you think? Well cant send a pic i guess...
Yeah, you might get slightly better imaging if everything was toed in towards the main listening position. But currently in my theater room, mine are just shooting forward and it sounds great! I’ve been meaning to build rigs in which I can angle my heights a bit more towards the middle of the room, but you know…time, money, and overall laziness have prevented that from happening yet. 🤣
That can get pretty subjective, but I found that concentric speakers tend to work well with height speakers - where the tweeter is housed inside the woofer itself. Like with the Aperion Audio A5 Height Module, for example. 👍
Mounted on upper wall front + side positions are the simple way , to enjoy Dolby Atmos 's experience 🔊 🎼🎶
Excellent Ealan! I've been looking for while now for someone to talk about this topic and I think you're the only one. Thanks for the great content! Keep it up! 👍
Me too.
I would think upfiring would cause a bunch of issues interfering with the other speakers. I'd also think you would have some latency with the added distance.
If you run the automatic setup that comes with most modern surround sound amps, it should adjust the time delay to accomodate the speakers position, distance and how long the audio takes to reach the microphone. Latency should not be an issue.
You would be thinking incorrectly.
All the speakers uncalibrated for spl and distance/time delay will cause cancelling or echoing.
The up firing receiver should ask you for ceiling height and adjust for spl and distance
Thanks for this video. I have Klipsch up-firing speakers on my towers for years (5.2.2). Thought is was ok, but nothing great. Can't do in ceiling speakers, but after watching you video, I moved the up-firing to Front presence height location (8' ceiling). Absolutely huge difference in my room. on ATMOS tracks I actually can sense the sound is coming overhead.
Awesome!!! Glad this helped! And thanks for your kind words! 😁🤘
I actually built speaker boxes for "in-wall/ceiling" speakers, and successfully stud-mounted them to my ceiling in a unique manner. Ceiling speakers have always been a priority even when thinking Atmos early on. And I did this for the first FOUR, and down the line I'm going to get it to SIX. Little bits at a time for now.
How deep did your boxes have to be??
@@josephjohnson2193 ... for mine, the width of a 1x4. Then I mounted the frame on like a 1x12
Is there any way to see pics ? Thanks
I agree just upgraded to Dolby Atmos and go the Upward Firing Speakers you put on top of the Tower Speakers. It just made the Tower Speaker sound better..
did you try raising the volume on the channel for the upwards-firing setup?
Sure did!
Great Video, I would just add when I first got the Klipsch 5.1.2 set up with the built in atmos speakers I did A/B testing not with the atmos modules alone but with and without them in the whole set up. While the pinpoint location possible with overhead set ups wasn't there, in my room with my set up, the upward firing speakers did add the 'environmental' immersion with reverb and sound effects that had me forgetting I was supposed to be doing a comparison and sucked me right into the scene every time.
Exactly. That’s why I wanted to stress that upward firing isn’t completely worthless, just not the absolutely best option out there. Gotta do the best you can with what you already have! 🤘
What’s the white mounting tape you used in this video?
Heavy duty Velcro! Any hardware store should have it. 🤘
The problem with 90% of upward firing speakers is their design. Dolby limits their bandwidth vs the crossover, to promote beaming, and avoid direct sound to the listener. Its not an effective design. A better solution is for the speakers to be angled, but recessed in the box with acoustic lining. This does a much better job of reducing direct sound, and isolating the reflected sound. Also how one angles them is crucial to insuring the reflected sound even reaches the seating position. The best method is to use a helper with a ladder, who places a mirror on the ceiling where the listener can see the speaker from their normal seating position. Once accomplished, the listener then goes over to the upward firing speaker and angles the speaker so it aims directly at the mirror. A small flashlight or laser pointer is helpful. The height of the ceiling is less important than the angling, as the room correction software will set the appropriate output for all speakers, including upward firing ones. The only off-the-shelf, upward firing Atmos speakers, I would recommend are the Atlantic Technology 44-DAs and the PSB Imagine XA Atmos enabled
I have some Klipsch tower speakers that have Atmos speakers in the top, and they are recessed and angled internally but you can't tell without removing the covers.
That’s interesting. I did something in that idea but in a budget/patchwork kind of way. After selling off all my Paradigm speakers I went with Hsu Research across the front, as well as the sub. Just to get the 4-7 speakers going I got 4 Polk T-15’s to put on the walls. Before I got around to replacing them I became unhappy with the Hsu speakers and replaced them with Klipsch RP across the front. But I’m still unhappy with speakers 6+7 so, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to try them in an Atmos position and re-assign them to “height”. I wasn’t that interested in height prior to this as I first had Paradigm Atom speakers in this position over 20 years ago with my Yamaha 3200, which had outputs called, oddly enough, “height”. Unimpressed, I was. Anyway, I got a couple of small wall shelves at Lowes, installed them above head level (while seated) on either side of the TV, moved 6&7 to the shelves in the horizontal position and propped up the backs with a length of 2”x2” for, oh, let’s call it 30° angle. Purists out there are retching and fainting right about now but the results were quite impressive. I’m just about to start experimenting with the volume levels. Will I decide I need dedicated design height speakers? Small sample test size at this point but I kind of doubt it. The T-15’s project well and I see no pressing reason to replace them (more gasps from the purists)…at this time. We’ll see.
Oh, and I’m not sure why Dolby seems to get all the credit for “height”. Yamaha had it in a receiver (probably) designed in the 90’s and, with a limited number of Atmos enabled disks available I just keep the DTS:X button pressed on my Marantz receiver. So I get some effect on everything, even the AAC audio rips, I mean “backups”, I keep on hard drive.
