My Friend's New 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos Home Theater

I purchased a set of Paradigm speakers for a previous video. But I didn't have a use for them so I gave them to my friend to use in his basement where the previous owners pre-wired the room for a 5.1.2 Atmos setup. He purchased a Denon AVR-S760H receiver to pair with the speakers

[@essef.]

This is an incredible gift! Nobody understands the difference a good set up makes to the viewing until they own it. Audio is the most important part of a movie and considering that you can enjoy music at a completely different level is where the comparison from old to new becomes mountainous. I will also need to play with Marantz to see if large are set...

[@domeniccatalano-zs6xd]

@essef. thanks for the kind and very true comment. I'm sure you will check all of odyssey's choices because there were a few that at least on my system, that needed to change. Very nice hearing from other home theater enthusiasts, because at least in my world they're are are not a lot of us around.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

You have to hear it to understand the difference. Good luck with your setup. Definitely check the settings to make sure they’re correct.

[@Lowkey_nxthxn]

Man I have had a 5.2.2 dolby atmos setup for years now and it still satisfies me I plan to upgrade my 7 year old onkyo TX-NR686 to the RZ70 which will be a big upgrade over the current receiver, I have. Im glad your friend is happy with his system I honestly think 5.1.2 still kicks ass in 2024 especially when done correctly

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

The RZ70 looks legit. Curious to hear your thoughts when you upgrade. Thanks for watching!

[@Lowkey_nxthxn]

@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome most definitely will

[@beenasty6980]

My first was a 5.1.4 Pioneer Adam Jones speakers and a Klipsch R-112 subwoofer...for about $650. I rode that set up for years till I got the Klipsch 7.2.4 system I have now.

[@lovish9999]

@@beenasty6980 IT'S ANDREW

[@TechnoDad]

Good man! Cool setup for sure!

[@melraine919]

Well done 👏🏼👍🏼 and respect ✊🏼 to you for giving your friend the speaker system 👏🏼👍🏼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

[@adamboyd7327]

This was a very kind thing for you to do. Unfortunately, you've passed this disease to your friend. He's sure to become an addict as well! 😅

[@Chris-hr2uj]

Awesome video!

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@chebrubin]

Agreed. This friend is very lucky. PSB Atom speakers mounted on the ceiling and pivoted is brilliant. Some would say way better than in-ceilings.

[@domeniccatalano-zs6xd]

I have a 7.3.4 system, used to have a marantz 7015 avr, that i bought from best buy. The salesman new nothing of the problem with the odyssey calibration. I new it should sound better but being new to the home theater world i didn't know what was wrong. Its been about 6 years now and then i didn't have a smart phone for u tube videos, so it took me almost a year to figure out what was wrong. It was pretty frustrating. But once I got the settings rite it sounded great. I recently upgraded to the anthem 1140 with a anthem 325 amp for the front stage speakers. It's pretty amazing. I just watched gohstbusters frozen empire, great movie and i was really impressed with how active the surround and atmos speakers were thru out the movie. Thanks for doing what you do!

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Yes, I figure there are a lot of people out there with Audyssey corrected systems that sound bad. You have to know how to fix Audyssey, which is crazy because it should work right the first time! Thanks for sharing your experience and thanks for watching!

[@boneseyyl1060]

I never touch these room correction systems. There are plenty of ways to adjust the sound on your receiver and I want mine to sound the way I want it, not the way some computer chip tells me it should. I recently bought the Cinema 70 and briefly tiried the audyssey calibration. Didn't like it, no bass. In fact it sounded better out of the box than it did after the calibration. I find I change settings anyway depending on what I am playing. Might want more center level or more bass. I would honestly like to know how much extra we are paying for this useless feature. It should be optional. Audiholics does a good explanation of it.

[@boneseyyl1060]

This is the problem. Your friend would never have done this on his own. And his house was already pre-wired according to him! He doesn't appear to have much basic knowledge about home theater systems, nor does he seem particularly keen on learning. And there are plenty more people like him, who simply don't want to be bothered with this multi channel audio stuff. A good sound bar will sound amazing to 90% of these people and they won't feel the need for any more. It's going to be hard to sell Dolby Atmos media to the masses of people that dont have the means to play it. I tried setting up my sister once with a nice pair of stereo bookshelfs I wasn't using. I got them back a few months later a little (lot) worse for wear after they bought a soundbar. People either care about this stuff or they don't, and my impression is, as technology changes, less and less do.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

People are either into good sound or they aren’t. It’s kind of a tough sell if they aren’t already interested in it. Soundbars are a four letter word amongst audio and home theater enthusiasts. But they fill the need for better-than-tv-speakers, while also being convenient and don’t require much knowledge.

