Greetings everyone. First timer here. I bought my home pre-wired, and have since dug myself into the beautiful world of HT. Looking back, I really wish I had a say in how this house is wired, but I can't really change that now. Long story short, I'm really struggling trying to find good speaker placement for both the Atmos speakers, and the L/R Surround.
I currently have a 5.2.2 setup, which is not laid out properly, but I am trying to correct it, as well as go to a proper 5.2.4 setup, or maybe even a 7.2.4 with an amp. I have outlined a simple overview of the layout of my living room, but will include other photos for context.
Some of the constraints I'm not sure what to do.
Here's what I have:
-Denon X3700H 9 channel receiver, with the option of 11 channels w/ use of another amp.
-2 ELAC UB52 Bookshelf speakers
-1 ELAC UC52 Center (mounted above TV, which sits above a fireplace, but pulls down *basically* to eye level (thanks to a MantelMount vertically articulating TV mount)
-4 Klipsch theater reference pack basic speakers. I've read they are atmos compatible.
-2 klipsch subs on either side of the couch.
The subs are not pictured, but are essentially below the two rear Klipsch, which are suspended from ceiling and are currently configured for L/R surround. The other 2 Klipsh are also mounted at the ceiling, but configured for "Front Height" as ATMOS speakers since I already have the ELAC bookshelf and centers. This is obviously not ideal and I want to fix this, add two proper LR Surrounds, and potentially even 2 more ATMOS speakers.
1) Where is the best placement for my L/R Surround speakers? I was thinking monopole speakers, placed approx 2ft above MLP, but I do have some constraints because of the two windows. I planned to use mounts into the wall pointing to MLP at about 110 degrees (on the back wall). I was considering ELAC Debut B5.2s or OW 4.2s for LR Surround. Open to suggestions though. I highlighted in red what I thought might be best? Note: there's less room on right side than left, and a window to consider, but I can get them within ~1f of equal distance from center position of couch. (7ft on left, 6ft on right from center of couch)
2) Where/how can I add/move speakers for a proper Atmos setup? I'm thinking the two front heights are probably not in the best position. This is the TV in lowered position on the MantelMount. Center of screen is about eye level, Center Channel speaker is above, but angled downwards to *basically* fire right at the ears. It looks more off here than it actually is because of the way I'm holding the camera.
3) If I added 2 more bookshelves on the rear wall (2ft above listening position), pointed towards MLP from 110 degrees, could I simply just convert all the Klipsch to ATMOS configuration and leave them where they are? My issue is, I don't mind adding in ceiling speakers or maybe even utilizing some of the space directly above MLP firing straight down, but as you can see, there's quite a bit of decorative baffling and obstructions thanks to the wooden beams and ceiling fan. I'm really not sure where I'd even put them, or if it would even sound good. I am certainly open to suggestions. (ignore the center channel's position in this photo, TV is in the "up" position, its normally much lower).
I apologize if this is all over the place. Feels like there's just so many variables to consider, and after week's of research, I am still unsure on what to do. I can access *basically* all of the ceiling via the attic, and am comfortable running the wiring through walls and such, but I want to do it right, do it once, and have it look as good as possible. Gotta pass the wife test lol. Thanks so much for your time.
Here's a couple more photos for context of room. Ignore the mess, I am still organizing lol!:
-William