Atmos speakers positions when fronts are in the corner of the room

Gazaman

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Hi all,
I've just gone through several pages on here to try and find the info I need but getting nowhere.
Basically I have a 5.1 setup with my speakers all at ear height, with my fronts in the corners of the room. This is because its quite a narrow room and I have a pull down projector screen for watching movies.
I understand that the two Atmos speakers I am wanting to add should be level with the knees at the main seating position and in line with the fronts.
Most threads that I've seen have the fronts at either side of the tv which means the Atmos speakers are away from the walls.
I'm just wondering if I should still follow this guideline and have my Atmos speakers close to the walls (inline with the fronts) or should I bring them in a bit?
I just want to be 100% before sawing holes out of the ceiling :eek:
Thanks
Gaz
 
Post a diagram of your room with the current speaker positions. Ideal is having the Atmos in line with the fronts but if that's not possible or could cause boundary problems then compromise by bringing them in from the walls. The guide is just that a guide. There's not many rooms in UK houses where some kind of compromise doesn't have to be made.
 
Cheers @gibbsy
31953629-9AF5-462B-B078-7C348FDD25AE.jpeg

This is my setup and as you can see, the fronts are quite close to the wall.
 
Bring the Atmos in from the wall, say around 18 inches, if you get speakers than can be swivelled to angled then do so away from the wall. That will certainly work. Have them placed above roughly where your knees will be when seated in the MLP. You'll get good Atmos.
 
Thanks @gibbsy
I don’t think the budget Polk rc60i speakers I’ve ordered can be angled (I need to double check this though) so I’ll go with the 18” suggestion.
Thanks again
Gaz
 
Speakers came today so I’ve had a poke about with a thin screwdriver to find the joists and gues what!?.....Yep, it’s slap bang in line with where I wanted my speakers (in line with my knees).
So....do I have my speakers further back and pretty much directly above my head, or move them forward pushing them a few inches further away from the listening position?
Nothings ever straight forward is it o_O
Cheers
Gaz
 
Put them slightly forward in that case as you will want the sound travelling towards you. For fixing safety it could we wiser to move the sofa a few inches forward if need be.
 
Thanks @gibbsy
I’ve looked at Dolby’s recommendation and it states that the speakers can be between 65 and 100 degrees. As the distance between my ears and the ceiling is 50” this means I can have the speaker up to around 23” forward which is more than enough.
so as you suggest, I’ll put them forward of the joist.
 
Also, there used to be a post somewhere with suggestions of best atmos movies etc. I’ve gone as far as 11 pages in using the search function and can’t seem to find it.
Anyone have a link as I dont want to create another thread.
Thanks
 
Speakers are up. Cheers @gibbsy for the pointers. I’ll get a pic up later when I get home from work.
Just gotta set them up now. I’m guessing I just need to assign as top middle and run audysee?
 
Played a couple of clips earlier but not enough to comment. We’re watching ‘overlord’ later as I hear that’s got a wicked atmos soundtrack. From what I’ve played so far, the audio from the speakers kind of just blended in rather than sound object based but as I say, I haven’t given it much of a chance yet. The tweeters in the speakers are directional and I’ve pointed them towards the listening position....Is that correct as I’ve read conflicting reports on the net?
 
Don't expect the ceiling to come alive with sound. With Atmos titles is very dependant on what the director wants you to hear at the right moments. There are several Atmos and DTS:X discs available where the overheads are virtually silent throughout the movie and you wonder why that soundtrack was chosen. If you want to try a good Atmos film then I can recommend a quiet place, great overhead effects.

As for the tweeters, then that's your choice, no right, no wrong.
 
Quiet place going on in about 10 mins :thumbsup:
Watched overlord last night and a couple of demos off the Dolby website. I think my expectations and understanding of atmos were incorrect. I kind of assumed it would be like another channel with obvious sounds pinpointed to the overhead speakers. But what I’ve found is they really enhance the surround effects of 5.1 and make the whole experience more immersive. For example the opening sequence of ‘it’ sounds eerie and creepy as hell with the child singing almost in your room but you can’t pinpoint where it’s coming from. I watched the live aid sequence of bohemian rhapsody earlier and I actually stood on my sofa to check the atmos speakers were working.....turns out they were kicking out plenty of sound but it wasnt clearly obvious from the listening position....again enhancing the surround effects without noticeable sound coming from the speakers. So as you say, I guess it’s however the director want you to hear it. I hope to try a few other titles in the coming weeks.
 
Really enjoyed ‘A quiet place’ and was nice to hear my overheads doing what they should. I now at least know they’re working. Ive read a couple of threads that mention poor or incorrectly set up atmos! Now other than speaker placement and levels, I can’t really think of anything else that could be done wrong. Are there any other common setup problems?
 
Unless you are building a cinema room that can accommodate all speakers in all the right placing to the exact height and distance you have to live with what you have. I would say 90% of the people, including myself, that ask about speaker placement in their homes has to make some kind of compromise. If you are getting the effects and A Quiet Place is a good example of them, then your set up is working for you.

Sit back and enjoy.
 
I think because I’ve never listened to atmos before so have nothing to compare to, I question if it’s as good as it should be. The effects are decent and I’m glad I took the plunge but I wasn’t as blown away by it as I expected.
Like I say, I’m Chuffed with how it sounds but just wanted to make sure im getting 100% the best I can get with my setup.
There’s only really crossovers that I haven’t touched so might have a tinker later if I get chance.
 
After having my speakers in for a few weeks now, I think I've finally got the setup nailed. For some reason Audyssee had set the level of my rears too high which was kind of drowning out the overheads making it hard to pinpoint the sound placement. I've lowered the rears slightly and raised the overheads and this works for me. I'm getting the object based sound without any loss in detail from the surrounds.
Before making this change, although the sound effects were there, they were more ambient and not directed (if this makes sense).
Thanks again @gibbsy for helping me get up and running.

Gaz
 
Nice one, I was going to chime in but it looks like you're sorted.
I have same overheads as you in a 5.1.4 setup.

You've done exactly the right thing and accepted compromise and done the best you can.
I had the same in that I couldn't have them perfectly in line with fronts because of joists.
You just do the best you can, in the grand scheme of things it'll still sound great and impress your friends 😂👍🏻
 
Nice one, I was going to chime in but it looks like you're sorted.
I have same overheads as you in a 5.1.4 setup.

You've done exactly the right thing and accepted compromise and done the best you can.
I had the same in that I couldn't have them perfectly in line with fronts because of joists.
You just do the best you can, in the grand scheme of things it'll still sound great and impress your friends 😂👍🏻

Cheers mate, I'm happy with the setup now. Its not 100% perfect but I think its the best it can be.
Im surprised how much better it sounds after tweaking after running audysee…..I was under the impression that audysee setups should be left untouched.
I much prefer the localisation of the speakers creating the positional sounds of effects rather than a subtle ambient effect.
Looking forward to my next movie night tomorrow (to which i'm still deciding what to watch :) )
 

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