Atmos speaker positioning

[iwf]

I’ve a 5.0.4 setup (first floor flat, hence the lack of a sub) with my listening position against the rear wall. Can’t fit ceiling speakers.

the front two upfiring speakers are placed on top of my front left and right less than 1/2 room height. It’s the rears that are the problem. I’ve bipoles acting as rear at head height with the last two upfiring speaker sitting on top of the bipoles. Im planning of swapping out the rears and placing them at 90 degrees to the listening position, ie firing into me.

though it’s a decent sound I wonder if during the Audyssey setup the mic is picking up the upfirers directly rather than from the reflected sound from the ceiling. I almost feel like putting something in front of them during setup.

any experience out there?

 

[ShanePJ]

I would say the way to solve this is to hang the speakers high up so the sound from the Atmos speakers is just directing the sound to the seating area.

Please show a diagram of the of the room so everyone can assist you in bring more out of your atmos system

 

[iwf]

Apologies.

I have a roughly 3.6 sq living area with screen on one wall and seating area opposite, against the wall. For many reasons I can’t employ ceiling mounted speakers, nor anything at ceiling height pointing down.

current speaker setup is 2x b&w 805 either side of the screen/tv a B&W fp6 as a center, two B&w fp4 as surronds, currently against the rear wall. Two upfiring Atmos Elacs which sit on the 805s and two old onkyo 410s sitting on the rear projecting upwards. I don’t currently have a sub. AVR is a Marantz 7012

So the base setup is 5.0.4. The Dolby demo disks sound great but most other titles, less so.

I’m wondering about giving up on upfiring and trying the Dolby height virtualisation using the two front upfirers as wide and ditching the Onykos altogether. Lastly placing the rears facing the seating position mounted on the side walls.

 

[gibbsy]

I’m wondering about giving up on upfiring and trying the Dolby height virtualisation using the two front upfirers as wide and ditching the Onykos altogether. Lastly placing the rears facing the seating position mounted on the side walls.

Forget virtual is you have the Atmos speakers in any position. The AV amp will recognise that Atmos speakers are present and will not output Virtual. Use Dolby Surround and DTS Neural:X, much better.

As far as demo discs are concerned their job is to show off what is possible. Films and TV, even with Atmos or DTS:X soundtracks do not contain as much Atmos and will not set the ceiling on fire. It's far more subtle than that. Live with Atmos for a few weeks and then disconnect them, guarantee you'll miss the bubble that it creates.

I've had upfiring speakers since they first hit the market and would never be without them.

 

[iwf]

@gibbsy . thanks

I've actually been running the 5.0.4 for a couple of years now and do appreciate what you've said. I guess as always I was looking to improve. Disappointment with soundtracks is probably the root cause, plus a visit to screen one at the Odeon Leicester Sq last week, which made me realise what true atmos was all about

It's the rear upfiring that most bothers me. they don't seems to add much, but that might be the quality of the speakers themselves or position close to the walls.

A better understanding of Audyssey has made a bit of difference though.