A Guide to Dolby Atmos in the Home - article discussion

Presume you have an Atmos set up? Happy with it?

I can easily add 2 ceiling speakers but do people think it's worth adding 4 as 4 would be a little bit tricker but still doable, is the difference between 2 and 4 noticeable? My room is quite large.
 
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Presume you have an Atmos set up? Happy with it?

I can easily add 2 ceiling speakers but do people think it's worth adding 4 as 4 would be a little bit tricker but still doable, is the difference between 2 and 4 noticeable? My room is quite large.
You have just bought a Denon 2400, if memory serves me. You will not be able to run four Atmos speakers from that unit.
 
Presume you have an Atmos set up? Happy with it?

I can easily add 2 ceiling speakers but do people think it's worth adding 4 as 4 would be a little bit tricker but still doable, is the difference between 2 and 4 noticeable? My room is quite large.
*Edit* If you have a 2400 then Gibbsy is correct. Only 2 Atmos speakers.
I had 2 for quite a while and it sounds great. But when I went from two to four I realised what I was missing. It's the front to back and vice versa effects that you lose. If you want to know what your are missing from the start then play the Dolby helicopter demo or the 747 demo.
 
Thanks oh yes I understand I'd probably upgrade to the Denon 4400 to get 9.2. I am worried I'd miss my middle rears though if I upgrade to Atmos using my Denon 2400.
 
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Presume you have an Atmos set up? Happy with it?

I can easily add 2 ceiling speakers but do people think it's worth adding 4 as 4 would be a little bit tricker but still doable, is the difference between 2 and 4 noticeable? My room is quite large.

Yes I'm running 5.1.2 and it certainly does bring something to the table but as others have already said, it's all down to the movie/soundtrack.

I'm sure adding another 2 speakers for .4 would improve things further.

More often than not the overhead effects don't draw attention to themselves in the same way as your base layer. I've a great base layer which is, IMO, far more important & that's where I'd be concentrating before considering Atmos.

If you've already got that covered then yes, adding Atmos is definitely worth it.
 
Yes I'm running 5.1.2 and it certainly does bring something to the table but as others have already said, it's all down to the movie/soundtrack.

I'm sure adding another 2 speakers for .4 would improve things further.

More often than not the overhead effects don't draw attention to themselves in the same way as your base layer. I've a great base layer which is, IMO, far more important & that's where I'd be concentrating before considering Atmos.

If you've already got that covered then yes, adding Atmos is definitely worth it.
True but even if you don't have the greatest 5.1 setup Atmos can help in that regard to by filling in the gaps and creating a sound bubble. I should say that my system was pretty decent by then but even then that was the first thing I noticed with my initial set up of 2 speakers.
 
So am I right in thinking Atmos is not just the process of adding 2 height speakers and sound coming from it but its a totally new sound format? So its not like 5.1 with just sound from 2 heights is classed as Atmos its a whole new surround sound format so to speak so the 5.1 speakers will also sound different?
 
So am I right in thinking Atmos is not just the process of adding 2 height speakers and sound coming from it but its a totally new sound format? So its not like 5.1 with just sound from 2 heights is classed as Atmos its a whole new surround sound format so to speak so the 5.1 speakers will also sound different?
No. Atmos is meta date that is embedded in the Dolby TrueHD format. 5.1 will sound the same as it always has since the formats arrived on the scene. You cannot have Atmos without the extra speakers in a correctly configured and capable receiver.
 
Thanks, so if 1 pair of Atmos speakers in ceiling should be above you more or less as per guide, if 2 pairs then 1 pair behind the main seating area and another in front? Just debating if I'm going to do it to do it all whilst carpets up.

ok question: Once I've cut holes for all 4 ceiling speakers, now instead of running the cables under the floorboards which would mean lifting up all the floorboards can I not drill a hole above the hole for the speaker in the floorboards above then thread cable through and run it along the floorboards to the corner where amp is, drill small hole through floorboard and ceiling below and thread wires through to the amp in room below, then place the underlay and carpet back on top. We are getting new carpets and underlay in the room above where the ceiling speakers go. I'm thinking if thin enough speaker wires I'm hardly likely to feel the wire under the carpet am I? So this saves having to lift up all the floorboards.

Does it matter if front set of Atmos speakers are different to back set of speakers in terms of model but the same make ie Monitor Audio, also how can I check the speakers I buy are capable of doing the range I need from my 2400 or maybe Denon 4400 Amp and are powerful enough ie Monitor Audio 140's. I think I'm more then likley to upgrade to a 9.2 amp tbh in next few weeks.

Thank you for the help I really do appreciate it.

Image attached of my room which is quite big so you have an idea what I'm working with, projector behind sofa on white unit. Whats the max watts the Monitor Audio speaker should do to get up to please? I wonder if the old MA 140's won't be powerful enough?
 

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You can run the cable wherever you want and if you'd rather surface mount it then there's no issue associated with doing so. It is better to have fout matching Atmos speakers ib order to ensure tonal consistency.

Your room probably would benefit from a more powerful receiver. THe speakers are not the issue and you are very unlikely to exceed their power handling capabilities, but the size of the room may result in less powerful amplifiers being put under strain at higher listening levels?
 
Just bought a Denon 4400 so that should help. So if 4 atmos it's 2 behind seating and 2 in front of seating, not all way down other end of the room.
 
That should give you plenty of headroom even if powering 9 speakers simultaneously.
 
So what would the minimum speaker requirements be that would good for this from Monitor Audio? Can anyone help please? Been offered some Monitor Audio 140's but only 2 and worried about getting same make but different model for the fronts. I presume all 4 atmos speakers need to be the same make and model yes?
 
You'd ordinarilly try to keep all the speakers as being from the same manufacturer and the same range. This is to maintain a consistency of tone when audio transitions from one speaker to another around the room. This isn't however always possible so more importance is put upon having at least the front three speakers from the same range. Although not ideal, you can get away with having the surrounds from a different manufaturer and or range. I'd suggest you do try to at least try use the same speakers as surrounds though. The same is true of the Atmos speakers and I'd suggest you not mix too many different speakers with diferent signature sounds into the equation.
 
Thanks, it's just ceiling atmos speakers I need. Whats the minimum ones I'd need form the Monitor Audio range?

Also looking at the Atmos diagrams it looks like if you use 2 its above seating but 4 its 2 behind and 2 in front of seating, that correct. Not so far in front of seating that it's down the other end of the room but like a metre in front? See my couch here in pic attached.

I was thinking back row of atmos speakers go on same line as the lights in ceiling behind the couch, and front row of atmos speakers go in the next row of lights in front, would that be a big enough gap between front and rear atmos speakers?

Would these do at 65 watts max or do I need a higher Ws if paired with a Denon 4400?

 

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Any of our Custom Install In-Ceiling speakers (except the T2 and FX models) can be used for Atmos, the better options being those with the IDC module in them. In the vast majority situations the best speaker we would recommend is the C265-IDC. The reason being is that it provides a wide dispersion characteristic (as recommended by Dolby) from its use of an inverted mid-range and isn’t too big or imposing.

The larger 8” models and especially the CP 8” models can look a bit unsightly when there are 4 of them in the ceiling unless you have a large ceiling space to locate them in. Additionally, since Dolby Atmos channels are playing effects audio with more atmospheric sounds and reduced low frequencies, the extra bass achieved by a larger speaker can be seen as unnecessary.

 
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