Anyway, it’s a good suggestion to at least experiment with speakers on hand before diving in. You can, at least, get an idea if the concept works for you without buying speakers.
Love you're well edited fun yet informative videos.
Thank you very much! :)
You need to increase your level output for your Atmos enabled speakers. If they are only +1 db it isn’t loud enough
I've downfiring speakers, similar distance away from everything else. I've my heights +7db higher. Blends well. Even my yamaha reciever, put them at +6 on auto calibration.
Definitely, don't be scared to raise their volume if the effect isn't hitting you!
Suprised he didn't talk about this in the video
@@tatsumaru12345 hi. I have 2x focal 826d front and 2x 826d rear, and i love the experience
@@wazup3333 he did mention this near the end
Use the speaker balancing app on the receiver using the included microphone…
This is critical for a Dolby set up.
If you haven’t… your listening experience, while interesting, isn’t Dolby.
You will over drive your speakers… by a lot.
After all you bought them to ‘hear’ them! Right?
My experience with upwards firing speakers is excellent! I have 7.1.2 setup, with front speakers (and upwards speakers) from Definitive Technologies 9060 series, and KEF T301 as surround speakers, connected to Denon X6700H AVR, thoroughly calibrated with Audyssey. While most movies hardly have much going on “up there”, in video games, like Cyberpunk 2077 the effect is insane! Aircraft and monorail trains flying overhead, someone shooting at me from up above etc. My favorite test is to find music source blasting from one of the shops on the streets of Night City, approach them - and you can pinpoint the exact source of the sound above you.
Cyberpunk has great atmos!!
thanks for info. I will play Cyberpunk :)
You hit the nail on the head. Dolby killed Atmos for movies with their anti-consumer crap; it's only worth using for fake sound processing, like video games.
this is why I have upfiring speakers in my game room in a 5.1.2 setup. In my theater I have 7.2.4 with my atmos speakers all in ceiling with tweeters aimed at the main listening position.
This just got me excited to play the new Cyberpunk DLC. I might have to upgrade my receiver and get the speakers before that!
Really cool calm monologue. Been considering whether to invest in some upward firing speakers, this has given me some food for thought. Thanks. And you’re right, once you begin the home theatre journey, you can’t stop…
You're up there with the best YT commentators on these subjects... Keep it up, Ealan!
Thanks, Adrian! 🤘
There is no connector for the "Voice of god" speaker on my Denon X4500H 11.1 system. Where should I connect it, if I would like to?
Looks like you need to use the Subwoofer 2 output and have it be powered by an external amp. In the link below, scroll down about halfway to where it says “Example connection for the Auro 3D 10.1 Channel System.”
manuals.denon.com/AVRX4500H/NA/EN/DRDZSYrjomlmpo.php#
I live in a pretty small apartment, and I have my home theatre in my bedroom. So space is really tiny. so I stacked up boxes to put my height speakers on the side up to the ceiling (pretty short ceilings) and it works very well considering that I'm running 5.1.2. I didn't even bother trying upward firing as I heard it wasn't the best.
After a bunch of experimentation (at least in my Man Cave), I found that making a wood baffle to the tilted Atmos speaker on top of the main stereo mains works very well. A three-sided piece of 1/4" plywood stuck on the speaker on listening side of angled speaker with double-sided tape. Essentially, the key is blocking the direct sound path to the listening ear from the Atmos speaker is key. Audessey, equalizing really made it zone in on a great sound experience. Point is...every room is different and fun to to try out what is best for you.
Excellent experimentation, my friend! 🤘
This is the very first video i caught on this channel and i loved what i heard.
Thanks!
Wow! Thank YOU, Antonio! 🙌
i've been trying to decide if i wanted to move my atmos speakers from upward firing to wall mounting behind my tv... you just sold me because i've been feeling the same way about having them upward firing. thanks for the video!
Sweet! You’re welcome, Joshua! 🤘
I'm experimenting with a 5th option (up-fire, on-wall). I have up-firing Polk XT-90s and found them to be lacking when placed on top of my fronts/rears. I completely agree with your findings... too lossy with the extra distance this creates and they mostly get lost.
I have wall mount brackets in the corners of my room (front and back about 1.5' from ceiling), I'm trying out placing them into the brackets but not pointing them directly at me, leaving them pointing up towards the ceiling at 45 degrees. That way, the sound from each "fills" the corners of the room with less directional effect. Still too soon to tell if this is better than placing them pointing directly with those brackets, but so far so good and I like it.
Experimenting is key! 🔑🎉
Very true...it is hard to stop. Kinda wish I never started
Like some of the other commenters said, did you play around with the volume setting for the upward firing speakers? In most of the autocalibration I did, the receiver boosts the volume for the atmos speakers by 3-6 dBs. Also noticed that your ceiling is not quite flat, so could be a lot of scattered reflection which reduces the sound going into your ears. But this could be just the quality of your video that made the ceiling look halfway between a flat ceiling and a popcorn ceiling.
I have the Pioneer add on Atmos module speakers for the front and rear speakers, and I also barely heard anything coming from the height channels when I placed them on top on the main speakers, so I decided to mount the Atmos speakers to the ceiling and it made all the difference in the world. I can easily hear Atmos in a good mix and makes the movie soundtrack totally immersive!
