GotAudio’s 7.2 setup

[GotAudio]

Not new to home audio (or home audio for that matter) forums but new to this one.
Just setup my budget 7.2 system today as I had a 2.1 channel setup before with 3 way Sony tower speakers (SSCS3) and a Yamaha 2.1 receiver.

Recently purchased an open-box 7.2 channel Yamaha RX-V6A receiver for a great price from Best Buy and a on-sale 5.1 Klipsch system from Costco. The Klipsch system has a wireless down firing sub and the speakers are wired.

So I’m running 10 gauge speaker wire to the tower speakers and 14 gauge to the Klipsch speakers. I have a BIC America f-12 12” 475 watt sub in left front corner of room and the wireless Klipsch sub is to the right of my couch in rear. I tried using a metal ceiling mount for two speakers and placed them just in front of where the towers stand but unfortunately the Command hanging adhesive strips I used on held it up for 2 days only. I bought the strongest strips I could buy at 16lb rating but it wouldnt hold due to the direct downward force on strips. So I decided to get very light plastic speaker wall mounts and mounted 1 speaker to the left and 1 speaker in the rear. The other speakers are being held by a tall bookcase and a digital piano. As you can tell, I didn’t want to make any holes.

I’ve had a 5.1 setup in the past but this is my first time having anything beyond that. After watching a few clips from the movie Ford vs. Ferrari through iTunes, which has a Dolby Atmos rating, I was impressed. I wish I could stay home all day now listening to music, watching movies , and using the system with my Oculus Quest.

TV is a Samsung 65” 4K -UN65TU7000FXZA

Here’s a video I took earlier today of a game on my Oculus Quest being casted to the TV. Now I just got to break in the Klipschs. Loving this system since I can’t go to theaters currently.

 

[lovinthehd]

Congrats and welcome.

Curious, what specific 5.1 system from Klipsch is it? I bet you could do much better on the sub with Klipsch in mind (they need not match brands). Is wireless a needed feature? What avr is it?

Generally you'd use the lower gauge as the run of wire gets longer, so 10g is likely much overkill for your mains depending how far away your avr is....14g could be perfectly adequate, tho.

I've used some speaker mounts with plastic, avoid that now due weight limitations.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

WhT height are those front heights at?
Just for clarity, you have 5.1.2, not 7.1.

 

[GotAudio]

This is a 7.2 channel system .. 7 speakers and 2 subs..Not sure what the height is on the towers, but you can look up model online.

I got this Klipsch system when it was 300..here is link:

https://www.costco.com/klipsch-reference-theater-pack-5.1-channel-surround-sound-system.product.100492734.html

I already had 10 gauge for the towers originally, so when I bought the 5.1 system I got 14 gauge for those speakers because that was the thickest it would take.I mainly got the Klipsch system because of the price and it was a perfect setup to my original system to make a 7.2. Not a fan of wireless subs but I’d like that I don’t have to run the wire from the back of my living room to the front of the receiver, plus I already have the BIC America 12 inch wired sub upfront.

 

[lovinthehd]

There are kits to make a sub wireless in any case (even just one of them), or at least there used to be, think I found fewer kits last I looked. Some subs have wireless options, too (RSL off the top of my head).

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

So the two speakers on the front wall are not set as front heights?

 

[lovinthehd]

So the two speakers on the front wall are not set as front heights?

Front height can also be 7.1....in all my receivers that have a height feature since they're pre-Atmos....

 

[GotAudio]

So the two speakers on the front wall are not set as front heights?

Oh sorry, I misunderstood the original question. The reason I set it at that height was because I already had a bookshelf and just had to use one speaker mount. Not sure of height.I put them there because on the diagram that came with the receiver that’s how the 7.2 set up is.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Front height can also be 7.1....in all my receivers that have a height feature since they're pre-Atmos....

He’s got a new Yamaha Rcv6a. Pliix days are gone! Lol. That’s why I was confused.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Oh sorry, I misunderstood the original question. The reason I set it at that height was because I already had a bookshelf and just had to use one speaker mount. Not sure of height.I put them there because on the diagram that came with the receiver that’s how the 7.2 set up is.

Lol. The height is probably fine. What I meant was, are they set AS front heights. As in 5.1.2, not 7.2.
5 being bed layer, .1 being subwoofer out, and .2 being heights, as in Atmos.
Congratulations in any case!

 

[lovinthehd]

He’s got a new Yamaha Rcv6a. Pliix days are gone! Lol. That’s why I was confused.

Didn't see a mention of the avr so wondered.

 

[lovinthehd]

He’s got a new Yamaha Rcv6a. Pliix days are gone! Lol. That’s why I was confused.

