WHICH IS BEST? ATMOS POSITIONS BREAKDOWN | Upward-Firing | On-Wall | On-Ceiling | In-Ceiling

[@luisarsuaga7637]

Excellent Ealan! I've been looking for while now for someone to talk about this topic and I think you're the only one. Thanks for the great content! Keep it up! 👍

[@ksrichi]

Me too.

[@conchobar]

The problem with 90% of upward firing speakers is their design. Dolby limits their bandwidth vs the crossover, to promote beaming, and avoid direct sound to the listener. Its not an effective design. A better solution is for the speakers to be angled, but recessed in the box with acoustic lining. This does a much better job of reducing direct sound, and isolating the reflected sound. Also how one angles them is crucial to insuring the reflected sound even reaches the seating position. The best method is to use a helper with a ladder, who places a mirror on the ceiling where the listener can see the speaker from their normal seating position. Once accomplished, the listener then goes over to the upward firing speaker and angles the speaker so it aims directly at the mirror. A small flashlight or laser pointer is helpful. The height of the ceiling is less important than the angling, as the room correction software will set the appropriate output for all speakers, including upward firing ones. The only off-the-shelf, upward firing Atmos speakers, I would recommend are the Atlantic Technology 44-DAs and the PSB Imagine XA Atmos enabled

[@larryvaughn5843]

I have some Klipsch tower speakers that have Atmos speakers in the top, and they are recessed and angled internally but you can't tell without removing the covers.

[@CaveWyatt]

That’s interesting. I did something in that idea but in a budget/patchwork kind of way. After selling off all my Paradigm speakers I went with Hsu Research across the front, as well as the sub. Just to get the 4-7 speakers going I got 4 Polk T-15’s to put on the walls. Before I got around to replacing them I became unhappy with the Hsu speakers and replaced them with Klipsch RP across the front. But I’m still unhappy with speakers 6+7 so, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to try them in an Atmos position and re-assign them to “height”. I wasn’t that interested in height prior to this as I first had Paradigm Atom speakers in this position over 20 years ago with my Yamaha 3200, which had outputs called, oddly enough, “height”. Unimpressed, I was. Anyway, I got a couple of small wall shelves at Lowes, installed them above head level (while seated) on either side of the TV, moved 6&7 to the shelves in the horizontal position and propped up the backs with a length of 2”x2” for, oh, let’s call it 30° angle. Purists out there are retching and fainting right about now but the results were quite impressive. I’m just about to start experimenting with the volume levels. Will I decide I need dedicated design height speakers? Small sample test size at this point but I kind of doubt it. The T-15’s project well and I see no pressing reason to replace them (more gasps from the purists)…at this time. We’ll see. Oh, and I’m not sure why Dolby seems to get all the credit for “height”. Yamaha had it in a receiver (probably) designed in the 90’s and, with a limited number of Atmos enabled disks available I just keep the DTS:X button pressed on my Marantz receiver. So I get some effect on everything, even the AAC audio rips, I mean “backups”, I keep on hard drive. Anyway, it’s a good suggestion to at least experiment with speakers on hand before diving in. You can, at least, get an idea if the concept works for you without buying speakers.

[@far1ander]

My experience with upwards firing speakers is excellent! I have 7.1.2 setup, with front speakers (and upwards speakers) from Definitive Technologies 9060 series, and KEF T301 as surround speakers, connected to Denon X6700H AVR, thoroughly calibrated with Audyssey. While most movies hardly have much going on “up there”, in video games, like Cyberpunk 2077 the effect is insane! Aircraft and monorail trains flying overhead, someone shooting at me from up above etc. My favorite test is to find music source blasting from one of the shops on the streets of Night City, approach them - and you can pinpoint the exact source of the sound above you.

[@segaboy128]

Cyberpunk has great atmos!!

[@overdriver99]

thanks for info. I will play Cyberpunk :)

[@evrythingis1]

You hit the nail on the head. Dolby killed Atmos for movies with their anti-consumer crap; it's only worth using for fake sound processing, like video games.

[@leecaldwell1029]

this is why I have upfiring speakers in my game room in a 5.1.2 setup. In my theater I have 7.2.4 with my atmos speakers all in ceiling with tweeters aimed at the main listening position.