[@lo_fye]

Audyssey and others might do that because the ATMOS and IMAX audio specs both say that all frequencies should be sent to all speakers, and that all speakers (including heights!) should be full-range. That's their "ideal". Of course, very few people do that, but that's what the spec says.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

In a perfect world…😒. Unfortunately almost no one has full range speakers for every channel. Thanks for watching!

[@andrewvenditelli152]

Really awesome use of some unused gear! Very nice of you. Maybe a small sample size but having run Audyssey a couple dozen times on my setup it never set my speakers to large. But since it chooses the minus 3dB point to set the crossovers I’d always have to go and manually raise it from 40Hz to 80hz or so on the towers.

[@Paranimal86]

Great video but have your buddy tow those speakers in a bit tell him to find the sweet spot

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Yeah, I told him to experiment around with placement by moving them out and tow in the angle. Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@kuronekosan2830]

i want to do a 5.1.2 as well i already have the av reciever i just dont know where to place the speakers i can do in ceiling i hear some youtuber saying directly above is bad how many ft away do i place them in front of me then?

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

For a 5.1.2, place your overhead speakers about 10 degrees in front of you and 45 degrees to the side of you.

[@vanderhoff66fu]

Very cool video I am using all kef speakers. I have the kef q250c for Center and I have the kef q150 for Left Right and height

[@DaveTinNY]

Very cool! You're a good friend to have. I purchased and am waiting for Amazon delivery this week on a 5.1.2 Dolby setup with all Klipsch speakers and an Onkyo receiver. My wife didn't want to see wires so I ended up going with the R-41PM surround speakers which can connect wirelessly. I'll have an R-120SW sub, R-52C center and R-625FA Dolby Atmos mains with up-firing speakers for the Dolby Atmos effect. The receiver is the Onkyo TX-NR6100 and I'll be Bi-Amping the mains. I'll be replacing my current Polk RTi-A7 towers, Boston Acoustics center and surrounds and Pioneer VSX-935 receiver setup in the LR so I can take advantage of my Samsung 8K TV's Dolby Atmos capabilities. The "old" yet very worthy setup will migrate to our library/music room where we have our LPs, CDs, Auris streaming, books etc. Can't WAIT! Retirement from NY to FL is coming along very nicely. :)

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Your setup sounds great! Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your retirement!

[@chrisl9813]

Regardless of who's calibration software I'm using I always go back and check speaker size and crossover level. In addition I will take my sound meter and balance db levels across all speakers. Calibration does a pretty good job but I can tweak center and atmos levels to my liking. Depending on his seating distance I'd be tempted to spread the L/R mains further apart pulling the sub next to the audio stand. Might achieve some better separation that way . That was very generous of you and I'm sure he was please with the results

[@shkaat]

For a 5.1.2, is having the Atmos speakers directly over the MLP best? I have front heights on the wall behind the tv and honestly can’t really tell I have Atmos… I do have 4 recessed can light positions, that I’m thinking of taking over 2 of them, to be the Atmos speakers instead. 2 are forward of MLP (about 45°) and two are directly above. I’d look to use angled in ceiling speakers for the forward atmos position, if I chose those

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

If you’re doing a 5.1.2, then it’s best to put the Height speakers directly overhead. And set the speakers about 45 degrees to the left and right of the MLP. Thanks for watching!

[@Swehiort]

Would you recommend placing the two hightchannels right above the listening position, like it looks like you have it there? Mine are placed at the ceiling maybe 1,5 meter towards the screen from my seating position, tilted downwards towards me.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

It’s probably good if they are just slightly forward of the main listening position. If possible, you could experiment with different positions to see which location you prefer.

[@netster]

Awesome! What a great friend. I w at to have a friend like you 😂

[@kev3226]

I have the similar setup. Great Atmos content is sparse. It sound great when the content is great. Most content don’t take advantage of the Atmos.

[@garyharper2943]

Got a Yamaha RX-A 2080 refurbed from acc4less and it’s been great 5.1.4. Best $850 I’ve spent.

[@welderfixer]

Another rabbit hole has been opened. hehehehe The smile on his face says he's happy!

[@fifty2eighty248]

Is it easy to mount book shelf speakers to the ceiling?