I have a Marantz 8802a and updated it to Auro 3D capability. I purchased a few Blu-Ray discs with Auro 3D, and originally set up the Marantz for 7.1.4 Auro 3D configuration. However, speaker placement wasn’t optimized for Auro 3D, but was compatible for Auro 3D and Atmos. Result: Auro 3D wasn’t a dramatic difference from Dolby Atmos, and the price for Auro 3D software wasn’t justified. Since Atmos is prevalent here in the US, I decided recalibrate the Marantz for Atmos. Also, when I had the system optimized for Auro 3D, the front and rear Height Channels didn’t independently produce sound from the LH and RH, rather they both created the same pink noise signal at the same time using an Atmos disc. Furthermore, only the front height speakers were engaged producing any Atmos effects. The Rear Atmos channels were never used.
When I recalibrated the system for Atmos, I got back the LH and RH channels on both the front and back Height Channels. Watching in Atmos is more immersive with all speakers engaged.
My impressions: Auro 3D sounds similar to Atmos with Auro 3D content, but due to system configuration with Auro, you may not get 7.1.4 with Atmos soundtracks. On the other hand, you do get better overall enveloping sound from the Auro 3D up mixer. It gives a natural sound field for non Auro 3D or 2.0, 5.1 and 7.1 material. Unfortunately, once configuring the Marantz back to Atmos, I lose a few Auro 3D effects options. Btw, Atmos is based on Auro 3D, but due to copyright issues, Dolby changed the speaker placement for their design. AURO 3D uses DTS as their codec to carry Auro 3D information, while Dolby uses Dolby TrueHD 7.1 at the core plus metadata to extend capabilities for Atmos.
Wow! Thanks for your detailed insight! 🤘
I am running a Marantz with the Pioneer up firing in the front. I am going to switch to the SVS prime atmos speakers and mount them to the front ceiling. I was trying to avoid drilling holes into the ceiling and I do not want to cut speaker holes.
So which is better to use?
I’ve got 4 speakers that I mounted on the ceiling. They’re not as far from each other front to back as I’d like them but it still sounds pretty impressive. Especially when a game is in Atmos.
Excellent video
Exactly what I needed
You're the reason I actually got into the home theater game
I'm not disputing your findings with the room and speakers you used, but I have Focal Sib Evo with built-in purpose designed Atmos upfiring speakers and they really work in my living room. Where they lose out is in accurate positioning of the sounds front to rear, but overhead effects genuinely sound like they are overhead. In-ceiling speakers aren't an option for my room, but I have previously tried speakers in various other positions. Up high on the front, but set as front height in my AVR, and they added little to height and no sense of overhead at all. I tried the test you did with all other speakers disconnected and with every movie I tried they pretty much never made a sound. Also ran with them up on the side walls and they were more active in that position, but also never really sounded overhead and it was too easy to localise the sound as coming from a specific speaker. The upfiring are easily the best experience, really filling out the soundstage and adding more height to the front than the physical front speakers did. It doesn't hurt that this is the cleanest setup also with no wires running up the walls.
I have two Klipsch RP500SA's on adjustable speakers stands behind my 65inch Sony Z9D. Their faceplate are 3 feet away from my 8 feet flat ceiling. Both speakers set several DB's higher than bed level speakers. Awesome upFiring Atmos performance. I also have two Focal Evo upFiring as rear. Set their DB levels much higher than bed level speakers. Thus I'm running 5.1.4. My setup Atmos's sounds is so Amazing... Heights or inCeiling is not needed by me. I also have high end SVS Subs. I love SVS. I've been to high end Home Theater Demo rooms. I took my best 4K Atmos Blu Ray there to demo inCeiling Atmos.
So my 5.1.4 Atmos decision was much thought out with careful Atmos sound listening and proper setup. Proper Atmos speakers DB levels calibration.
My upfiring atmos speakers are 3 feet from the ceiling. They sound great. I prefer not to know where the sound is coming from when watching movies. It's too distracting and I lose my concentration on the movie story line.
Thats the proper aspect of dolby Atmos,
They seems to misunderstood, its suppose to be a blended dispersion, not localized ceiling speakers.
A moving helicopter in the city above the sound in real life would be up high but bouncing above you, the sound won't just be in 1 spot from the helicopter 😂
Hi. When you mounted your speakers on the wall, did you configure them still as Dolby atmos front enabled speakers on your Onkyo or high front speakers?
Front height. Dolby Enabled typically means you’re bouncing the audio off the ceiling.
Thank you for the description of what you should expect to actually hear given the different positions. Most people don’t explain it as well thank you.
You’re welcome! And thanks for the kind words. 😊🎉
Since the sound has a longer distance to travel to the listener from the speaker shouldn't the volume and distance be compensated for in the receiver?
Correct. You assign it usually as “Dolby speaker” which tells the AVR to compensate as such. But still…reflected sound is okay, but not the most ideal
Like I said in the last video, you're in my head...literally! How?? Amazing comparison and with real world perspectives. I literally feel like you're on the exact same journey as me on discovering Home Theater and ratcheting up your experience with but still offering valuable insights for even seasoned folks. #Nailingit
If you can't hear the upfiring atmos speakers being reflected off a flat ceiling at that height then it is because you're suppose to configure your HT receiver so that it knows that you are using up-firing so it can set the audio levels and time delays properly. It helps if you have a decent quality receiver that has room correction software built-in and can connect a mic so that it can be done automatically. But in saying that it still isn't going to be as good as direct sound.
watching this Video from Germany and it helped me a lot with my new Atmos Setup, thanks a lot 🙂 didn't found something like this in German...
Danke für die netten Worte! Und ich bin froh, dass ich helfen konnte. 😎
One thing I really like about my Kali Audio Atmos setup is that I have the option to use speaker stands for my height channels with the mounting hardware that was included!! Just something to think about for anyone living at a rental that REALLY wants to commit to an Atmos setup. (Disclaimer, this is a music studio setup, but still a neat idea!!)
