Can go 7.2.4 vs 5.2.4 but should I?

3t3p

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I have 5.2.4 currently and the side surrounds are positioned as per dolby spec slightly behind the MLP.
My room does have an alcove behind the sofa where the dining table is, in theory a pair of dali pico zensors could be wall mounted to give me two rear surrounds.

Sometimes I am convinced sounds are behind me in films, other times wonder what it would be like with something behind me in the gap.

Using Yamaha RxA3070 so would need an external integrated or power amp (2channels) was looking at emotiva stuff.

Thoughts? Sorta tempted to say leave it, you've got 9 speakers and two subwoofers in your lounge, but if 7.2.4 is better then would be a fun little project and max out my amps processing cabability.

Any downsides beyond costs any one can think of? Cheers
 
Just my opinion, but I'd generally say make use of all the discrete channels if you can. I have heard there's not a lot of content in the rear channels most of the time (not unlike Atmos ceiling effects I guess, so that's another 'should I bother' comparison) so is it then worth the hassle for adding something that isn't going to be used very much? If you're already getting some rear effects anyway, why change?

But, as mentioned, Atmos ceiling effects don't get a lot of use a lot of the time, but when they do, it's nice to have IMHO. So with that way of thinking, you may want to move the side surrounds to your sides, and add in the rears. :)

Does that help or have I made it worse? :D
 
Sometimes I am convinced sounds are behind me in films, other times wonder what it would be like with something behind me in the gap.

Are two of your Atmos not positioned behind you? i.e. two Atmos in front of you, then your surrounds, then remaining two Atmos being behind you...
 
I'm running 7.1 atm and have in the past run 7.2.4.
I would always try to have surround backs in my system.

I find they're most effective when there are pans from one side, across the back, then to the other side. The drop scene in Edge of Tomorrow's my favourite example, but there are loads of others.

Another example is when there are discrete sounds coming exclusively from behind. In the latest season of Daredevil, for example, there's a scene where Kingpin stands behind Daredevil and talks to him. His voice was placed exactly behind me. Surrounds would have had a good crack at conveying the same effect, but they wouldn't have gotten close to the same precision of placement.

I wouldn't be without them. I'd even go as far as saying that, if forced, I'd chose surround backs over ceiling speakers.
 
Yes my Dali altecos are positioned above and behind the MLP as well as in front and to the side of the front left and right.
The best atmos so far I heard was in Sicario 2 during the blackhawk scene, the rotors were right above my head! I wouldn't be without the channels now even up-mixing adds to the sounds sphere, 5.1 would sound very flat to me now.

What I don't want is for rear channels to be distracting, as humans aren't good at localising behind us. However if it makes that SPHERE better i'm all for that.
 
The background synth atmospheric sound track for AMZ Jack Ryan particularly impressed me even though it's 5.1
 
Wonder if it would help with pans as well, not just atmospheric stuff?
 
It would!

Surround backs are particularly impressive at back to front pans. I've been watching Nightflyers lately and there have been a few examples of something being jettisoned into space from the spaceship. The sound of that very distinctly pans from behind my head, across the side to the front. The sub integration also means the sound behind me has real weight. There's no mistaking it; it's not a general sense of something behind me - it's a full range sound localisable directly behind my head.
 
Do you have a spare pair of speakers lying around to test surround backs with? Could you do that, and disconnect one of your atmos pairs from the AVR to try out surround backs without having to buy a new amp?
 
Spare no unfortunately but I'm either looking at a pair of zensor 1s or zensor Pico's which at this point is small fry compared to the whole system haha!

Good idea though re disconnecting a pair of height channels. I can even draft some spare stands into place too:) seems obvious now and if I really like it just need a power amp.
 
Apologies, But could I possibly jump in and ask for some advice as it's the same sort of area,At the moment I have a Marantz SR6010 that I am running in a 7.1.2 setup with a Marantz PM7200 running the fronts, I'm using a couple of Kef Q85s for the 2 Atmos speakers.
Now room and placement is not a problem and I have some Kef Eggs knocking about that I could use for the 4 Atmos speakers, So my question is, Is it worth me running some cable and speaker moving to go from 7.1.2 to 5.1.4, Or is the former the better option of the two.
 
Obviously I'm between worlds but from what I've read, imagined and observed is that I wouldn't want to do Atmos without FOUR ceiling speakers. You just won't get the panning with two speakers.

So I would go 5.1.4 with the side surrounds just behind the MLP where possible
 
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So side surrounds stay were they are, And Atmos speakers evenly placed with two behind and two in front of MLP.
I'll give it a go I think.
 
Yeh that basically.
I turn my altecos +2.5-3db than what my receiver says also for a bit more punch up there.
 

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