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Yes, it’s pretty easy. I made a video how to install bookshelf speakers to the ceiling. The link to the mounts is in the video description How to Install Dolby Atmos Speakers - kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqTHYpyfgqyJeNE

[@lucy-me-lucy]

... so it's all about you 🤔

[@gregbartley2475]

I work part time at a store that sells sound bars and AVR’s/speakers. Unfortunately people want everything to be wireless or at least no more than a HDMI connection. They don’t care about immersive sound.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

That is a shame. They’re missing out on a much better experience. But if they value convenience over sound then it’s difficult to convince them otherwise.

[@MrBjorn6]

You can get immersive with the Nakaimichi dragon 11.4.6 3000 watts. All wireless and sounds incredible. It's not all or nothing with soundbars and wireless option The Sony Quad theatre with additional Subwoofer for $700 sounds amazing also for a soundbar with no wires and everything being wireless. You can have the best of both worlds and as technology gets better it will become more common to have soundbars that sounds extremely immersive with lossless audio DTS X and Atmos. The best Bang for your buck for soundbars is the Samsung 990 D. Sounds very immersive also Imho 🤔 Everyone doesn't want an AVR and speaker wires all over their room. It's not one solution for everyone. It's called knowing your audience. Which Nakamichi, Sony, Sonos and Samsung do!!!

[@gregbartley2475]

@@MrBjorn6 I know that, lots of people go the Sonos route I was just making a point about the post

[@herefordian70]

Beats me why we haven't got wireless speakers as a common option for separates by now. Obviously might not work so well for the ceiling speakers but would make a huge difference for anyone who is considering a decent surround system. Centre and four bookshelves would be ideal for entry level.

[@seano218]

You should've pulled his towers off the cabinet more to give him a wider soundstage up front (where most of the action is). Try crossing your sub lower than 80hz to 70hz or even 60hz and notice a better clarity and cleaner punch.

[@herefordian70]

There's also one other factor involved in my opinion. True ATMOS with overheads installed/mounted only really works for homeowners. Renters don't have same freedoms. Soundbars and wireless rears (like I have) offer convenience for anyone who may have to pack up at short notice. That said had Technodad done his speakers on a stick video a year or two back then separates might have been an option for me!

[@byron19800]

Audyssey doesn't automatically sets all the speakers to LARGE. It may happen but it's not a rule. Of course, many times it choses some very weird crossover points, but that's why you have the option to manually change almost everything. I don't use Audyssey anymore, I prefer to do some basic manual calibration and it sounds fine to me.

[@yannisgk]

so, a 5.1.2 atmos speaker system is enough for a proper experience??? also, how much it is the cost of this system used? thanks!!!

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

The entire setup cost less than $700 USD. It sounds amazing considering the cost was so low.

[@sage11x]

A 5.1 is enough for a proper experience. IMO the money to add atmos is much better spent elsewhere (better quality speakers, an extra sub, an upgrade to a better display, etc). Especially if you’re on a budget and especially if your room is not optimized (bad speaker placement, bad seat placement, no acoustic treatment). In the latter situation Atmos can actually make your sound worse. I recently downgraded from 5.2.2 to 5.2 with a ‘lesser’ amp, smaller subs and less expensive surrounds (dedicated on wall bipolar to basic bookshelves). I forgot how good 5.1 with dual subs is. The few times Atmos works (like ‘the voice’ in Dune- admittedly neat) is simply not worth it if there are other things you can upgrade that will make a more marked improvement on the sound quality.

[@yannisgk]

@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome for $700 the speakers along with the receiver, or just the speakers?

[@yannisgk]

@@sage11x thx!!!

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

@@yannisgk $700 for speakers and receiver

[@tazoriginal]

What mounts did you use for the atmos speakers?

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

The Paradigm speakers already had mounts attached. But I used these mounts with my Kef Q150 bookshelf speakers to mount to the ceiling amzn.to/3RKIAIA

[@jacklea7931]

You are a legend !!! One question, why don’t you set all the speakers to 80hz ??

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thanks! I set the smaller bookshelf speakers to 90hz because they don’t go as low as the towers. So it’s better to cut them off before they get down to 80hz. And the Atmos/Height speaker are even less capable at lower frequencies so I set them to crossover at 100hz. Thanks for watching!

[@denniso9503]

Does the Denon S760H do true Atmos ?I thought it only did 7.2 ? I might be mistaken. He sounds over the moon with his new set up.... loss for words !!

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

It does Atmos. Thanks for watching!