Which kali do you use and what stands? I'm renting and this is a good solution.
So, are you saying all those high-end Atmos soundbars don't actually work? I've watched many pro reviews of them, and they all say they hear sound bouncing off the ceiling from the upward-firing speakers in the bar. So if they hear them with a soundbar, why isn't this working for you with high end gear?
Soundbars have come a long way since this video was made 3 years ago. At least the flagship systems, like the Sony BRAVIA Theatre Quad, Samsung Q990D and Sonos Arc Ultra. They are by far the best wireless, easy-to-setup systems on the market.
But in the end, I still prefer a traditional system with height speakers mounted. Nothing beats direct sound, as opposed to reflected sound.
@@ealanosborne Thanks. I really appreciate the reply! I'm on the fence about what to do because I can't mount Atmos speakers anywhere on the walls or ceilings. I currently have a 5.1 with KEFs, but I don't know if I should get a new Atmos receiver and a pair of upward-firing speakers or a new high-end Atmos soundbar like the Arc Ultra or Bose. I watched all your videos and still need to figure it out! Thanks again; you have fantastic content.
That's why I purchased a Bose 900 about a year ago and their height channels and rear jewel surrounds speakers are a Beast. I have 12foot ceilings and you hear and feel it all even if the content not in Atmos.
NICE! 🎉
I use onkyo upfiring Atmos speakers.
1 feet lower than the ceiling pointing to the ceiling angled to the listener .
They work super fine. Please try and you will see how the sound bounces from the ceiling and widens the listening effects
I have a 5.2.2 should I go high near the ceiling with Dolby atmos speakers Or should I just put them on top of my main speakers
With only 2 height channels, I recommend mounting above your listening position, if possible. Otherwise, on the wall up front, near the ceiling. 🤘
@@ealanosborne I put them high on the wall near the ceiling in the front
I think I will leave them there I am tired of changing speakers placements
Upfirers can work... but in my experience, the auto-cal in AVRs almost never gets the distance/delay right. Some AVRs have a separate setting for you to manually set distance from the upfirer to the ceiling, but even then, you basically have to put on a good Atmos demo clip and tweak distances until you hear it snap into place. I think that's why most people end up thinking they just don't work at all.
That said, you're still right. They should be the last resort.
Hi, do you have a good example clip for me. THX
right...what's the proper way to measure the distance/delay of the atmos modules? is it to measure first from the atmos module to the ceiling and then ADD the distance from the ceiling to the listener? Thanks
@@TheFandangovideoguy It depends. If you have a newer AVR that has the parameter you can adjust to tell it the distance from your upfirer to the ceiling, it does simple math to calculate the delay based on what the third side of that triangle would be (with one side being upfirer to ceiling and the other being the direct path from MLP to the upfirer, which is what your auto-cal detects).
If you have an older AVR, it's a crapshoot. They were typically pre-set to an expected 8 foot ceiling height expectation with the upfirers roughly just above typical seated ear level (39 inches, if I recall). So at that point, I found that the best result was to just measure from the upfirer to where it points on the ceiling and then down from that point to the MLP.
@@TheReverendSlim you are math wizard! I have a Denon AVR-4400h...a good one...so I guess the AVR doesn't calculate the real distance from the atmos bouncing module to the MLP...I'll take a look a t the manual and see what distance to enter...it doesn't sound bad as it is...maybe it could be better. Thanks
@@TheFandangovideoguy If you're using upfirers on the 4400, go to the distance section under manual speaker setup. At the bottom, it will have a dolby settings part that will let you adjust the distance from the upfirer to the ceiling.
If you calibrate up firing speakers they are effective.. you should use a volume meter . I found that a 2-4db increase above room calibration is needed to get any noticeable atmos effects... from upfiring speakers... and pointing bookshelves at the listener works best with truehd 7.1 but not atmos which is object based audio. I have tried both ways and TO ME i prefer the up firing sound.. It just sounds more natural (I think many people don't understand the atmos concept and expect it to sound exactly like direct firing speakers) My samsung hw-q990 soundbar really brings the atmos effect to life
You have to calculate the algorithmic scale for reflecting of the ceiling..as NORMAL atmos is made for speakers IN the ceiling...If you want reflective sound to come anywhere near that experience you'll have to add at least 4 to 6db to the volume of the atmos channels...
How do You do this? Got the samsung q800A and I putted the upfiring on 6, is there anyway to increase this more?
@@savitarr1162 I don't know, you might get the same "effect" by lowering the level on all the other speakers and turning up the volume. But i don't know when it will start distorting. That might be worth a try. so leave the upfiring at six and lower everything else by 2 or so and turn up the volume a bit and see if there is a difference..
@@justkiddin1980 do the rear/upfiring speakers get louder when You turn on the volume? This sound bar is so loud I never put higher then volume 12-13, maybe thats a reason I dont realy hear sound from above
@@savitarr1162 Okay so its a "soundbar" yeah good luck with that..The solution with a soundbar is never ideal and might never work like you want it to. I thought it was a normal homecinema system you were talking about. All soundbars have limitations and you might never really get the effect you're trying to create i am sorry to say.
Finley someone has done a video speaking the truth about Atmos speakers 🔊
Very educational, thank you for this video.
Can we simply put these upward firing speakers in the wall? I’m thinking of buying a monitor audio bronze Atmos unit and thinking of wall mounting them?
