Is 5.1.2 Atmos worth it in a small room?
Discussion
Spent half of Easter in the roof space above our media room running a working 15 meter HDMI cable (builders put in 2 but neither could deliver 4K over 15 meters) from the AVR to the projector. Whilst up there I also ran X2 sets of speaker cables so if I wanted to I can install two down firing speakers in future, easy access to roof space and no noise issues with other rooms. This will mean I can get a 5.1.2 setup going in the media room instead of just 5.1.
The room isn't massive 4×4.5m, with a 100inch projector screen and 55inch OLED. I have no complaints about the 5.1 setup, Denon 4100 driving old but lovely M&S speakers, more than good enough to mask the tinnitus.
To get that 0.2, will need me to:
For anyone with Atoms, is all the faff worth it?? I mainly game on GeForce with a Shield (no idea if it supports Atoms), and otherwise the AVR is used more for music than films, hence never felt the need for 7.1 setup versus 5.1, so I'm unsure Atoms is worth it for my usage or room setup?
The room isn't massive 4×4.5m, with a 100inch projector screen and 55inch OLED. I have no complaints about the 5.1 setup, Denon 4100 driving old but lovely M&S speakers, more than good enough to mask the tinnitus.
To get that 0.2, will need me to:
- Buy a new AVR
- Buy some new celling speaker
- Drill into the celling (biggest risk for SWMBO
)
For anyone with Atoms, is all the faff worth it?? I mainly game on GeForce with a Shield (no idea if it supports Atoms), and otherwise the AVR is used more for music than films, hence never felt the need for 7.1 setup versus 5.1, so I'm unsure Atoms is worth it for my usage or room setup?
Love those rears - wth are they!?!
I've a similar setup with a 4.5x 5.5m room, no access to ceiling above so it'd be surface mount and run the cables round the picture rails. I asked a simialr question and the enthusiastic say do it, but I've not, for 2 reasons.
1) I went to what is regarded as one of the best cinemas in the world (in India!) with a super top end system and to me, the height speakers only really made themselves known when a ghost was flying around in the movie.... Not the kind of stuff I usually watch!
2) The price of AVR amps has done a strange, HUGE uplift since I bought my Denon X2200W and I just cant justify it unless its a significant ugrade, and that, to me, means at least £2500 . Long thread on here where it was explained to me that as the average consumer has shifted to sound bars, component hifi /AV has become niche and ver costly.
Shame, as I'd done it for giggles if it didn't mean replacing my AVR
I've a similar setup with a 4.5x 5.5m room, no access to ceiling above so it'd be surface mount and run the cables round the picture rails. I asked a simialr question and the enthusiastic say do it, but I've not, for 2 reasons.
1) I went to what is regarded as one of the best cinemas in the world (in India!) with a super top end system and to me, the height speakers only really made themselves known when a ghost was flying around in the movie.... Not the kind of stuff I usually watch!
2) The price of AVR amps has done a strange, HUGE uplift since I bought my Denon X2200W and I just cant justify it unless its a significant ugrade, and that, to me, means at least £2500 . Long thread on here where it was explained to me that as the average consumer has shifted to sound bars, component hifi /AV has become niche and ver costly.
Shame, as I'd done it for giggles if it didn't mean replacing my AVR
Tony1963 said:
Google Lens suggests Mordaunt-Short Declaration Series 500
Google is scary isn't it 
20 years old this year, they are biampable and dipole, have been with me through 3 house moves and hopefully now 'settled'.
Looking at AVR upgrades needed I think it's going to be a 4 figure sum even with me hacking at the celling to get the Atmos speakers in. So probably will continue to make do with 5.1
.
I’d definitely put 4 ceiling speakers in with a room like that. If you have access from above it’s a piece of cake. If you use monitor audio in ceiling they have a white grille so you can’t even see them when they’re installed.
The shield does support atmos, I have one.
Atmos is great. It really adds a lot to atmosphere. I game and use shield and atmos was a really nice upgrade to the experience.
The shield does support atmos, I have one.
Atmos is great. It really adds a lot to atmosphere. I game and use shield and atmos was a really nice upgrade to the experience.
DiPole should help with surround effect nicely, as you are obviously aware. lol
I was going to suggest that one option could be experimenting with aiming the rears upwards for some 'ceiling bounce' that might mimic atmos slightly (I have done this in mine and found it sounds fine if you have DSP to sort out delays/timings for the seating positions) but my setup is nowhere near as tidy as yours
so you might struggle to do so neatly.
[/random musings]
I was going to suggest that one option could be experimenting with aiming the rears upwards for some 'ceiling bounce' that might mimic atmos slightly (I have done this in mine and found it sounds fine if you have DSP to sort out delays/timings for the seating positions) but my setup is nowhere near as tidy as yours
so you might struggle to do so neatly.[/random musings]
You can do Atmos with 5.1.2 - either via upfiring speakers on top of your existing fronts (so the sound bounces off the ceiling), or dedicated ceiling speakers - if you look on Dolby's page there's guides on the setups and where the speakers should be placed:
https://www.dolby.com/about/support/guide/speaker-...
(scroll down to 5.1.2).
With overhead speakers in 5.1.2 they are supposed to be mounted mid room-ish (https://www.dolby.com/about/support/guide/speaker-setup-guides/5.1.2-overhead-speaker-setup-guide) rather than above the fronts as you may expect.
I've run 5.1.2 and 5.1.4 - .2 is better than 'normal' surround, and .4 is better than .2.. If you are looking for an excuse for a new amp, I would say go for it, get a 5.1.4 amp and maybe look to run upfiring speakers if you don't want lots of ceiling speakers..
https://www.dolby.com/about/support/guide/speaker-...
(scroll down to 5.1.2).
With overhead speakers in 5.1.2 they are supposed to be mounted mid room-ish (https://www.dolby.com/about/support/guide/speaker-setup-guides/5.1.2-overhead-speaker-setup-guide) rather than above the fronts as you may expect.
I've run 5.1.2 and 5.1.4 - .2 is better than 'normal' surround, and .4 is better than .2.. If you are looking for an excuse for a new amp, I would say go for it, get a 5.1.4 amp and maybe look to run upfiring speakers if you don't want lots of ceiling speakers..
gangzoom said:
The room isn't massive 4×4.5m, with a 100inch projector screen and 55inch OLED.
Whatever floats your boat. Seems odd to me but that's just personal taste.gangzoom said:
I have no complaints about the 5.1 setup
I should think not.gangzoom said:
Atmos, is all the faff worth it?
IMO, no. Unless your kick in life is "boom, boom, shake da room".Quantity of equipment isn't really the point, it's quality of the overall experience (picture and sound) that counts.
Panamax said:
gangzoom said:
The room isn't massive 4×4.5m, with a 100inch projector screen and 55inch OLED.
Whatever floats your boat. Seems odd to me but that's just personal taste.gangzoom said:
I have no complaints about the 5.1 setup
I should think not.gangzoom said:
Atmos, is all the faff worth it?
IMO, no. Unless your kick in life is "boom, boom, shake da room".Quantity of equipment isn't really the point, it's quality of the overall experience (picture and sound) that counts.
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