Height speakers questions

QuadraphonicQuad

Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

GOS

2K Club - QQ Super Nova
QQ Supporter
Joined
Apr 23, 2013
Messages
21,367
Location
Central Illinois
Hey gang. Question to those who currently are utilizing height/atmos type setup. I currently have 4 KLipsch Atmos speakers. They are mostly intended to be sat on top of your existing tower speakers. Then, they are angled upward and supposedly reflect sound off the ceiling down towards listening area. Simple enough concept, but I'm not happy at all honestly as once the sound has to go that far and reflect...I can't really hear it.

So, I could mount those speakers up on the walls...sort of the 4 corners. They are a bit heavy for that, but could be done. Since they are wedge shaped, they would be, by default, angled down towards me.

ON the other hand, I found a set of 5 JBL satellite speakers that are only a pound or so. Placement of those would be pretty easy. But......the easiest way (per the mounts that came with them) would be to mount them "flush" up in the corners. That would mean the sound would be above my head, but not angled down towards me. Just going straight out. If you know what I mean. Would I be happy with that, or to get the true effect, I need to have all 4 angled down towards me?? I could do that too, but with a little "engineering" lol
 
ON the other hand, I found a set of 5 JBL satellite speakers that are only a pound or so. Placement of those would be pretty easy. But......the easiest way (per the mounts that came with them) would be to mount them "flush" up in the corners. That would mean the sound would be above my head, but not angled down towards me. Just going straight out. If you know what I mean. Would I be happy with that, or to get the true effect, I need to have all 4 angled down towards me?? I could do that too, but with a little "engineering" lol
I use four satellite speakers (think Bose size cubes) elevated up in the corners tilted down towards my listening position (Auro-3D configuration) and it works quite well for Atmos and DTS: X. I’ve tried both elevated and ceiling speakers. The elevated bouncy bouncy effect was better than nothing but you really need those speakers up high, pointing down to get the best effect.
 
I use four satellite speakers (think Bose size cubes) elevated up in the corners tilted down towards my listening position (Auro-3D configuration) and it works quite well for Atmos and DTS: X. I’ve tried both elevated and ceiling speakers. The elevated bouncy bouncy effect was better than nothing but you really need those speakers up high, pointing down to get the best effect.

Do you have high ceilings?
 
Do you have high ceilings?
No. 8 feet high and very small room.

D8D58795-064F-416E-B9C8-951474378F3D.jpeg
 
Deff speakers up high, then you can really tell the difference.
I use SVS speakers on the front wall and I've utilised my small Monitor Audio Silvers for the rear ones..as they were already on shelves for the old set up.

Did I say that I'm a Dolby Atmos fan boy?

Just checkin..:)
 
I'm not sure if you can use Atmos speakers as height, but it's worthy trying. I guess you'll have to be careful to configure them as heights to avoid the extra signal processing to adjust the delay depending on the ceiling reflection.
I've got a couple of Chario Piccolo as height fronts and Monitor Audio Radius as backs. Charios are much better speakers, but the white Radius have for a much better wife approval rate. Radius wall mounts are really good, allowing you to point the speakers towards the sweet spot quite easily.
I can send some pics if interested
 
I'm not sure if you can use Atmos speakers as height, but it's worthy trying. I guess you'll have to be careful to configure them as heights to avoid the extra signal processing to adjust the delay depending on the ceiling reflection.
I've got a couple of Chario Piccolo as height fronts and Monitor Audio Radius as backs. Charios are much better speakers, but the white Radius have for a much better wife approval rate. Radius wall mounts are really good, allowing you to point the speakers towards the sweet spot quite easily.
I can send some pics if interested
I don't understand why I can't?? They are just standard speakers with a different shape. Klipsch says on their website that these same speakers could be used as surround.
 
I have my #1 heights angled downward not much reflection, they are the awesome Marambas. That seems to work just fine for me. The Sony SS-CSE Atmos #2 speakers are on the top of my floor standings, and get reflection from those being about 4' from the ceiling. Have a 5.1.4 found with my new Marantz 2 Subs was unnecessarily overwhelming.
 
I don't understand why I can't?? They are just standard speakers with a different shape. Klipsch says on their website that these same speakers could be used as surround.
I remember reading an article speaking about old Atmos enabled speakers having some limitations on the sound dispersion at high frequencies or something like that, but if the manufacturer says they can be used, just give them a go!
 
Height speakers are preferable to upfiring speakers and in/on ceiling speakers would be your first choice if you can make it work. I've confimed the former both in my own experiences and inquiries at the AVS forum. I can't do in ceiling speakers.

My first go with ATMOS used upfiring speakers in front and height speakers in the rear for the ATMOS layer. The rear speakers had so much more activity. Boosting the front speaker levels were still no match for the height speakers in the rear. I eventually ditched the upfiring speakers and currently use four height speakers and get a much more cohesive and effective ATMOS effect this way.

I use the SVS Prime Elevation speakers for the heights.

index.php
 
I also use the SVS Prime Elevations in my 7.1.4 system. The Prime Elevations angle down nicely and can fit snugly into wall/ceiling interfaces. I haven't tried any other types of speakers in an ATMOS setup, so I can't speak to anything other than these do angle down to the listening position.
 
I also use the SVS Prime Elevations in my 7.1.4 system. The Prime Elevations angle down nicely and can fit snugly into wall/ceiling interfaces. I haven't tried any other types of speakers in an ATMOS setup, so I can't speak to anything other than these do angle down to the listening position.
and....how do you find the sound? I'm not talking about the brand of speakers, rather the concept of height speakers.
 
Another vote for SVS here. Did a lot of research before deciding to use the SVS's as height speakers, works great for Atmos ..imo.

I find they give a fuller, more immersive sound that fills the room and more importantly my ears, with them all important hidden gems.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GOS
Gos, as noted, I can't compare them to the speaker top models that bounce sound off the ceiling. But I can certainly tell that they are there. On occasion, I kill my main amp and just listen to the heights for fun. I wouldn't use these particular speakers as mains for sure, but they do exactly what they are supposed to do, provide that third dimension of sound while being detailed enough for the occasional discrete moment overhead. I'm still fooling around with the various upmixers (DTS-Neural X, Auro-3D, Dolby Surround) as they all do things very differently with the heights.
 
Back
Top