Atmos or DTS

[John Shaver]

I just upgraded to a pair of Klipsch height channels with a second amplifier. They're positioned above the L&R up as close to the ceiling as possible (see pic). Ran the Marantz room correction, sat down and plugged in one of the better Atmos Blu Rays and was quite underwhelmed to say the least. The sound quality is fantastic but the overhead effects weren't. FYI, the long haired boss would not permit holes in the popcorn ceiling.

So I'm wondering can anyone has experienced and can definitively state that DTS-X is truly speaker location agnostic? If not seems I've wasted my money.....

Marantz 7703
Marantz MM7055
Marantz MM7025
Marantz UD7006
Paradigm Studio 60 LCR
Paradigm in-wall rears
Paradigm subs
Klipsch height channels.

 

[j_garcia]

What you've done is add front height speakers, which is not really part of the Atmos spec. The overhead speakers are literally supposed to be OVER HEAD, not in the front of the room. This is likely a big reason why you're underwhelmed. DTS-X will be much the same as the positioning will also be off.

 

[Wessew]

John, You might consider, as an interim experiment, using height speakers which are designed to fit on top of your left and right main speakers and fire upwards into the ceiling at an angle oriented towards your listening position. The reflected sound is supposed to give a sense of height. From what I have read and heard it may be worth a try. The effect may not be as great as speakers actually mounted in the ceiling but some have reported good results. Also, if you have sides in this room you could do the same with height speakers mounted on the sides firing at the ceiling.

 

[j_garcia]

Height speakers came out prior to Atmos or DTS-X and were effectively matrixed, meaning there was no actual audio format that had height channels encoded in at the time. As far as I know, all manufacturers had dropped this feature before Atmos and DTS-X were released.

 

[yepimonfire]

What you've done is add front height speakers, which is not really part of the Atmos spec. The overhead speakers are literally supposed to be OVER HEAD, not in the front of the room. This is likely a big reason why you're underwhelmed. DTS-X will be much the same as the positioning will also be off.

Actually dts x is specd for heights in a classic 11.1 setup.

Try placing the speakers as heights over the surrounds (slightly in front of them) and configure it for top middle. Ideally you want overhead though.

Sent from my LM-X210(G) using Tapatalk

 

[j_garcia]

Actually dts x is specd for heights in a classic 11.1 setup.

Try placing the speakers as heights over the surrounds (slightly in front of them) and configure it for top middle. Ideally you want overhead though.

The front and rear "height" in both Atmos and DTS-X are intended to create sound overhead. That does not mean the speakers actually need to be over your head, but need to be in the main listening area, either along side the user (7.x.x and 9.x.x) or in front and behind (11.x.x.) and above in both cases. You CAN bounce the sound off the ceiling, or have angled speakers, as the ones in the OP's pic shows. Those should be along side the listening area, though behind and above might give the effect as well.

 

[Wessew]

Please refer to this Dolby White paper. It clearly indicated Atmos enabled height speakers are a recommended option, and it discloses where and how to use them. These are speakers that are designed to fire upwards at an angle into the ceiling. They are in current production and should be considered by anyone unwilling or unable to put holes in the ceiling. https://www.dolby.com/us/en/technologies/dolby-atmos/dolby-atmos-home-theater-installation-guidelines.pdf

 

[fuzz092888]

I recently added front heights and rear heights as well as a top surround. I can vouch for the height channels as I've recently also picked up a DTS X demo disc. The overheads with the right track do make for a truly enveloping experience.

 

[Auditor55]

I recently added front heights and rear heights as well as a top surround. I can vouch for the height channels as I've recently also picked up a DTS X demo disc. The overheads with the right track do make for a truly enveloping experience.

DTS-X seems more flexible and backwards compatible, this should be the way the home industry should go instead of Dolby Atmos.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

DTS-X seems more flexible and backwards compatible, this should be the way the home industry should go instead of Dolby Atmos.

Except that dts-x is channel based, not object based iirc. Happy to be corrected.

 

[lovinthehd]

Except that dts-x is channel based, not object based iirc. Happy to be corrected.

You thinking of DTS Neo:X? https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dts-x-immersive-surround-sound

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

You thinking of DTS Neo:X? https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dts-x-immersive-surround-sound

I wondered if someone would ask me that lol.
I can’t remember where I read it, but I recall that despite dts’s claims of superiority, it was basically found to still be channel based.
I will dig and hopefully find it. Hopefully I’m wrong, but something is telling me I read that right. Digging...

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

It comes down to content, doesn’t it?

ATMOS had a big head start in both commercial and consumer contents, right?

So I bet the number of ATMOS contents is significantly more than DTS:X.

 

[Dmantis10]

Atmos Rules my man .Tell your long haired boss you NEED to place in ceiling speakers in the ceiling correctly for the Atmos experience. It's worth asking forgiveness over permission in this case.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I know you can paint some ceiling speaker grills (like RBH) to match your ceiling color.

 

[Dmantis10]

All in ceiling speakers are paintable. They come with paint masks to pain the trim ring and the grills need to be sprayed so you don't clog up the holes.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

All in ceiling speakers are paintable. They come with paint masks to pain the trim ring and the grills need to be sprayed so you don't clog up the holes.

There you go. So they'll be almost invisible to the wife.

 

[mtrycrafts]

.... It's worth asking forgiveness over permission in this case.

Unless the ladder is pulled as one starts to cut the ceiling Sheetrock.

 

[Danzilla31]

I just upgraded to a pair of Klipsch height channels with a second amplifier. They're positioned above the L&R up as close to the ceiling as possible (see pic). Ran the Marantz room correction, sat down and plugged in one of the better Atmos Blu Rays and was quite underwhelmed to say the least. The sound quality is fantastic but the overhead effects weren't. FYI, the long haired boss would not permit holes in the popcorn ceiling.

So I'm wondering can anyone has experienced and can definitively state that DTS-X is truly speaker location agnostic? If not seems I've wasted my money.....

Marantz 7703
Marantz MM7055
Marantz MM7025
Marantz UD7006
Paradigm Studio 60 LCR
Paradigm in-wall rears
Paradigm subs
Klipsch height channels.

Hey John have you that about using SVS prime elevation speakers. They SVS claim that they are made for situations like yours. You might want to browse they're website and give them a call. They have great customer support and great tech advice and can probably tell you if they would work in your situation and with your system. And if they don't you can just ship em back no charge for a full refund

 

[Danzilla31]

I just upgraded to a pair of Klipsch height channels with a second amplifier. They're positioned above the L&R up as close to the ceiling as possible (see pic). Ran the Marantz room correction, sat down and plugged in one of the better Atmos Blu Rays and was quite underwhelmed to say the least. The sound quality is fantastic but the overhead effects weren't. FYI, the long haired boss would not permit holes in the popcorn ceiling.

So I'm wondering can anyone has experienced and can definitively state that DTS-X is truly speaker location agnostic? If not seems I've wasted my money.....

Marantz 7703
Marantz MM7055
Marantz MM7025
Marantz UD7006
Paradigm Studio 60 LCR
Paradigm in-wall rears
Paradigm subs
Klipsch height channels.

Im single and have my own house so luckily no wife approval is necessary. I'm actually on when I upgrade to atoms and dts mounting four of those elevations to my ceiling. From what I hear they sound better then in ceiling speakers and you don't have to deal with the holes and running the wires through the attic and all that jazz. Also I think you can put them along the side walls were they would be over your head and behind and they'll give out the same effect. Like I said just an idea you could check into.