[@LexusJDM350]

This just got me excited to play the new Cyberpunk DLC. I might have to upgrade my receiver and get the speakers before that!

[@lag1791]

Thanks for this video. I have Klipsch up-firing speakers on my towers for years (5.2.2). Thought is was ok, but nothing great. Can't do in ceiling speakers, but after watching you video, I moved the up-firing to Front presence height location (8' ceiling). Absolutely huge difference in my room. on ATMOS tracks I actually can sense the sound is coming overhead.

[@ealanosborne]

Awesome!!! Glad this helped! And thanks for your kind words! 😁🤘

[@Matt-ko5ib]

You need to increase your level output for your Atmos enabled speakers. If they are only +1 db it isn’t loud enough

[@tatsumaru12345]

I've downfiring speakers, similar distance away from everything else. I've my heights +7db higher. Blends well. Even my yamaha reciever, put them at +6 on auto calibration. Definitely, don't be scared to raise their volume if the effect isn't hitting you!

[@wazup3333]

Suprised he didn't talk about this in the video

[@avelinoalves384]

@@tatsumaru12345 hi. I have 2x focal 826d front and 2x 826d rear, and i love the experience

[@fjoiewafno]

​@@wazup3333 he did mention this near the end

[@ronreeder4572]

Use the speaker balancing app on the receiver using the included microphone… This is critical for a Dolby set up. If you haven’t… your listening experience, while interesting, isn’t Dolby. You will over drive your speakers… by a lot. After all you bought them to ‘hear’ them! Right?

[@davidcole2337]

I agree just upgraded to Dolby Atmos and go the Upward Firing Speakers you put on top of the Tower Speakers. It just made the Tower Speaker sound better..

[@Jovibb]

Mounted on upper wall front + side positions are the simple way , to enjoy Dolby Atmos 's experience 🔊 🎼🎶

[@Shoggy56]

Really cool calm monologue. Been considering whether to invest in some upward firing speakers, this has given me some food for thought. Thanks. And you’re right, once you begin the home theatre journey, you can’t stop…

[@chrisward000]

I'm not disputing your findings with the room and speakers you used, but I have Focal Sib Evo with built-in purpose designed Atmos upfiring speakers and they really work in my living room. Where they lose out is in accurate positioning of the sounds front to rear, but overhead effects genuinely sound like they are overhead. In-ceiling speakers aren't an option for my room, but I have previously tried speakers in various other positions. Up high on the front, but set as front height in my AVR, and they added little to height and no sense of overhead at all. I tried the test you did with all other speakers disconnected and with every movie I tried they pretty much never made a sound. Also ran with them up on the side walls and they were more active in that position, but also never really sounded overhead and it was too easy to localise the sound as coming from a specific speaker. The upfiring are easily the best experience, really filling out the soundstage and adding more height to the front than the physical front speakers did. It doesn't hurt that this is the cleanest setup also with no wires running up the walls.

[@larrywong7834]

I have two Klipsch RP500SA's on adjustable speakers stands behind my 65inch Sony Z9D. Their faceplate are 3 feet away from my 8 feet flat ceiling. Both speakers set several DB's higher than bed level speakers. Awesome upFiring Atmos performance. I also have two Focal Evo upFiring as rear. Set their DB levels much higher than bed level speakers. Thus I'm running 5.1.4. My setup Atmos's sounds is so Amazing... Heights or inCeiling is not needed by me. I also have high end SVS Subs. I love SVS. I've been to high end Home Theater Demo rooms. I took my best 4K Atmos Blu Ray there to demo inCeiling Atmos. So my 5.1.4 Atmos decision was much thought out with careful Atmos sound listening and proper setup. Proper Atmos speakers DB levels calibration.

[@indarpersaud8786]

My upfiring atmos speakers are 3 feet from the ceiling. They sound great. I prefer not to know where the sound is coming from when watching movies. It's too distracting and I lose my concentration on the movie story line.

[@BrazilianPride22041]

Great Video, I would just add when I first got the Klipsch 5.1.2 set up with the built in atmos speakers I did A/B testing not with the atmos modules alone but with and without them in the whole set up. While the pinpoint location possible with overhead set ups wasn't there, in my room with my set up, the upward firing speakers did add the 'environmental' immersion with reverb and sound effects that had me forgetting I was supposed to be doing a comparison and sucked me right into the scene every time.

