Thank you. I didn't mean surround coded music though, I meant expanded or up-mixed stereo music. If the heights aren't timbre matched with the beds, that might sounds funny, or? And if so, do you know if the heights can be easily disabled in such a case using a Denon/Marantz receiver?
Well I'm new to this Atmos speaker layout. In fact I was not going to do it. However the owner of Westco who did our alarm system and some other low voltage stuff, talked me into it, for his own curiosity. Since I have a pretty big supply of drivers and power amps, I agreed and went ahead and installed four ceiling speakers to Dolby specs exactly.
I used my vintage JW drivers as I hold the bulk of the remaining world supply.
They have a unique suspension of Berylium wires. The 4" Tractrix 6 GM Aluminum cone is decoupled from the suspension by a foam collar at the top of the voice coil. In my late teens and subsequently I was heavily involved in its development. It is a full range driver and does not need to cross to a tweeter. It is not just a very good full ranger but a really good driver period. This is the best full ranger that has ever been produced in my opinion. They have been my secret weapon as a crossover designer. I have always used these as a reference. If a speaker sounds significantly different from a pair of these then the crossover needs work. Having a good reference with no crossover has been invaluable.
Anyhow the upshot of this is that they have similar tonality to the rest of my speakers. For the four speakers I designed small sealed boxes for the speakers to have an F3 of 120 Hz. That is where they crossover. Crossed over that high they can take significant power as cone excursion is limited and the metal cone is a heat sink to the VC.
Well I have had the system up for just a few days, and I have to say in up mix. Quite honestly I was expecting this to be a bust and a total waste of time.
Well I have been totally astonished. The new DD up mixer on my Marantz 7701 is a huge leap forward over previous efforts.
I have now played a variety of material. The system no longer sounds like a room in a house. It truly makes the room sound huge in all three dimensions. There is a true sense of space imposed on the room.
I have noted the productions of the Berlin Philharmonic Digital Concert Hall are particularly fine. The sound stage is way beyond the end of the room. Blazing horns echo from a seemingly huge space. For some reason imaging and location seem to be improved over 2 channel stereo. In the applause the audience truly surrounds you, but the orchestra is dead center. It literally puts you in the Philharmonie in Berlin. You are transported right out of this room. I have no idea how this alchemy from a two channel source has been achieved. I'm totally blown away by it, especially by the fact you never localize to any one speaker. The speaker system creates a space way beyond the four walls and ceiling. It really is like a live experience.
This is something I just never expected. But the point is that I'm pretty certain all speakers have to have a very similar and very good FR and I suspect a superior phase response to achieve this effect.
This has been a totally unexpected and pleasant surprise.