[@jamiet74]

I believe Audyssey actually doesn't set crossovers, it merely measures the -3dB point of the speaker and gives that information to the AVR - which sets the crossover based on that

[@lovish9999]

how can it sound incredible with those really bad room acoustics ? 😮

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Everything is relative. He spent $300 on the system. For $300, it sounds unbelievable.

[@lovish9999]

@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome Just 300 ? 😱

[@jonndoh]

My 5.2.4 setup in the front room sounds incredible and I have vaulted ceilings with an open doorway up to the ceiling.

[@markturner8909]

Do you have a full parts list for speakers? Thanks

[@truckguy9413]

Let me know if this is not correct but you don’t have to set speakers to small to have low frequencies go to the subwoofer. There is an option LFE+Main that allows low frequencies to go to speakers set as large and the sub at the same time. My Denon has this option. Check your manual.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

I tried manually setting the crossover frequency to 80Hz for the Mains but the option was locked. It was only after I set the speakers to Small that I could set the crossover frequency.

[@fotophotographer]

It's a great video, but what I would have loved to see is way more B-roll. There is way too much of you standing in front of your screen and not enough of your friend's space. I'd love to see more close-ups of the setup and more wide shots from different angles to get a real feel of they layout, speaker placement, rack setup etc. Keep up the great work!

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thanks for the feedback. I will keep that in mind in future videos. Thanks for watching!

[@leecaldwell1029]

you are a horrible friend.. you have introduced him to the hobby that never ends! seriously tho! you are awesome for helping him out and hooking him up with this system!

[@RobertF]

I also didn't like my auto calibration in my setup. The timing was great but I did have to up the crossover for all the speakers. I added another subwoofer & recalibrated last week.

[@JairusJ]

It only sets to large base off of the speakers capability when it runs through test tones most audio cal do this

[@fonkenful]

Bingo; generalizations can be misleading at best, but I’ll make one anyways 😂. Note there some truly full range speakers used for L&R mains - usually towers, and frequently with bi-wire / bi-amp terminals - that are more than capable well into the low 40s or even high 30s. Many of the mid to higher level receivers offer speaker set up options that allow for directing LFE signal to those main amp channels as well as the LFE line output(s), or using an unassigned pair of internal amp channels to bi-amp the front mains. A few years ago I had an Onkyo TX NR818 that went a step further, and offered internal digital crossover functionality to allow for fully active bi-amping - a very handy feature for DIY speaker builders wanting to futz around with quick ‘n nasty experimentation before breaking out the miniDSP.

[@DarrenKrusi]

The towers are able to get down to the 50Hz range, with room extension it’s likely in the 20s which for the lower spec receivers would be considered full range. Do a subwoofer bass test from KZbin with just the towers in direct mode and they will surprise you with their extension - not that it’s actually usable. I’ve got Titan Monitors that are rated to 70Hz ±2db but my room extension goes down to 25Hz. My 1600h tries to set the crossovers to 40Hz - which is ridiculous for a bookshelf. I’d be curious for you to source an X1800h and X3800h series Denon receiver and then compare it against your Anthem. Your friend is fresh enough still to room correction he might not hear a difference between the receivers or he might be able to give a different perspective between the different calibration modes.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

I would love to do a comparison of my anthem to those avr’s. If Denon wants to send them to me I will gladly give them a test drive 😁

[@ChadAV69]

You should try magic beans true target

[@texxhexxmm]

Atmos Speaker slightly behind listening Position?

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

The Atmos/Height speakers are almost directly overhead.

[@texxhexxmm]

@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome any Advantage over four in term of "Height"Feeling?

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

I prefer 4 height speakers. But if 4 speakers aren’t an option due to limited space, budget etc then 2 can also sound very good.

[@MrBjorn6]

The Nakaimichi dragon is extremely immersive 11.4.6

[@Echo-jg8is]

For 700 🤔🤣

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Would love to try one out.

[@CarlosGomez-THX_1138]

Should have gotten a AVR with Audyssey Xt32 and then RUN EVO 1 Evolved script. Perhaps in the future.

[@hdmoviesource]

I wouldn't even turn Audyssey on if it was only used for auto-correction. Audyssey with automatic room correction makes the sound worse. For me it's only worth turning on when you've manually calibrated with Mult-EQ-X software.

[@colinmcauliffe-pp4si]

i use outdoor patio speakers for my atmos speakers

[@MartinPerry]

My Sony receiver also sets my small M&K speakers to large during calibration. 🤔

[@razor9930]

Setting speakers as small sounds anemic

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

What sub do you have? By setting the speakers to small, all the low frequencies get routed to the sub(s). If you have a rock solid sub it should sound great.