Suggestion For Amp Assign setting, Marantz SR6012

mschoonmaker

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Hi Folks,

I'm looking for a suggestion as to what Amp Assign mode I should use for my Marantz SR6012 receiver.

Speakers:
FRONT: LEFT - CENTER - RIGHT in a GoldenEar soundbar. this consumes all six pair of wires, left, center, right from the receiver
FRONT: CEILING LEFT & CEILING RIGHT also GoldenEar speakers, normal pair to each speaker
REAR: CEILING LEFT & CEILING RIGHT also GoldenEar speakers, normal pair to each speaker
SUBWOOFER

Essentially 7 speakers + SUB, but I really don't know if this would be considered 7 channel, 5 channel, 9 channel, etc. Here are the options that Marantz offers:

1573410192193.png


Any suggestions would be most helpful, thanks in advance!
 
Your speaker layout doesn't conform with any that the AV rascilitates. You'd need to have at least 2 surrounds within a layout to then be able to also include 2 or more ceiling speakers.

You don't ordinarilly locate surrounds on a ceiling and they need to be at your seated head height.

What you are proposing equares to a 3.1.4 configuration which as I suggested, isn't a recognised layout and cannot be correctly configured using this AV receiver.

You basically need to start with either a 5.1 or a 7.1 floor layout to which you'd then add either 2 or 4 ceiling speakers to your configuration to give you either a 7 channel 7.1 or 6.1.2 channel setup or you'd configure a 9 channel setup as 5.1.4 or a 7.1.2 setup. Even if limiting your setup to just 7 channels, you'd still need to have the surrounds at ear level as opposed to locating them on your ceiling. Surrounds do not go on ceilings and this is reserved for Atmos effects speakers.
 
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So what purpose are you putting the speakers on the ceiling. Are they intended to be used as suuround and back surrounds or are 2 or more of them inended to be used as Atmos speakers?


You'd need to use the default 7.1 + Zone 2 assignment option irrespective of the configuration of the layout. How you set and configure the other settings relating to the layout depends upon what purpose you are putting upon the frontmost pair of ceiling speakers. Are you intending these to be surrounds or Top Middle Atmos speakers?
 
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this is a family room/great room (and the only TV room). the ceiling speakers were due to wife saying no in-wall or free standing speakers. The receiver does support atmos so there's that, but we tend to use them for music while entertaining more than anything.
 
Is what you want is a basic 7.1 setup, but with the surrounds and back surrounds mounted on your ceiling as opposed to having them at your seated head height?

If this is the case then you should use the 7.1 + Zone 2 assignment. You'd also want to set “Floor” - “Layout” to “5ch & SB” in the menu when connecting in this configuration.

The speakers should be connected as follows:
snapshot002.jpg



The SURROUND (SR and SL) speakers would equate to your frontmost pair of ceiling speakers whilst the SURROUND BACK (SBR and SBL) speakers would be the backmost pair of ceiling speakers. The terminals onboard your passive soundbar speaker needs to be connected to the corresponding FRONT and CENTRE terminals on the receiver. Once everything is connected including the sub and the amp assignment and FLOOR LAYOUT are configured, you then need to attach the calibration mic and run the receiver's auto calibration.
 
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So color me stupid here...

The original installer had the Rear Ceiling speakers connected to SBR & SBL, then had the Front Ceiling Speakers connected to HEIGHT1(L) & HEIGHT1(R). In your proposed connection scheme, I would move the Front Ceiling Speakers to SL & SR. Can you enlighten me as to how SL/SR & SBL/SBR would differ from HEIGHT1(L)/HEIGHT1(R) & HEIGHT2(L)/HEIGHT2(R)?

I just don't understand the differences between the "surround" and "height" connections.

Thanks for indulging me...
 
You cannot technically have a setup that omits surrounds and includes back surrounds.

There are no terminals on your receiver labelled REAR SURROUNDS and only SURROUND or BACK SURROUND terminals.

If tou were utilising the frontmost pair of ceiling speakers as Atmos effects speakers then they would indeed be connected to the FRONT HEIGHT terminals. You'd set “Floor” - “Layout” to “5ch” and “Height Sp” to “2ch” in the menu when connecting in this configuration.

snapshot004.jpg


snapshot003.jpg




Whether or not this arrangement would be effective is debatable in your case due to the fact that you'd have both the SURROUNDS and the TOP MIDDLE speakers on your ceiling. You'd therefore be less likely to differentiate between the effects that are supposed to be surround effects and the effects associated with the Atmos speakers. AS said earlier, surrounds are ordinarilly located at head height and not on ceilings.
 
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How far forward are the frontmost ceiling speakers from your listening location. Are they closer the front wall than they are where you sit?

If they are then the TM configuration may be preferable to treating them as though they are surrounds?
 
the front ceiling speakers are within inches of the front wall itself.

if the front ceilings are set up as TMs, then what might be the impact of when listening to music? I'm guessing that once one chooses a Amp Assign, then it must remain as such for all activities, or are you aware of a means by which to change that depending upon, say, TV/Movies vs Music? Or, are Mode Music & Mode Movies simply working within the Amp Assign settings?
 
I'd suggest the TM configuration as opposed to treating the frontmost speakers as surrounds. I'd maybe even suggest a FRONT HEIGH as opposed to TOP MIDDLE assignment given the speakers location relative to the front wall.

If listening to music then you'd ordinarilly do so via just the front left and right speakers. The surrounds and or Atmos speakers wouldn't be employed unless applying upmixing such as Dolby Surround or DTS Neural:X to it. There is also an all channel STEREO option. Even if employing upmixing, the fact that the speakers are designated TM as opposed to SURROUNDS isn't really going to make much difference. THe audio would still be eminating from the same place.

Where the frontmost speakers are isn't conducive with where they need to be if wanting to employ them as surrounds. THey are too far forward of where you are sat so are therefore better off used as front height speakers.

THe receiver can readilly be switched from a mode that would upmix to one that wouldn't. Press either the MOVIE button or the MUSIC button and hold them down to bring a menu of options up on the TV screen.
 
Still use the 7.1 + Zone 2 amp assignment.

Now configure the layout as defined in my post here:

i.e. connect the frontmost pair of ceiling speakers to the FRONT HEIGHT terminals and set “Floor” - “Layout” to “5ch” and “Height Sp” to “2ch” in the menu when connecting in this configuration.

The backmost ceiling speakers would be connected to the terminals labelled SURROUND and not SURROUND BACK on the rear of the receiver.
 
Was good thru all instructions except I missed

>>The backmost ceiling speakers would be connected to the terminals labelled SURROUND and not SURROUND BACK on the rear of the receiver.

of course, once I fixed that, it worked great!

THANK YOU for all your help!
 

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