New Theater - Setup 7.1.4 or 9.1.4 (Front Wide)

[ncampbel]

Hi there,

I'm working on setting up a new theater room in my new house. I'll be fully conditioning the room as a theater so I'd like my installation to be as "future proof" as possible. Does anybody know if it is worthwhile to run Front Wide speakers? The Dolby Atmos specification does have a configuration that supports front wide speakers, but it sounds like the upmix algorithm won't utilize them.

Furthermore, I was unable to find information regarding whether or not DTS-X (native or upmixed) would take advantage of having front wide speakers.

Anybody know if:
A: front wide is worthwhile for native Dolby Atmos soundtracks?
B: front wide works with DTS-X Native or upmix (neural-X).

I was also considering installing front height but it seems only auro-3d supports them right now.

This document page 26 is what I'm looking at in regards to 9.1.4. (https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/StaticFiles/PUSA/Files/Dolby Atmos/Dolby-Atmos-Home-Theater-Installation-Guidelines.pdf)

Also where is Emotiva in the new sound format war? Are they going to stick to only supporting 7.1 for much longer?

 

[bpassman]

I enjoy my 7.2.4.

 

[ScottAllenLogan]

Front wides seem to be getting the phase-out. Front heights, however, can absolutely be used by Atmos, Auro, and DTS.


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[ScottAllenLogan]

....but, you're pretty much stuck with only 4 overhead channels with the majority of current hardware. So, if you go with front heights, then that really only leaves top middle left for your ceiling. Initially, I installed top middle and top rear for Atmos and then I discovered that front heights with top middle give you better integration with all formats, leaving my top rears unused. Until, today! It finally dawned on me that those top rears could be repurposed as surround backs after Audyssey recalibrates for them and I'm loving it.


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