UPGRADES SUGGESTED.

[lovinthehd]

Lovinthehd. I accept that , but within the constraints of the aesthetic I am looking for a better experience. I guess in the simplest of terms it would be a more immersive experience . I am not a 'music buff ' plain and simple .....it's not about reproducing an ideal concert-like sound.........I just want a more cinematic experience when watching movies etc.........

Yeah I get that but you're mostly operating behind the 8-ball so to speak. You might gain by the overhead/immersion tech a bit but think until you get the bed layer right even that is questionable. I'd seal up all those freakin' cubbies

 

[ryanosaur]

Acoustics is physics... and you can't cheat your way past that.

I said in post 2 that the electronics is not going to give you better sound. It will give you newer technology in processing. Period. If you had a 10 year old ~$200 AVR and you wanted to upgrade to a new $1500 AVR, yes, you might realize some gain in SQ. But with your current equipment... not so much.

If you want to expand the cinematic experience and delve into Atmos, you should. People enjoy it. I'm working on expanding my rig to Atmos as well. Again, referring to my earlier post, if you want to realize the best gain in Atmos, look at the Dolby placement recommendations and shoot for Top Front and Top Back placement. With either a 5- or 7 Channel Bed Layer, this will give you the best bang for the buck; the most immersive sound.

Cheers.

 

[Verdinut]

Actually he did saying his local hifi dealer suggested as much....

That doesn't mean the same thing as saying the OP was looking for having the newer features.

 

[ryanosaur]

Lovin' raises a very good point:

but... until you get the bed layer right even that is questionable

Atmos is an extension of the Bed Layer of Speakers. If the Bed layer is not working optimally, Atmos will not work well, either.
Dolby's recommendations are just that, and you can fudge placements to achieve what you want in your room. However, the core principles of where the sounds are coming from and how the soundwaves move in your room will have an effect, good or bad, on how well the final outcome works for you.

 

[ryanosaur]

That doesn't mean the same thing as saying the OP was looking for having the newer features.

Indeed... I got the feeling they were making recommendations for the sake of making recommendations.

 

[lovinthehd]

That doesn't mean the same thing as saying the OP was looking for having the newer features.

I was just mentioning some of the original OP thoughts....not equating particularly

 

[mazersteven]

Lovinthehd. I accept that , but within the constraints of the aesthetic I am looking for a better experience. I guess in the simplest of terms it would be a more immersive experience . I am not a 'music buff ' plain and simple .....it's not about reproducing an ideal concert-like sound.........I just want a more cinematic experience when watching movies etc.........

Picture of the rear of the room and side walls would help.

 

[tenerifepaul]

Ryanosaur that makes a whole lot of sense. The AVR will have to be replaced as its not Atmos, but thats OK. If I get top back, do they replace my existing back floor speakers or are they in addition to?

 

[tenerifepaul]

Picture of the rear of the room and side walls would help.

OK here it is , but you are not going to like it as there are a bunch of holes, windows etc. I accept that it's an acoustic nightmare.

 

[mazersteven]

First of all I like your room. Not everyone can have a perfect Home Theater room. So working with what you have is OK.
1) You have nice Mains. I understand you don't want to take out of Cubby Holes, but pull them out past the Wall.
2) I highly recommend those Isolation Pads I posted to angle your Center up to Listening area. I would even use them under the Mains without the Angle.
3) You need a real Sub to handle that room. I would suggest calling Power Sound Audio, give them your room dimensions, pictures, openings and let them Suggest the Proper Subwoofer. I don't Suggest the Sub in the Cubby Hole like presently.
4) You have rear Surrounds if you wanted to add 2 in-ceiling surrounds I think that would help with your Surround Sound experience. JMO

 

[tenerifepaul]

Mazersteven. Thanks thats very kind. I completely get where the purists are coming from, but as you have correctly observed, this is a living room and it was designed with other factors in mind. That said the next one I design will be more acoustically considerate.....much more. Thanks for the suggestions , I will incorporate them, and any others that accept that 'by and large' the aesthetics must remain as they are. No problem with ceiling speakers though.

 

[ryanosaur]

Ryanosaur that makes a whole lot of sense. The AVR will have to be replaced as its not Atmos, but thats OK. If I get top back, do they replace my existing back floor speakers or are they in addition to?