Yes. I highly recommend mounting height speakers up on a wall or on a ceiling, if at all possible. Upward firing is a last resort, if those kinds of circumstances arise. 👍
@@ealanosborne thank you very much! This seems to be not so discussed topic on UA-cam relatively speaking. Thanks for creating this video! I’m thinking of a 3.1.2 setup as I have no space for surrounds . I’ll see how it goes!
@@MrRawkz I’ve done that before and it makes your TV seem HUGE with that sound above as well. 🤘🎉
What would you think about Yamaha HS8 for the ear level speakers and HS5 for the height speakers?
That works in my book! 👍
Please tell me the best placement for my upward firing sound bar.. should i place it below my tv or above ? Or below and slightly in front of it.. please help me with this problem
In front below the TV. If it’s on a TV stand or cabinet, make sure it’s right at the edge so you don’t get any reflections off the cabinet from the front speakers. Upward firing can be decent, but not the best, so that should be your best bet with what you have. And if you can independently adjust the volume of the upward firing speakers, you might want to turn them all the way up for maximum bounce off your ceiling.
@@ealanosborne thanks 👍
Hi what did you use to temporarily mount the speaker on the ceiling?
Just some industrial strength Velcro from Home Depot. Can hold up to 10 lbs.
www.homedepot.com/p/VELCRO-Brand-4-ft-x-2-in-Industrial-Strength-Tape-90593/202261931
@@ealanosborne thanks
Curious if bouncing is better or mounting them in the height position and trying them as Atmos to kind of fake out the Atmos setting.
Hi good video. Question. What is better. Put the height speaker (upfiring) directly on the ceiling or on the wall right next to the ceiling? (Video 9:18 min)
It’s personal preference, honestly. Although I do prefer the science behind Auro 3D setups where they want you to mount height speakers 30 degrees up from your listening position. So it depends on how far your couch is from the TV and how high your ceilings are if 30 degrees means on the wall or the ceiling. 👍
I would like to ask, if there is an effect on the surround channels of a soundbar in case the surface behind my couch is a glass wall and the soundbar is located 4.5 meters parallel to glass surface? I heard glass may be a soundwave insulator and may take away the effect of the surround channels since they need walls to bounce from
Glass is still highly reflective, like a wall. But depending on how thick the glass is, it can still absorb some low frequencies, but not much. So it’s not AS reflective as a wall, but pretty darn close.
i have wiring for four speakers in the ceiling. can i just do a center speaker, sub, and four ceiling mounted speakers, with nothing on the ground/stand? would these be "atmos" or would they just be surround sound??
That would just be considered surround sound, since you don’t technically have any other ear level speakers besides your center. That’s how my previous house was set up when we first moved in. It’s popular among new construction homes so you can still have a 5.1 system without it being an eye sore or obtrusive in any way. 👍
@@ealanosborne awesome, thank so much for the reply man!! i really appreciate it
Hello good sir! Timecode 9 minutes and 17 seconds. Are the Atmos speakers taped onto the ceiling? What kind of magic is that? I am not able to drill into the ceiling due to a cooling system and your solution looks like it will work? I have the Dali Alteco C1 x4.
Industrial strength Velcro from the hardware store! Worked like a charm for temporary placement, but strong enough to stay up there for a long time if needed. 🤘
Ealan, I'm converting a small bedroom into a dedicated front projection HT room.
It measures 12.5" x 12.5" x 9.
I've heard from some don't do atmos in this room due to how small it is.
Or the separation of the atmos speakers wouldn't be big enough.
I've decided to install 2 atmos speakers and then maybe decide later to add 2 more.
What are your thoughts??
I think Atmos should be fine since you have 9 foot ceilings. But I would invest in a DSP for subwoofer(s) since square rooms can sometimes be a nightmare for bass management. Like those from MiniDSP.
Is there a file we can download to level match the speakers with accurate test tones and our own SPL meter? Thanks.
Well, you might consider getting the Spatial Audio Calibration Toolkit. Tomorrow I’m posting a review on it, and it’s an amazing tool for manual adjustments with the ease of either downloadable files or a Blu-ray disc.
spatialcd.com
And if you use my code “EALAN10”, you get 10% off! 😁🤘
@@ealanosborne i was already considering getting it! I dig Joe and Channa’s channels. Thanks.
I’m trying to set up a separate room for another Entertainment area. Can I place upward firing speakers on my coffee tables at the ends of my couch to turn a 5.1.2 to a 5.2.4? I have front height speakers on the wall but I have nothing in the rear that are atoms capable. I just have two bookshelf speakers surrounds . Also my couch is against the wall which sucks. So my main question is will upfiring speakers sitting on a coffee table sound odd? Especially since they’ll be sitting below/lower height than my surround speakers.
If you have the ability to run a 5.2.4 system, might as well test it out. Having Atmos speakers directly above or to the sides of your listening position is what I recommend if you only have 2 height speakers, so it might still sound good with two upward firing rear speakers. Although it might only have any effect if you’re sitting directly in the middle of the couch, since it might miss your head all together sitting on the sides of the couch. 🤷♂️
@@ealanosborne thank you! It’s definitely worth checking out based on that so I appreciate the guidance!
I recently installed my first front hight speakers, svs prime elevation. Now I am immediately curious about having 4 higt speakers. But I have my back against the wall and I think its called slanted ceilings. The ceiling is about 3.5meters where my hight speakers are placed. The ceiling is about 26*. So witch solution for 4 hights is best? In ceiling is not an option since they wound point away for the listening position. So on ceiling speakers that can be pointed at the listening position or behind the listening position😅💩 I often think about this, and witch kind of speakers I should use.
