Question Can I use in ceiling speakers as my left and right surround speakers?

[Andywidd]

Hi, new to this forum.
l’ve had a ‘correct’ set up of a 5.1 system for years with the speakers being near enough head height when seated and placed correctly around seating area. However now having a ‘knock through’. Plan is to have front l + r + centre speaker at seating height but I have no where to place the surround l + r speakers other than in the ceiling (Wife wants rid of stands(she’s willing to keep the front left and right speaker and the new centre is going in the wall(plastered over) and the tv is going to be a Samsung frame(compromise on my LG oled) so the only thing visible at the front will be a tv showing art and two speakers)) I know you can get angled tweeters to direct the sound at the seating position but just wondering if any member here has such a set up and does it work? I know it will be a compromise but if it’s a really bad idea I may stick with a 3.1 set up. Also if the 5.1 set up works can I also install 2 atmos ceiling speakers or will the atmos effects just not work due to the surrounds being in the ceiling as well?
Thanks for looking.

 

[gibbsy]

Welcome to the Forum.

If you have to use ceiling speakers as surrounds then that is really going to scupper your ambitions for Atmos as you do have to have good separation between the base level and the Atmos domain. Nothing wrong using ceiling speakers as surrounds although the performance will be compromised. Could you put the surrounds on a wall?

 

[Andywidd]

Thanks Gibbsy. No wall as will be patio door to my immediate left. However it’s good to know that it’s not a complete waste of time if I place surrounds in ceiling.

 

[Jester1066]

Thanks Gibbsy. No wall as will be patio door to my immediate left. However it’s good to know that it’s not a complete waste of time if I place surrounds in ceiling.

What about placing the surrounds on stands?

There are some relatively small speakers & stands available. Mass & Radius ranges (both from Monitor Audio), along with Cambridge Audio Minx Min12 spring to mind. All of these can be purchased with optional stands.

 

[Andywidd]

What about placing the surrounds on stands?

There are some relatively small speakers & stands available. Mass & Radius ranges (both from Monitor Audio), along with Cambridge Audio Minx Min12 spring to mind. All of these can be purchased with optional stands.

Thanks Jester. I might get surrounds on a stand that I can plug in, then I can store them in a cupboard when not watching movies.

 

[Jester1066]

Thanks Jester. I might get surrounds on a stand that I can plug in, then I can store them in a cupboard when not watching movies.

The Monitor Audio Radius 45 speakers are only 10cm cubes (no bigger than a rubik cube!). Would probably be able to keep them in position on a permanent basis. Some evev place them on a small home made shelf etc

 

[Jester1066]

@Andywidd - might be helpful if you could post a picture/sketch show the rear if your room - inc Main Listening Position (MLP).

 

[ShanePJ]

Depending upon how big the room is going to be, you may still be able to place rear speakers higher up so long as you have sufficient distancing from the seating to speakers. Using speakers which should be for Atmos duties which are tapered downwards could be your compromised solution. It won't be the perfect solution, but when rear speakers are missing, the compromise will be bigger as a 3.1.2 than a 5.1.2 solution

As has been mentioned, a picture or 3D layout would be good moving forward as there could be other ways that you are unaware of

 

[Joe Fernand]

Another option would be to consider 2.1.2 or 3.1.2 (depending on the seating layout) - forgoing Surrounds in favour of overhead Atmos channels.

Joe

https://www.dolby.com/siteassets/about/support/guide/setup-guides/2.1-virtual-speakers/2_1_2_dolby_atmos_enabled_speakers.pdf

 

[Andywidd]

Thanks guys. I’ve attached a layout of proposed room. It is roughly to scale. The front of the sofa will be about 2.5m from tv which will be mounted flat on the wall. The Tv side of the room is about 4.1m x 6m (the far corner is finished at 45 degrees and the left hand wall is patio doors. The beam between the kitchen and tv part is about 30cm wide but obviously in the ceiling!=shade bit on picture)
I am thinking about :- Dali epicon 2’s as my front left and right
Dali epicon m 375 as my centre (in wall)
Dali menuets as surround left and right ( I will ‘plug‘ these in and out and store in cupboard when not watching movie).
In wall sub (monitor audio?.??). This will give me my 5.1
4 atmos ceiling speakers ( possibly dali E60 or open to suggestions as you can’t change angle on these). This would give a 5.1.4
to use a marantz 7015 av and a naim supernait for epicons (preouts to/from av)

in the kitchen side I have drawn a square in the corner which is a cupboard (using as a pantry about 90cmx80cm x 6feet high). we are using this as a pantry and it houses the gas and electric meter. There is room to place all the boxes (av amp, CD player, sky q etc) in here— is that okay or do I need to keep the amps away from electric meter!?)

Appreciate your thoughts on whether this is overkill in this sized room Or just a bad lay out...?
Thank you.
andy