[@ealanosborne]

Exactly. That’s why I wanted to stress that upward firing isn’t completely worthless, just not the absolutely best option out there. Gotta do the best you can with what you already have! 🤘

[@mcleanF1]

Very true...it is hard to stop. Kinda wish I never started

[@bronstet]

Excellent overview. Having tried all 3 methods with 2 and 4 height speakers 🔊, my thoughts are as follows: 1. Use 4 height speakers if you can. The sound pans more accurately and gives you an actual sense of movement. 2. SVS is right -- place your wall mounted height speakers on the SIDES of the room and make sure they are closer to you physically than the front and surround speakers. Do not place them on the front and back walls. I have found that this does a far more effective job of sound envelopment. If you put the heights on the front and back, their sound will actually get lost as they mix with the front and surround speakers radiating sound in the same direction. Remember, even direct sound travels in waves and they will mix together on the way to your ears. Side wall height speakers will give you a much better effect. Generally for good sound envelopment I have found you must mix in different heights, positions and placements. 3. In ceiling or hanging speakers that radiate sound directly downward do not give good sound envelopment because the vertical sound radiation is working against the horizontal sound radiation of your other speakers. It's actually a collision 💥 of sound as opposed to a bubble. At first it seemed cool to me until I realized that it actually muffled some sounds and was more gimmicky than natural sounding. The one exception I found to this is if you can place the speakers wide apart.on the ceiling, again in front of the front and surround speakers and then angle the speakers towards you. This definitely works but I found side wall mounting gives the same envelopment for far less work.

[@ealanosborne]

Dang! Thanks for your detailed insight! 🤘🎉

[@bronstet]

@@ealanosborne Thank you for the overview. If I had seen this video a year before, you would have saved me a lot of trouble figuring this all out! I'm sure many people will find your video of use as they buy new home theater equipment this holiday season!

[@josephjohnson2193]

I scrolled through all these comments to find this thinking. I'm fascinated by the side mounting idea.

[@bronstet]

@@josephjohnson2193 Thanks, Joseph. Try it out, you have nothing to lose. If you don't like it, you can move them back to traditional front and back positions. I personally can't go back. One other note of interest-- I actually got the high side wall mounting idea when I went to see No Time To Die in my local theater and noticed that the height speakers were actually high up on the left and right side walls and not in the ceiling above me.

[@Toschh]

Amazing comment. I'm thinking about buying a Marantz and fix 7.1.2. is there an option for side mounted Atmos speakers in the receiver?

[@kman9387]

There are so many variables like room size, ceiling height reflection points. The ideal would be overhead when applicable and then second choice being elevation type and lastly upfiring. Mine is an opinion but the reason I say ceiling mount first over elevation type is aesthetics. But I say if you can do any type of Atmos is a winner winner chicken dinner 😁👍

[@masonstorm1834]

I found that if you increase the volume of the up firing speakers it makes a huge difference and it did actually sound like it was coming from the ceiling it was truly impressive that was with about 8 foot ceiling I also found tilting the speakers so the sound reached you also helps My new house ha higher ceiling so will need to see if it’s the same

[@michael-4k4000]

Imagine a 32.4.16 speaker system?

[@bryanguest2807]

Unless you have a large seating area with multiple people this would be useless. Properly setup 5.2.4 or 7.2.4 in a large living room gives you 360° coverage

[@mikeh.4503]

Regardless how much you increase the volume of up firing speakers (dolby atmos enabled) you will never get close to the effect of ceiling speaker. Tried it myself. There is one exception: If your existing 5.1 setup (especially with good/bad placed or poor SR speakers) isn't that good, the effect might be ok, since you didn't have great effects in the first place.

[@theagg]

Another point to bear in mind is that for upfiring speakers, Dolby recommends they should be placed no higher than one half (50%) of the height of the ceiling. Looking at the setup you had here in this video, with those particular large towers, it does appear that those Atmos speakers are higher than that recommendation. To compensate for that the only solution is to then adjust the angle of the Atmos speakers (raising the rear of them up) but this then adds other problems as the increased angle towards the listener will make direct sounds more audible in comparison. But yep, thos Atmos speakers are a bit too close to the ceiling for the given ceiling height it seems.