The Atmos layer is separate from the bed layer. Many report that their experience with 5.x.4 is very good and believable and others insist on 7.
Again, if you search Dolby Atmos placement you will see where the speakers create a “bubble of sound” around you. The key to this is, again, proper placement: this includes both layers and the distance separating them as well as where each speaker is placed.
Almost every single person has some challenge adapting their room to create the best possible environment to audio. Those challenges are anything from architectural to personal!

One other note, getting good subwoofer is going to help, but based on your other responses, I feel you will be resistant to boxes in your living space.
Brands like SVS, Hsu, Outlaw, Monoprice Monolith, Rythmik, and PSA all are known to make good subs. Rythmik and SVS sometimes do White as an option.
Depending on your priorities, Jim Salk/Salk Sound does custom Rythmik builds with furniture grade finishing.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Ryanosaur that makes a whole lot of sense. The AVR will have to be replaced as its not Atmos, but thats OK. If I get top back, do they replace my existing back floor speakers or are they in addition to?

No. If you added top rears they would not replace the bed layer surrounds. Also, if only installing 2 height/top speakers, you’d place them in the ceiling and just in front of the couch. However, if you’re adding 4 overhead, they’d be spaced farther apart. 45° fore and aft of the LP which you should be able to get close to.
I see you’re in Europe somewhere so look at XTZ subs. If you want to upgrade your sound, that is the first place to start. The problem with subwoofers is you can NOT put them into cubbies and expect great results. They really need to be out in the room. You can put speakers in compromised locations and still be kind of ok, but they deal with sound waves more directly to the ear(think line of sight, also, do not read as you can just go willy nilly) where subwoofers are basically all transmitted by the room. The room is beautiful, and you’ve made accommodations for the mains that you are happy with. Ok, that’s fine but if you are serious about upping your game, get a pair of nice XTZ subs. Try to have an open mind with regards to placement and putting them where they can work with the room. Every room is different, and require different techniques. Ryan and I have rooms that couldn’t be more different, and we’ve had to use different ways to get the best bass in our rooms. Still, I have no doubt if we visited each other’s space we’d find a great experience in each.
If you’re not willing to move the subs out of the cubby, then I wouldn’t bother with new ones, as they’re most likely in the worst possible place they can be, and also too small. But know that’s a conscious decision and if you can allow some latitude on subs and their placements you will be rewarded highly with bass that has power and depth. It will also make your other speakers sound better as well.
IMO, you would do well with a 5.1.4 system with dual subs.

 

[tenerifepaul]

Will, thats great, thanks for the advice and the compliment. I reckon I am getting close to some solutions. I will get a bigger sub, and I will 'pull it out' .....I think the room aesthetics can survive that. This is one occasion when I wish I was in Europe or the US as the choice of, access to and the price of equipment is great. Alas I am in the UAE where it is very different. Having said that armed with the right information I believe I can make some significant improvements and keep the costs reasonable.

 

[Mark E. Long]

Will, thats great, thanks for the advice and the compliment. I reckon I am getting close to some solutions. I will get a bigger sub, and I will 'pull it out' .....I think the room aesthetics can survive that. This is one occasion when I wish I was in Europe or the US as the choice of, access to and the price of equipment is great. Alas I am in the UAE where it is very different. Having said that armed with the right information I believe I can make some significant improvements and keep the costs reasonable.

Thats a great looking room and i imagine can be very bright . I recently redid my whole room and took out carpet and replaced it with floating vinyl flooring with a layer of foam underneath . i had all my speakers spiked and my subs too had to put on rubber feet on everything touching the floor . With that being said it drives my Yamaha's YPAO auto setup nuts iam thinking reflections i now have from the new flooring . I have boxes i made for the subs to sit on that are filled with sand 60 lbs in each base they absorb a lot of vibration and seem to tighten up the low end , Get ya a big sub and the new AVR do the Atmos . I know moving the front mains is out for you but just for shits and giggles move them out and closer together and see if the image sounds better .you may be surprised at what you find in any event enjoy your system .

 

[lovinthehd]

As too subs' aesthetic in the room you can have them made in the form of furniture, like end tables for example.