Atmos and 5.1 Speakers, is it worth it?

[Bob Romano]

So my question would be....
I have 5 in ceiling speakers. What would I need to do to actually have Atmos? I have an Atmos receiver and it's set up for 5.1. Would a sound bar be sufficient. Would it be a waste since I have ceiling speakers?

 

[HomerJAU]

I would consider adding in-wall speakers Bob. Use the existing speakers for heights.

My small system in my living area has three in-wall fronts and I’m very impressed with the audio and bass I get from them. I am also using two ceilings (5.1) but thats because I can’t fit in-walls in that area due to windows. I would love to add sides/rears.

I’m using Focal 300 series (LCR for fronts and 8” for rears/in-ceiling). The LCR (3-way) and smaller 2-way fit in a standard stud wall cavity.

 

[Bob Romano]

Unfortunately I'm not willing to cut any more holes in my walls. And I'm sure my wife would kill me for even bring it up.

 

[HomerJAU]

Sounds like new house or room then

 

[Bob Romano]

Nah. She's just done with me "needing" to add stuff to.my system. Can't say I blame her really.

 

[HomerJAU]

My wife wouldn’t let me use floor-standing speakers but she was ok with in-walls. Now she says we need an extra sub. I have a single small sub at front.

Edit: Not for sound but for aesthetics

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Nah. She's just done with me "needing" to add stuff to.my system. Can't say I blame her really.

I'm kind of in the same situation; I've got two ceiling speakers for my rears already with an open kitchen behind the listening area. Nowhere to put those rear speakers really, maybe get a new wife (she feels speakers are like appliances and need a garage to sit in) ... nah don't think so!

 

[HomerJAU]

New wives get expensive (actually it’s the old ones). Besides I like mine a lot!

 

[ar surround]

Unfortunately I'm not willing to cut any more holes in my walls. And I'm sure my wife would kill me for even bring it up.

Nah. She's just done with me "needing" to add stuff to.my system. Can't say I blame her really.

Here's a true story to tell your wife. I recently added five ceiling speakers to my 7.1 system. This afternoon I tried my first movie, 2012 in DTS HD-Master 5.1. The receiver recognized the stream and applied a DTS Neural-X upmix which synthesized the rear and four height channels. The result was way beyond my expectations. My wife came into my man cave to tell me that she was going out for a walk. She heard the surround sound spectacle that was going on and decided to watch the movie. So you see, Bob, your wife also "needs" more stuff added to your system.

 

[mrcond]

Unfortunately I'm not willing to cut any more holes in my walls. And I'm sure my wife would kill me for even bring it up.

This is why I built a man cave listening room in my basement, complete with some degree of soundproofing. Now I can put speakers in the ceiling, put the the subwoofer where I want, and play my music/movies as loud as I want.

 

[Sal1950]

Some of you guys need to grow a pair.
You'd be surprised how fast most will change their tune when they
find out they could possibly end up in the same financial position as
their divorced girlfriends. LOL

 

[quicksrt]

Nah. She's just done with me "needing" to add stuff to.my system. Can't say I blame her really.

I'm with her there.

Are there enough Atmos mixed albums (compared to 4.0 & 5.1) to really worry about it right now? Are "up-mixes" going to become the standard with Atmos? Is money no object for many of you guys?

I've always been a packrat, and enjoy collecting things, getting upgrades, and seeing improvements in everything I have around me. But I think I've turned a corner now, and do not want to want more. I want to be happy with what I have, or maybe happy with less. I don't know. But something about Atmos just rubs me the wrong way. Maybe I'm heading out of so much internet, connectivity, and the push to desire more things. Maybe I am entering a different life stage now.

 

[Ranasakawa]

I have a 7.1 compatible receiver but I am too lazy or not prepared at the moment to go to the trouble of redesigning my room to suit 2 more speakers

 

[fredblue]

yes it gets lonely on those cold winter nights.. but its times like this i'm glad i don't have a wife, i can put my equipment (ahem ) anywhere i like!

(doubt my boyfriend would be too thrilled if i brought a wife home anyway but no way is any husband, wife or bit on the side ever going to tell me i can't have more speakers in the house, that would just make me go and buy more speakers!!

 

[Sal1950]

but no way is any husband, wife or bit on the side ever going to tell me i can't have more speakers in the house, that would just make me go and buy more speakers!!

Amen to that! I worked too hard all my life to be told by anyone what I can or can't buy with the money I earned. She can do what she wants with the rest of the house but the living room and garage are MINE.

 

[ar surround]

Amen to that! I worked too hard all my life to be told by anyone what I can or can't buy with the money I earned. She can do what she wants with the rest of the house but the living room and garage are MINE.

Sal, the only reason you got the living room is because Florida has no basements. If you lived in Joisey, you'd be banished to the underground level like me...a true man cave!

 

[ar surround]

I'm with her there.

Are there enough Atmos mixed albums (compared to 4.0 & 5.1) to really worry about it right now? Are "up-mixes" going to become the standard with Atmos? Is money no object for many of you guys?

I've always been a packrat, and enjoy collecting things, getting upgrades, and seeing improvements in everything I have around me. But I think I've turned a corner now, and do not want to want more. I want to be happy with what I have, or maybe happy with less. I don't know. But something about Atmos just rubs me the wrong way. Maybe I'm heading out of so much internet, connectivity, and the push to desire more things. Maybe I am entering a different life stage now.

I used to think like that. Then I found a way to make the conversion to Atmos / Auro 3D / Neural-X relatively inexpensively and decided to give it a try. I played Abbey Road yesterday in Atmos for the first time. Then I watched the movie 2012 in DTS HD Master + Neural-X. I'm glad I went through with the system conversion (despite all of the effort) and I am not going back. Remember, you can set up your system to achieve great results with Atmos, Auro 3D and Neural-X. It's not just Atmos that you will get.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

I used to think like that. Then I found a way to make the conversion to Atmos / Auro 3D / Neural-X relatively inexpensively and decided to give it a try. I played Abbey Road yesterday in Atmos for the first time. Then I watched the movie 2012 in DTS HD Master + Neural-X. I'm glad I went through with the system conversion (despite all of the effort) and I am not going back. Remember, you can set up your system to achieve great results with Atmos, Auro 3D and Neural-X. It's not just Atmos that you will get.

Are you worried at all that Sony's RA360 format will be the next surround "breakthrough" and will render current equipment obsolete?

 

[temporaryhuman]

So my question would be....
I have 5 in ceiling speakers. What would I need to do to actually have Atmos? I have an Atmos receiver and it's set up for 5.1. Would a sound bar be sufficient. Would it be a waste since I have ceiling speakers?

sound bars are no beuno.

Connect 4 of those speakers to AVR, then set it up with mic. Job done.

 

[ar surround]

Are you worried at all that Sony's RA360 format will be the next surround "breakthrough" and will render current equipment obsolete?

"Current" equipment is obsolete before we even open the box. Tech is like that. That's why I now have a core 7.1 system with a Parasound P7 multichannel preamp. I actually bought a new 2018 model Marantz SR7013 at $1600 closeout price, which is a lot cheaper than the current SR7015 for $2800 or the TOTL SR8015 at $3800. The latter two are 8K receivers and have features that I don't need at this time.

If I want to upgrade in the future, I can simply disconnect the SR7013 from the Parasound P7 and connect up a new AVR. Plus I have the Oppo 205 analog outputs connected to the P7 via its second set of 7.1 inputs. So if the SR7013 goes kaput, I won't have spacial audio but I'll still have a fully operational 7.1 system.

https://www.zkelectronics.com/compare/marantz-sr7015/usa/marantz-sr7013/usa/