[@justkiddin1980]

You have to calculate the algorithmic scale for reflecting of the ceiling..as NORMAL atmos is made for speakers IN the ceiling...If you want reflective sound to come anywhere near that experience you'll have to add at least 4 to 6db to the volume of the atmos channels...

[@savitarr1162]

How do You do this? Got the samsung q800A and I putted the upfiring on 6, is there anyway to increase this more?

[@justkiddin1980]

@@savitarr1162 I don't know, you might get the same "effect" by lowering the level on all the other speakers and turning up the volume. But i don't know when it will start distorting. That might be worth a try. so leave the upfiring at six and lower everything else by 2 or so and turn up the volume a bit and see if there is a difference..

[@savitarr1162]

@@justkiddin1980 do the rear/upfiring speakers get louder when You turn on the volume? This sound bar is so loud I never put higher then volume 12-13, maybe thats a reason I dont realy hear sound from above

[@justkiddin1980]

@@savitarr1162 Okay so its a "soundbar" yeah good luck with that..The solution with a soundbar is never ideal and might never work like you want it to. I thought it was a normal homecinema system you were talking about. All soundbars have limitations and you might never really get the effect you're trying to create i am sorry to say.

[@TylerStout]

Great video! Very useful information for a lot of people. Obviously with it not being your space more in-depth testing wasn't probably possible however if you do it again I'd use a different movie with known good atmos uptop. Another thing I've heard helps with upward firing is adjusting the angle since if you think about it they are usually a set angle so assuming you're not sitting at the exact perfect spot based on baffle angle, ceiling height - module height, and seating distance it's possible all the reflected sound is infront or behind the seats. That's why I never recommend build in ones as you can't prop up the front or back of the module to increase/decrease the angle. I was originally planning on doing a 5.2.2 top middle atmos setup but I'm thinking before I go cutting holes in my ceiling I might see if I can do 5.1.4/5 auro3d setup since I can't do 5.1.4 atmos due to couch being on back wall.

[@oztatumoo7]

That's why I purchased a Bose 900 about a year ago and their height channels and rear jewel surrounds speakers are a Beast. I have 12foot ceilings and you hear and feel it all even if the content not in Atmos.

[@ealanosborne]

NICE! 🎉

[@markdance574]

If you buy actual in ceiling speakers and site them as directed 2ft in front of the listener then the sound will be fantastic. For those who don’t want to cut open the ceiling try building a ceiling box .

[@Michael-xl3lj]

Finley someone has done a video speaking the truth about Atmos speakers 🔊 Very educational, thank you for this video.

[@TurboJohn74]

And of course, this came out AFTER I bought the R-625fa pair. (This is life though) Definitely selling them to give more options, as the apt I am moving to has a 2ft higher ceiling. This particular apt will actually allow for mounting of speakers and tv! Thank you a ton for sharing your experiments and results!

[@resulnaki]

I have the 625f and I can hear them perfectly

[@bingobaz6402]

I have to agree with you I hooked atmos speakers on my ceiling last night. They aren't high end or anything they were under £200 (polk) but I was looking for 8 ohm atmos speakers which wasn't easy to find. I would have maybe bought better ones if they were 8 ohm. I had to stick with 8 ohm because of my existing speakers and av receiver. I never even tried the upward firing method. I just don't fancy it and just wanted to put the speakers where they are meant to be. It does sound pretty good to me and got it blending pretty well with my mordaint short mezzo range. This is partially rhe problem for me. I bought these mezzos new with woofer. For me it was a lot to spend and I love those speakers so won't be upgrading all my speakers again for another 8-10 years. But I know the best thing would have been to start from scratch again. I just don't have the kind of money to upgrade everything again so quickly. Anyway I agree with what you said about bouncing those subtle sounds off the ceiling is never going to work.