I'm just a dumbass and think I got threads mixed up, it's easy to see when I go back (and deleted my last post asking too ).


ps So the old PLIIz type height isn't a consideration in any of the Atmos type receivers? Is that different from an overhead in the way the metadata is handled?

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I'm just a dumbass and think I got threads mixed up, it's easy to see when I go back (and deleted my last post asking too ).


ps So the old PLIIz type height isn't a consideration in any of the Atmos type receivers? Is that different from an overhead in the way the metadata is handled?

Lol. I’ve definitely mixed up threads before. Shitt happens!
Weird, I can see the PS when I quoted you, but not in the thread. That’s new! Lol
And I’m sure you know, but for anybody else, no. PLIIZ and PLIIx are not included in new AVR’s. Now it’s just DSU, and DTS-neural X for upmixing.
Edit: now I CAN see the PS. Huh...
Yes. It’s very different. PLII just extracts from the existing track. No metadata.
Atmos uses metadata to place objects on XYZ axes, but Ime it’s far more affective with four tops, as opposed to two, and tops are more affective with the bed layer than heights. Ime problem is a lot of soundtracks use static objects that are pinned to a speaker. Basically making it channel based.

 

[lovinthehd]

Lol. I’ve definitely mixed up threads before. Shitt happens!

Yes. It’s very different. PLII just extracts from the existing track. No metadata.

That might be key to an extent to the way I should think about this. I was thinking in a normal 7ch track (no Atmos or DS, just native 7ch from a bluray for example), that front heights vs overheads could still be different....

 

[GotAudio]

Oh sorry, I misunderstood the original question. The reason I set it at that height was because I already had a bookshelf and just had to use one speaker mount. Not sure of height. Why do you ask?

Lol. The height is probably fine. What I meant was, are they set AS front heights. As in 5.1.2, not 7.2.
5 being bed layer, .1 being subwoofer out, and .2 being heights, as in Atmos.
Congratulations in any case!

I see. I would consider these front heights as they are not ceiling speakers as I originally wanted them to be which would’ve made it a 5.2.2 system (Remember, I have the wireless sub).

 

[lovinthehd]

I see. I would consider these front heights as they are not ceiling speakers as I originally wanted them to be which would’ve made it a 5.2.2 system (Remember, I have the wireless sub).

FWIW there's two distinctions, signal vs speaker setup for designations. I'm not familiar with the Yamaha setup but I'm thinking William has it right that your avr treats them more as heights for Atmos/DTSX stuff than old Dolby PLIIz heights. Without metadata I was wondering what the processing was particularly....then again I just had a growler of our local porter

 

[GotAudio]

I’ve been neglecting home audio for a while (got into car audio a lot in recent years) and learning some of the new stuff from Dolby and DTS and new stuff from manufacturers I was interested in the past. I really wish they would’ve put these Klipschs on sale earlier as I haven’t been to a theater in a while ( and I probably won’t ).

But my dream speakers would be either the Wilson Audio Wamm Master Chronosonic or Magnepan 30.7 and a JL Audio Gotham v2 sub (which I haven’t had a chance to listen to but it’s got be one hella of a sub as I’ve heard quite a few of their car subs and use it in my car). I haven’t heard any of the flagship models from either Magnepan or Wilson Audio, but have auditioned other models and have read great stuff about them.

 

[GotAudio]

Just got an excellent price on an open box Elac 2.0 debut center channel speaker (model: C62-BK). I thought the Klipsch Center Channel might’ve been the weakest point in my setup and found such a great center for an amazing price (a little over 50% off buying open box). I’m assuming it’s high quality because it’s sold in the Magnolia section of Best Buy.

I've never heard of this brand but this center has good reviews and it’s MASSIVE. I had some 10 gauge speaker wire left over so I ran those. I heard it’s power hungry and can take up to 120w but my Yamaha receiver is only 100w per channel (which should be fine I’m assuming).

Before:

After:

 

[lovinthehd]

A speaker uses as much power as you need to attain a given spl level. Not inherently "hungry" which is somewhat a stupid way of describing what goes on. A speaker's wattage rating is more about maximum before damage, not necessarily anything to do with "need" and often will not sound good with that much power either. Elac is a european brand now in the US market, particularly with their hiring of speaker designer Andrew Jones from Pioneer. A speaker shouldn't be placed on top of the avr, either, particularly for ventilation....make a riser for the center speaker, raising it up towards the tv is a good thing, too.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Yeah, you defusing want to keep that nice new CC in the AVR. I was just thinking a couple 2x4 sections under the feet of the tv would make for a nice riser to make room for the CC on the entertainment center. It will perform much better up there too, as well as blending with the mains better. Good score.