Yeah, I would still go with on-ceiling pointed at the listening position. Techno Dad did an experiment with 6 heights and came to the conclusion that the middle heights should be as close to straight above you as possible. So the same goes for 4 heights if you’re in a position where you can’t have the rear heights behind your MLP
Can you use non Atmos speakers as Atmos speakers and just angle them?
Absolutely! A speaker is a speaker. 😁
How did you mount them to the ceiling? I have klipsch r-41sa i want to mount on the ceiling
I used some heavy duty Velcro from Home Depot since I knew it’d be temporary for the review. But it worked great! Otherwise, they have keyhole mounts on the back 🤷♂️
@@ealanosborne thanks. Trying to figure out how to mount using keyholes been a challenge. I'm new to all this
And of course, this came out AFTER I bought the R-625fa pair. (This is life though)
Definitely selling them to give more options, as the apt I am moving to has a 2ft higher ceiling. This particular apt will actually allow for mounting of speakers and tv! Thank you a ton for sharing your experiments and results!
I have the 625f and I can hear them perfectly
I wanted to get your opinion… I have a 5.1 setup. Upgrading to Atmos capable receiver. If I place 2 speakers on the wall, about 4 feet higher than the left and right fronts, would this be better than pointed straight up at the ceiling? I realize I will not get the ceiling reflection effect, but the speakers would be directed at the viewer from higher up than the left right fronts.
That’s what I recommend to everyone getting into Atmos for the first time. I know not everyone has the luxury of mounting speakers up high, and MUST rely on audio bouncing off the ceiling. But if you can mount them 4 feet above the main speaker? Absolutely do that. 😁🎉
What about 4 on wall heights front and rear and 2 in ceiling over the seats that should be a good solution
Yeah, if your AVR can support 6 heights, that’s exactly the most ideal configuration! 🤘
I have a 5.1.2 reciever
Which one would be more immersive ?
Front heights or top middle ?
The tallness of sound with front heights only or sound being above me with top middles ?
Since I’ve been starting to lean towards Auro 3D lately, front heights seem to be my first choice. Height speakers having a 30 degree angle from your listening position is important for psychoacoustics, since we hear out of two ears on the sides of our heads. Anything higher might not have the same effect, or even noticed as much. I’ll be doing more testing with the theater I’m currently building in a shed, so stay tuned for more comparisons 😁🤘
@@ealanosborne
I will just go with front heights as well but if ever it's not really giving that 3d bubble effect
I will just change to top middle
Really loving the content
Can't wait to see more from you !
My room is only 12' long and I have chosen to mount my 2 atmos speakers as top front. 45 degrees vertical up from my listening position and 35 degrees horizontally. I set the marantz as top front and I'm really not that impress with it. Maybe I should try setting them up as top middle but I really can't be moving them around now, as they are basically there for good. any suggestions?
Which Marantz do you have? And are you not impressed in general with anything you watch? Or just not impressed when watching something specifically mixed in Atmos?
@@ealanosborne I use a Marantz AV 7705 with Emotiva and Rotel amps. Using two Focal Domes for atmos and two focal Domes for surrounds. Unfortunately the surrounds are up high by the ceiling and I know they should be bed layer.
My source material was A Quiet Place Part Two where I had heard that the alien was supposed to feel like it was crawling down out of the ceiling towards you in some scenes. The other thing I listened to was the Dolby Atmos demo on Xbox series X and it didn’t really sound like the plane was above me in the demo. Sounds pretty good but maybe I just gotta do some more tweaking. Maybe my expectations were just too high.
If you could do either 7.1 or 5.1.2 which would you do and would it be better to go height front or rear.
These days I'd prefer 5.1.2, since a lot of TV (Hulu, Netflix, HBO, etc) is mixed in 5.1 if not Atmos, so it's a more universal configuration to have 5 ear-level speakers. And then I'd usually start with front height, but that's also something you might want to experiment with, depending on your listening space, furniture placement, etc.
How did you mount sailing speakers brother? I am about to mount 4x DYNAVOICE FX-4 v.3, but standard keyhole on it I don't trust those on sealing
Heavy duty Velcro! Although that was knowing it would just be temporary. But at the same time, I'm pretty sure they would have stayed up there to this day, had I not taken them down. That Velcro was strong!
Do you think using dipole speakers as front height speakers would help to widen the height sound stage or would it sound bad because it’s out of phase
Yeah, that might sound funny, since Atmos is object-based and needs boundaries to properly place those objects within 3D space. But I haven’t tested that specifically, so if you want to see what happens, go for it! For science! 😄🤘
In your vids you mention that upward firing drivers are mostly ineffective with ceilings higher than 8 feet. Can you compensate for taller ceilings by increasing the volume level of those drivers?
To some degree, you can, but it’s still not ideal. Although I understand there are a lot of people out there who can’t mount or install speakers up high for various reasons. Do the best with your circumstances, really. 👍
Is it possible that the Transformers fil makers Audio mix is to blame?
Transformers: The Last Knight isn’t the greatest Atmos mix, no. But regardless of the mix, this was a test regarding the effect sound had in general, depending on the location of the Atmos speakers.
Great video! Very useful information for a lot of people. Obviously with it not being your space more in-depth testing wasn't probably possible however if you do it again I'd use a different movie with known good atmos uptop. Another thing I've heard helps with upward firing is adjusting the angle since if you think about it they are usually a set angle so assuming you're not sitting at the exact perfect spot based on baffle angle, ceiling height - module height, and seating distance it's possible all the reflected sound is infront or behind the seats. That's why I never recommend build in ones as you can't prop up the front or back of the module to increase/decrease the angle.