[@kevonmanuel]

Things a LOT of people don't factor in when it comes to ATMOS speakers: Speaker drive size and dispersion pattern. You set up top front speakers for Atmos but you are using speakers with 3 or 4-inch woofers and a 1 inch or smaller tweeter. Your seating position is 10 - 12 feet away from the speakers. By the time the sound from your top fronts gets to your ears, the SPL has been reduced by 10 dB or more due to sound cancellation and bad acoustics. The correct speaker you should be using is one with a 10-inch driver and a 1.5 - 2 inch compression driver with at least 100 watts of power for the TOP fronts to work for Atmos.

[@bekkerthesokuangeldragon68]

Some Angled atmos top angle speakers have 10 inch drivers? What is the brand for those?

[@schemkesa]

Loved the idea of the wall of sound. And compatible with DTS-X, and Auro-3D I mounted them on wall. But.... now I heard that seperation is most important and you shouldn't go lower than 45 degrees on your front heights.... So overthinking of mounting them higher to get that 45 degrees. My listening position is about 4 mtr from the screen and my ceiling is 4.25m high so I can get that angle

[@ealanosborne]

When mounting my heights in my testing theater I built last year, I went with Auro 3D’s specs, mounting them at 30 degrees. I personally think it does better with binaural hearing (since we have two ears on either side of our heads) making height effects more noticeable. It’s science, baby! 😁

[@alex_ayers]

One thing I really like about my Kali Audio Atmos setup is that I have the option to use speaker stands for my height channels with the mounting hardware that was included!! Just something to think about for anyone living at a rental that REALLY wants to commit to an Atmos setup. (Disclaimer, this is a music studio setup, but still a neat idea!!)

[@charlesking678]

Which kali do you use and what stands? I'm renting and this is a good solution.

[@halkdc]

I agree with your upward firing findings. Especially with only a single pair. I have tried that in my theater room and it was rarely noticeable. I would imaging that having 4 would stand out more because of the panning potential, but I haven’t heard it. I’m starting to feel like you really need to have 4 height channels in any configuration for it to actually be with it. Every 2 height system I’ve tried just seems like a marketing gimmick.

[@BADIDEAPRODUCTIONS1]

I agree... my brother would make fun of me when I had the 2 atmos speakers (ceiling mounted) saying I had "speaker sickness" lol.. but once I installed the other 2 he immediately said "OK that was pretty awesome.. (I used the intro to kong skull island in both cases)

[@udaaybagade343]

To get the correct Atmos effect is the outcome of all the components including the visual effects. Sound comes from 8 directions arround 1 direction each from above and the below Below the ear level , at the ear level and above the head all this from the 8 surrounding directions and the above head for the helicopter landing effects

[@WillieDWashington]

