7.1.4 speaker setup question

[GOS]

I can always count on QQ to provide quick answers to my usual NOOB questions about audio gear.

My current system is (and how it's being used)

• First, and foremost - I have a 5.1.4 speaker setup
• My 4 height's are being driven by my Denon AVR X4400H (9 channel avr)
• My 4 floor and 1 center speakers are driven by my Emotiva XPA-5 Gen 3 amp (5 channel amp)

Since my Denon now has 5 open channel amps unused, can I utilize them and get 2 more speakers as side speakers (or whatever they are called) to ramp up my Atmos experience even further?

 

[perzon57]

I can always count on QQ to provide quick answers to my usual NOOB questions about audio gear.

My current system is (and how it's being used)

• First, and foremost - I have a 5.1.4 speaker setup
• My 4 height's are being driven by my Denon AVR X4400H (9 channel avr)
• My 4 floor and 1 center speakers are driven by my Emotiva XPA-5 Gen 3 amp (5 channel amp)

Since my Denon now has 5 open channel amps unused, can I utilize them and get 2 more speakers as side speakers (or whatever they are called) to ramp up my Atmos experience even further?

Are you meaning to go 7.1.4 and use surround back speakers?

 

[ar surround]

Gene, looking at the X4400H manual (Also, your AVR is similar to my Marantz SR7013), it seems that your unit will support 7.1.4 with Surround Back speakers as @perzon57 has noted. However, I saw no speaker configuration shown that supports Front Wide speakers. The more elaborate X6700H, an 11.2 channel receiver, supports Front Wide speakers.

 

[GOS]

Are you meaning to go 7.1.4 and use surround back speakers?

I don't know what I mean, honestly. Just want 2 more speakers that can add additional enjoyment with Atmos. I have a very small room. As a result, my surround speakers are actually not a few feet behind me....rather half a foot behind me off to the sides. I don't know if adding "surround rears" would add to my enjoyment? (they would clearly have to be slightly ahead of my listening space, slightly angled towards me...I guess)

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I don't know what I mean, honestly. Just want 2 more speakers that can add additional enjoyment with Atmos. I have a very small room. As a result, my surround speakers are actually not a few feet behind me....rather half a foot behind me off to the sides. I don't know if adding "surround rears" would add to my enjoyment? (they would clearly have to be slightly ahead of my listening space, slightly angled towards me...I guess)

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/dolby-atmos®-faq.26939/

 

[sjcorne]

I don't know what I mean, honestly. Just want 2 more speakers that can add additional enjoyment with Atmos. I have a very small room. As a result, my surround speakers are actually not a few feet behind me....rather half a foot behind me off to the sides. I don't know if adding "surround rears" would add to my enjoyment? (they would clearly have to be slightly ahead of my listening space, slightly angled towards me...I guess)

The Atmos spec is a little confusing - I used to think that a 5.1.4 configuration meant that your back speakers were designated by the AVR as 'surround rears' and then the additional content meant for the 'surround sides' would play in the phantom sides (FL & RL, FR & RR), but it actually treats the back speakers as the 'sides' and the 'surround rears' (meant to go further behind the listening position) are the additional channels that 7.1.4 adds. So when you're listening in 5.1.4, the sides & rear content plays 100% out of the two back speakers.

Upgrading to 7.1.4 certainly added to my enjoyment, especially with Steven Wilson's mixes as he spreads discrete instruments throughout all seven floor speakers. For instance on the Grateful Dead stuff, the rhythm guitars are hard-panned into the sides while additional things like piano, organ, and backing vocals are in the rear surrounds. Same for Ryan Ulyate's Tom Petty mixes, some songs have the piano only in the sides and then the organ only in the rears (or vice versa). Not all Atmos mixes use the 7.1.4 soundscape to its full extent, but when done well it's incredibly cool and more impressive than 5.1 (IMO).

 

[J. PUPSTER]

7.1.4 Atmos set-up guide from Dolby

https://www.dolby.com/about/support....1.4-dolby-atmos-enabled-speaker-setup-guide/

 

[mrcond]

Looking at the Denon AVR-X4400H manual, while there are enough amp channels to do what you suggest (powering 4 heights plus 2 surround back channels) while using the external amp to power the other 5 channels, I don't know if there is a menu configuration that allows for this. I am assuming you are using the Front, Center, and Surround Pre-Out jacks to feed the external amp, and then you have your 4 height speakers directly connected to the AVR speaker terminals for Height 1 and Height 2, is that correct?

 

[GOS]

Looking at the Denon AVR-X4400H manual, while there are enough amp channels to do what you suggest (powering 4 heights plus 2 surround back channels) while using the external amp to power the other 5 channels, I don't know if there is a menu configuration that allows for this. I am assuming you are using the Front, Center, and Surround Pre-Out jacks to feed the external amp, and then you have your 4 height speakers directly connected to the AVR speaker terminals for Height 1 and Height 2, is that correct?

Correct

 

[perzon57]

Correct

You may have to invest in a separate stereo amp to get this going. I had to do this on my AVC 3800 to get a full 7.4.4 setup.
Page 59 in the online manual for your AVR X4400H.

 

[HomerJAU]

There are quite a few movies with 7.1 mixes if you watch BDV movies. These were DTS-HDMA 7.1 released prior to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X being released. I don’t think any 7.1 streaming exists, AFAIK it’s either 5.1 or Atmos for surround streaming.

 

[marpow]

It's a good thought, adding more speakers for sure. My listening room is 12' X 14'. I look at the 12' wall.
My 5 speakers on the floor, and two seats in room.
I love the idea of surround backs, which mine are about 4' back of my head. I decided against side surrounds (a 7 speaker set up) as I just know the one closest to my left shoulder would always be bugging me.
There is a lot of tuning needed when adding speakers, 1. your brain needs to reconfigure and your actual signal (DB) strength will need to be dialed in, but hey we are AUDIO NUTS and we love tweaking our rigs.
If my room was bigger than 12" X 14' I definitely would add more.
Good Luck Gene, I think you will like them.

 

[jberq]

The Atmos spec is a little confusing - I used to think that a 5.1.4 configuration meant that your back speakers were designated by the AVR as 'surround rears' and then the additional content meant for the 'surround sides' would play in the phantom sides (FL & RL, FR & RR), but it actually treats the back speakers as the 'sides' and the 'surround rears' (meant to go further behind the listening position) are the additional channels that 7.1.4 adds. So when you're listening in 5.1.4, the sides & rear content plays 100% out of the two back speakers.

yeah, that was a very disappointing discovery. I though the whole attraction of object-based was the decoder would place objects in their correct spatial locations with whatever speaker configuration the user had. Or does the sides/rears play through rears in 5.1 setup only apply to the bed tracks?

 

[weekendtoy]

Once you have the AVR and extra amplification to power 11 channels of surround there is really no reason not to go for 7.x.x, IMO. Room constraints are a very real thing for many but I have a small room and made it work.

Adding the 2 rear surrounds is an incremental improvement, at least compared to say adding ATMOS or side surrounds to a system.

In audio, it all matters, and these are incremental steps to something bigger, something better.