I was originally planning on doing a 5.2.2 top middle atmos setup but I'm thinking before I go cutting holes in my ceiling I might see if I can do 5.1.4/5 auro3d setup since I can't do 5.1.4 atmos due to couch being on back wall.
Can you please give me some advice? The theater i built in an existing space has 2 ceiling speakers already, 1 in center towards the screen and 1 in center towards the listening seats. Is it possible to wire this up for atmos without problems?
Whoa, interesting! Hmmm…that’s really tricky, though with most AVRs, since you can’t really specify only 1 height channel up front (or in the back), unless it’s the “voice of god” channel in an Auro 3D setup. But typically, voice of god is straight above the listening position. Only with something like a Trinnov processor can you specify pretty much any configuration you want that’s out of the ordinary. 🤔
No kidding, this is the best dolby Atmos speakers placement and real experience explanation ever. Thank you so much again for being straight to the point. It is a ton better than other people and channels that don’t really give details and how to and what to! Awesome video!👍
Thank you very much! 🤘
Elan, do you have a link or name of the velcro you used?
Can’t remember the name specifically, but it was just some heavy duty Velcro from Home Depot (but can be found at any hardware store also). 🤘
@@ealanosborne👍
Can you tell me if I remove upfiring speaker from my samsung sound bar and placed in to the ceiling, so dose atmos effect will improove?? Or any do you have for me so please tell me.
I wouldn’t go so far as to remove a speaker from a sound bar (unless it’s supposed to detach), but to answer your question, yes - mounting height speakers up high on a wall or on the ceiling is better than bouncing audio off the ceiling
@@ealanosborne thank you so much sir
@Ealan Osborne which mount did you use to wall mount the speaker. I am trying to mount the speaker and couldn't get a nice mount that would sit flush with the wall
Well, just so I didn’t put a bunch of holes in the wall in my bro-in-law’s house, I used heavy duty Velcro from Home Depot. But each Atmos speaker has their own wall mounting system (typically).
@@ealanosborne I am planning to wall mount R-41SAs and couldn't find a proper wall mount
If you buy actual in ceiling speakers and site them as directed 2ft in front of the listener then the sound will be fantastic.
For those who don’t want to cut open the ceiling try building a ceiling box .
Are there any WiSA home theater systems that support Dolby Atmos and have the ability to play music directly from my phone?
Anything that utilizes the new SoundSend supports Atmos (up to 5.1.2). Although since WiSA is a separate wireless protocol from wi-fi or Bluetooth, you unfortunately can’t play music directly from your phone. You’d have to have the TV on to hear audio. Although you could play music from a built-in smart TV app like Spotify and technically CONTROL the music with your phone… 🤷♂️
Gotcha, thanks!
@EalanOsborneofficialpage Is this legit?
Can i use upfire speakers in Multi Channel stereo ?
Yes. Audio should come out come out of any speakers you have connected.
@@ealanosborne THX
This is a very knowledgeable video. Was so confused while selecting the system. This video sorted/covered everything very well.
Thank you very much!
I have four prime elevations hooked up two up front on the wall near the ceiling and two in the back on the ceiling aimed down towards listening area. On my receiver do I tell it I have on celling speakers for the rear atmos?
Typically yes, as long as within your software there is a specified difference between in-ceiling (installed) and on-ceiling (mounted). 👍
@@ealanosborne thanks, E! I’ll double check I could of swore it only said in ceiling not so much on ceiling.
Thank you for saving me the time and expense of moving forward with purchasing upward firing speakers. My only placement option, at this time, would be flanking my center speaker on my entertainment center. This less than optimal positioning would not have been close to satisfactory.
Thanks Ealan! This is exactly what I was trying to decide on!
I have a new Denon Avr. Ive set it up using my existing speaker setup of 7.1 using surround back speakers. The amp will now use visualisation for the atmos sound. It also allows you to switch these two connections to front height or middle speakers for atmos. My question is, am i getting all the information through the 7.1 setuo or should i change the surround back and put them towards the front to get atmos? Thanks.
In a 5.1.2 setup, it’s best to have the heights close to your listening position (even straight above you), if possible. If not possible, yes, up front would work as well.
I’ve personally not enjoyed “Atmos virtualization,” since it’s not as accurate or effective as actual speakers up high. Having a 7.1 system is more immersive on the ear-level, but a properly configured 5.1.2 setup is quite the cool experience! 😁
For upward-firing speakers, what he didn't mention is if he actually tried every possibly setting - adjusting the proper height, cross-over, volume, etc. Some people swear by them (when configured correctly).
I live in a rented townhouse and would like to add Atmos but can't and don't want to drill holes all over. If I got the SVS elevation speakers which weigh 7.8 pounds each do you think I could use heavy duty Velcro tape or is there a 3M command strip that could hold them? I know maybe dumb questions but I'm never doing upfiring bouncy house Atmos.
Kind of…it’s a little tricky with the SVS, since they need space between the wall and the speaker. I used heavy duty Velcro for the video, but they were barely hanging on since the Velcro could only be applied to the bracket, not the speaker, and the bracket has a very small footprint. It’s possible, but you’d have to get real creative. 😁
@@ealanosborne thank you, appreciate the reply. I guess I should have said I would be hanging then off the ceiling, not the back wall. So the Velcro would go on the top of the speaker and I would get the black oak version. Thanks again, great video man. Great channel actually.