I obviously can't speak for everyone as their homes, equipment and setup is different than mine. However, I can say with 100% confidence that I LOVE my Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-140SA Dolby Atmos Speakers. I've been waiting to express my feelings on this but most home theater people tend to dismiss upfiring speakers entirely and recommend in ceiling speakers without any experience with a great upfiring setup; and I believe I have one of those setups! And, yes, I have popcorn ceilings! But I know I will still get downvoted so here it goes... Everyone keeps insisting in-ceiling is the best, but like Andrew Jones said, when it's in the ceiling (one less than 9ft), it's a discrete sound and you know it's speaker-centric. Whereas when you have the upward-firing speakers positioned and EQ'd correctly, it's an immersive ATMOSpheric sound that is independent of any specific speaker, unparalleled in the world of home theater! Movie theaters are an exception because of the huge auditorium with really high ceilings that are lined with speakers so the listener seated far below cannot hear the sound above coming from a specific speaker. This effect is nullified when you're talking about home theaters that have ceilings so much shorter in comparison, therefore the ability to discern the speaker-centric sound is greatly pronounced. I know some will argue that Andrew Jones is just trying to sell his product, therefore his glowing recommendation of them over in-ceiling speakers, but at least check out his explanation in the video below... kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXOrdaeGqp6IgM0 In the video, Andrew Jones said: "I got involved in doing an enabled system because of what I heard when Dolby showed it to me. I preferred the sound of the enabled. And it’s interesting since that time as more and more film mixes have been exposed to the enabled type approach. They prefer the enabled sound, because in the theatrical movies and any theater, the speakers are way above you; in a home they’re not. If there’s physical speakers in the ceiling, it’s 7.5 feet to 8 feet typically - it’s a bit too close. And as you move around the listening locations, you’re getting closer to one speaker than the other, the image is shifting, you’re aware of a physical speaker." "From up there with the bounced signal from the enabled, this appears upside down six feet above the ceiling. So the source that you’re aware of, that’s giving you the encoding information to give height, is 6 foot above an 8 foot ceiling and it doesn’t change as you move around. So the soundfield, I think, becomes more immersive, more continuous, maybe not quite as discrete, but the real fun aspect of Atmos is the immersion in the soundfield." Prior to object-based sound like DTS:X and Dolby Atmos, we've always had in-ceiling speakers, and while they're nice and theatrical, it's nothing new. Reflective speakers are the newest addition to home audio and when they're done right, they are completely 360 degree immersive... anyone who hasn't experienced this with enabled speakers is either setting them up wrong, improperly angling them and/or dialing them in ineffectively, don't have a proper acoustically engineered movie or show, or their ceilings are too high to witness the true benefit of them! Every time I play a well done Dolby Atmos or DTS:X movie (e.g., Mad Max Fury Road, The Cloverfield Paradox, Hacksaw Ridge, The Incredible Hulk, etc. 4K UHDs), I am grinning ear to ear in amazement with not just "height effects"... I'm talking 360 degree sound field immersion (and I have popcorn ceilings, which are considered bad for upfiring speakers)! I have a home where speakers were prewired through the walls and I have the ability to go in-ceiling if I really wanted to, but I have no desire to, because what I'm experiencing from upfiring is my complete immersion in the soundfield without being able to pinpoint what speaker it's coming from! This will be eliminated if I go to an in-ceiling installation and that's why I will never do so. For those who have higher ceilings (over 9ft) and a larger room for your theater, it's probably best that you go the in-ceiling route, but for those who have a smaller area to work with, height and length-wise, don't discount enabled, upfiring speakers. Make sure you are dialing them in correctly before dismissing them. Because I can honestly say, if they aren't blowing you away by listening to the object-based effects, then you don't have them set up properly! (Personally, I would never buy the enabled/upfiring drivers built into the Left and Right speakers, only the modules as they may not be properly angled for the correct reflection to your main listening position.) You may need to prop something under the Atmos speakers to get the adequate angle for the reflected sound. Also make sure you close the distance between the speakers and the ceiling (mine are around 3ft from the ceiling). People assume the Atmos-enabled speakers are at the correct angle to reflect sound to their listening position, but that is different for each home theater room. Depending on the height of your ceiling, ceiling obstructions, angle and listening position, the speaker's angle to the ceiling may need to be adjusted accordingly. To determine if it's at the ideal angle, you need to test it with the official Dolby Atmos Reference Demos "Amaze Trailer" and "Leaf Trailer", ensuring that you are hearing a completely filled 360 degree sound stage without any gaps therein. If you are hearing sound coming from where the Atmos speakers are placed when you're in your normal listening position, that is NOT the right angle! You should NOT notice sound coming directly from the Atmos speakers. It should have a height presence to it around the ceiling area that may be more noticeable if you "close your eyes" and listen (if your speakers can't be turned up any louder). If you can't hear much coming from them in the ceiling area, don't be afraid to max out the speaker's volume in the AVR's setup speaker volume in decibels.

[@adrianbarac3063]

You're up there with the best YT commentators on these subjects... Keep it up, Ealan!

[@ealanosborne]

Thanks, Adrian! 🤘

[@csimet]

I'm experimenting with a 5th option (up-fire, on-wall). I have up-firing Polk XT-90s and found them to be lacking when placed on top of my fronts/rears. I completely agree with your findings... too lossy with the extra distance this creates and they mostly get lost. I have wall mount brackets in the corners of my room (front and back about 1.5' from ceiling), I'm trying out placing them into the brackets but not pointing them directly at me, leaving them pointing up towards the ceiling at 45 degrees. That way, the sound from each "fills" the corners of the room with less directional effect. Still too soon to tell if this is better than placing them pointing directly with those brackets, but so far so good and I like it.

[@ealanosborne]

Experimenting is key! 🔑🎉

[@imnoone492]

I agree. My first experience was with up firing Speakers didn’t work for me, so I bought 4 SVS elevation speakers mounted them on the walls recommended by auro, I liked it but wanted more. I redid my room 11 x 13 a small room so mounting them on the ceiling works for both ATMOS/AURO Because the room is so small and I was able to put the ceiling speakers over my floor Speakers and now the configuration works for both.

[@ealanosborne]

Hell yeah! Having a hybrid Atmos/Auro setup is what everyone should strive for, IMO :)

[@kenaipaws477]

Hi Ealan, after spending 2 hours testing placements for the best atmos effects using my speakers and I finally found the best solution that you may want to try. My ceiling is 8' hight and I have 2 klipsch reference bookshelf speakers being used a atmos speakers sitting on the top of a two 6' tall bookshelves while having the tv in the middle. I have the speakers tilt toward the ceiling instead of facing where I am sitting and they sound amazing. The problem of having on wall speakers facing my sitting position is that I can tell where the sound is coming from l ( from the front pretty much like 2 stereo speakers sitting high up.) On the other hand, When I have the speakers sitting on top of the selves facing the ceiling at a 20-25 degree angle, the sound blow to the ceiling and it spreads across the room and I feel like the sound is coming from above all over the place. I cannot believe how good it sounds!! It is extremely difficult for the sound from upfiring speakers to bounce off the ceiling when placing them on top of a set of tower speakers, but they work 10x better when they are placed closer to the ceiling since that require a lot less power. Since my wife doesn't want me to have in ceiling speakers, so I planned to mount 4 speakers in the corners of the rooms and make it a 5.1.4 setup, but now I am super happy with my 5.1.2 setup. Note that my room is about 10 feet wide and 16 feet long, I probably would need to mount 2 speakers in the back if my room was bigger.

[@ealanosborne]

Awesome! Thanks for all your hard work testing out various scenarios. Glad you found the right setup for your room! As Bill Nye says, “Science rules!,” so kudos to your experimentation! 😁🎉

[@gurjantm]

Love you're well edited fun yet informative videos.

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you very much! :)

[@abubakarrkallon8115]

Excellent video Exactly what I needed You're the reason I actually got into the home theater game

[@redkh2017]

You have to increase the volume, my upfiring speakers are so precise and sound is heard above my head so clear using techno-dad's callibration disc, O hear him speaking above my head and from all four corners of the room, very very accurately

[@JacovanNieuwenhoven]

4 height speakers. I divided the 180 degrees from base layer in front and base layer in back into 3 x 60 degrees. So overhead pans should be having no gaps in time. Same for base layer, trying to keep angles the same as possible.

[@superdougie10]

Bose and Polk Audio were both two of many companies who have done this. Atmos is just the 2.o reboot of this with home theater software.

[@elleryfamilia8291]

did you try raising the volume on the channel for the upwards-firing setup?

[@ealanosborne]

Sure did!

[@larrysernyk6154]

Moved to a new location so setting up our AV system for the first time in this house. We have a avr-X1800 7.1 Denon AVR. Will be using a Definitive Technology Procinema 6D 5.1 speakers with stands for ear level. I have a couple of extra Procinema 800 satellites which I will try mounting on walls near the ceiling for height which is about the only place I can mount height speakers. The living room is quite small and not easy to set up an AV system. The fireplace in the middle of the long wall complicates the setup. Will post how it sounds.

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you! Looking forward to your report! 😁🎉 Congrats on the new house, BTW. 🙌

[@stacypeacock70]

I had upward firing built into my speakers, totally disappointed in the results. So I got 4 dali alteco c1 elevation speakers for front/back heights. Wow what a difference, now I can hear atmos affects.

[@nespressoman]

I have the Alteco’s too. They are superb.

[@sfkeepay]

We’re in a rental…but we drill, replace, swap, repair, even add walls and new cabinetry. We gave up our deposit in exchange for (very carefully) doing what we need. Of course, we’ve been here 20 years… This video provided more-or-less exactly what we needed. Actual real-world results from different speaker positions = exceptionally useful, time saving information. We used this to decide on Denon x3700 7.2.4 set up. Great job, and thank you!