I really enjoyed your video! Atmos is such a quirky experience. This is coming from an old guy that bought one of the first dolby pro logic amps back in the early 90's. I think it was 1994, yamaha pro logic. fitted to a 21 inch TV, lol. Suffice it to say that i have moved through the technology as it has happened and can honestly say Atmos is my favorite upgrade so far (but not always). Ghost inthe Shell is one of my favorite Atmos soundtracks. I have forward firirng atmos speakers and find those to do an excellent job. I have no other frame of reference (other than a proper cinema) but for c onvenienc e etc, that fornt firing do a great job. Thanks for the video and continued success for your channnel.
Thank you so much for your kind words! 🙌
For my SVS Prime Elevations, mentioned in another post, I'm going to need some additional speaker wire. For the Atmos height speakers, I'm not going to use expensive, boutique wires. I want to buy something in bulk from Amazon, and something that's light enough to hang on hooks while I experiment with speaker placement. I'm probably going to have runs as long as 25 ft. What gauge wire should I use?
You could technically get away with 16 AWD speaker wire. But I typically use 14 AWD because it’s a little thicker and more durable, although it costs a little more. 🤷♂️
Is it important that the wires for the height channels be the same length? Can Audyssey compensate for any time or phase difference?@@ealanosborne
Ok, so it sounds like you really liked the wall mounted height speakers more than the on-ceiling/in-ceiling speakers. Is that an accurate assessment? I'm working on finishing my basement at the moment and am getting ready to run speaker wire before drywall goes up. Trying to decide if I wire for in-ceiling while I have the chance or if I should go for wall mounted height speakers instead. Thoughts?
I did like on wall better. And it’s more versatile in the long run in case you get into Auro 3D at some point, since Auro works best if your heights are on wall. 👍 But even Atmos and DTS:X sound phenomenal with on wall heights.
I am planning to upgrade from 7.1 to 9.1, but not sure where to place the atmos speakers. Above fr and fl or above surr l and surr r. Also now i may need to think of even upgrading to 5.1.4 with auro 3d because i am in europe and can take advantage of it.
Can you do an Auro3D upmixing comparison? My Denon supports it but only if I pay a lot of money to download license. My 5.4.4 ceiling mounted setup rarely really impresses when it comes to the heights. It's confusing and a disappointment.
I compare to a certain degree in the video link below. Although Joe N Tell has a few comparison videos too, if you wanna check him out. 👍
ua-cam.com/video/9IJOIiaJHyE/v-deo.html
I have yamaha 3072 modeil 5.1 AVR. How can I add additional 2 dolby atmos over head speaker. .. please suggest
You would need at least a 7.1 AVR that supports Dolby Atmos or DTS:X to add height speakers to the system.
There are so many variables like room size, ceiling height reflection points. The ideal would be overhead when applicable and then second choice being elevation type and lastly upfiring.
Mine is an opinion but the reason I say ceiling mount first over elevation type is aesthetics.
But I say if you can do any type of Atmos is a winner winner chicken dinner 😁👍
Dis you used some type of Velcro to mount the speakers in the ceiling?
Just some heavy duty Velcro from a hardware store. 🤘
@@ealanosborne thanks. Well, got some changes to do this weekend 😁
I thought I was doing something worng but it's true, I can't hear anything from the up-fire Atmos speakers. Can I install them on each the side of the walls of the room?
Most definitely! Up high, to the side and pointing down at your listening position can work well!
You can ALWAYS add a secondary ceiling. Which is the most beneficial for sound and running new wiring plus the added eye glory of the speakers being hidden....
I have 2 front-height channels (Klipsch R-41SA) that sit on top of my entertainment unit (10-foot high) in a room with 18-foot vaulted ceilings. While I do get some sound I would do better, of course, mounting them (however my wife not going to be happy looking at speakers on the walls). Kinda curious if I added a second set of upward-firing speakers (connected wireless via pre-out) and placed them on my rear surrounds. Will having 2 sets of speakers using the same front-height information sound weird?
Yeah, it’d probably sound weird, since the ultimate goal of Atmos (since its object-based) works best by creating a 3D array of speakers that the objects can then be precisely placed within. So having 4 speakers playing all the same metadata might cause some weird panning anomalies. Although I’ve never done it in person, so who knows?! Maybe it sounds incredible! 😄
@@ealanosborne So I have 5.2.2 setup using a Marantz SR5015 which also has a Top Middle speaker assignment using Audyssey. If I do decide to experiment I might use this setting.
@@garyfelder5057 Oh heck yeah! That’s the Voice of God channel! Do it for science! 😁
Wonderful content.
Have 3 pair of Atmos speakers.
Klipsch r 41sa
Klipsch rp 500sa
SVS Prime Elevation
Going to try the side wall placement for my Elevation pair.
Hell yeah! Do it for the science! 🔬😄
Do the side walls. You'll find the height effects and immersion much better as I did. Enjoy!
I just hooked up these Klipsch KSF S5s for Atmos and I think they are working for Atmos. I have nothingnto compare it to really. Some are saying I should of pointed them to my listening position from where the pic was taken. What do you think? Well cant send a pic i guess...
Yeah, you might get slightly better imaging if everything was toed in towards the main listening position. But currently in my theater room, mine are just shooting forward and it sounds great! I’ve been meaning to build rigs in which I can angle my heights a bit more towards the middle of the room, but you know…time, money, and overall laziness have prevented that from happening yet. 🤣
Sir to conclude what kind of speakers would be best for best atmos experience??
That can get pretty subjective, but I found that concentric speakers tend to work well with height speakers - where the tweeter is housed inside the woofer itself. Like with the Aperion Audio A5 Height Module, for example. 👍
Your videos are really fun to watch. Well researched content. Good work🎉
Thank you very much! 🙌
What about floor firing? Upward speakers?