[@ealanosborne]

So happy to hear that! Thank you for your kind words! And congrats on your home theater setup! 😃🤘

[@myphotopick]

Yamaha did this with rx-z11 years ago which I currently have and love.

[@anthonypreese]

Oh man! I've been trying to convince myself that my up-firing speakers are doing just fine sitting on top of my Energy fronts. Well, you seriously opened my eyes! Cause here's the kicker… I'm dealing with a GD cathedral ceiling! "Probably" in that 8-9 ft range on the high side but obviously the heights are unmatched. I thought calibrating my Atmos receiver would account for the difference. Probably not. I think they can be mounted on the wall above my TV but it will not be the most aesthetically pleasing visual. I guess there's always cord covers for the wall. Oh well… It's all about the sound, right?

[@ealanosborne]

Yeah, man! If you research the Auro 3D setup, you’ll typically have your heights high up on the wall since they should be placed 30 degrees up from your listening position. And if you wanna spend the time, you could snake speaker wire up behind the wall to your heights. Not easy (I’ve personally done it in the past), but worth it in the end, since I think wires up a wall are an eyesore, too. 🤘

[@josephmiller8426]

I have a hybrid setup of front upfiring and rear height atmos speakers (Klipsch rp-140sa’s) due to my overhead space limitations with projectors mounted on the ceiling. I’m more pleased with this setup 7.1.4 setup (using rear outboard amp for rear heights) on my Denon 4300 than all wall mounted height speakers. I did have to adjust the angle of the front firing ones using different rubber feet sizes to get optimal overhead sound since I only have 7ft ceilings in my basement man cave. And I did end up cranking up the gain on my front firing ones in audyssey since the levels never seemed high enough overhead. I also have adjustable angle wall mounts for wall speakers that helped dial in the optimal rear height angle also. Always gotta keep tweaking the setup!!! But that’s the fun part when you finally find that sweet spot. I just wish I didn’t have to pay for Auro 3D upgrade on my older Denon, which I looked into but couldn’t find right links info to upgrade.

[@ealanosborne]

That’s right! ABT - Always Be Tweaking! 😄 Thanks for your insight! 🤘

[@danielurbich3056]

Very Cool Vid, I now have 4 Atmos Channels on my Side Walls because I have a Wooden Ceiling and didnt want to damage it, its cool but there is too much coming from the top. Im now going to do a Ceiling Sail, where I will put 7 In Ceiling speakers and enough absorption, I hope to get then more directional and clear Sound

[@sjsphotog]

On Wall heights using Auro3D is the best sound. You can make any badly mixed ATMOS movie and make it rock even compared to True DOLBY Atmos that was mixed properly

[@kenshinesca]

When I had upward firing I bumped them up a few dB and that helped. I still prefer my wall mounted atmos speakers. For my situation the wall bounce wasn't bad at all.

[@scotto9712]

I've done a ton of experimenting myself, but I can't do ceiling mounts. I didn't like high wall mount because I got some harsh reflections. All the upward firing speakers I've tried have not been satisfactory. My best results have been regular 2 way bookshelf speakers angled 20 degrees from vertical with the tweeter closer to the listening position and the crossover as high as your receiver allows. It also matters how far away you sit, if the speaker is too far I think the reflection ends up wasted in front of you. My experience is it didn't work well on the sides either wall or reflection mounted as its too left/right localized. Every speaker I've tried that was built to be upward fired either sounds off due to design, or is very inefficient and room correction never handles them right

[@ealanosborne]

Wow! Thanks for your incredible insight! Sounds like you’ve done a lot of experimentation! FOR SCIENCE! 🔬🤘

[@bronstet]

This. Except for a few high-end manufacturers such as SVS, most Atmos speakers are actually really quite inferior to regular bookshelf speakers but cost 2 - 3 times as much. I didn't mention it in my own comment above, but after a year of experimenting with ceiling speakers, upward firing topper speakers and angled-wall mounting speakers, I finally ended up doing exactly what you did, Scott -- Using 2 way bookshelf speakers mounted up high on the left and right side walls and angling them downwards and slightly inwards to the listening position. They work beautifully. If you want to save yourself some money and get superior height sound, do exactly what Scott O has done.

[@TheFandangovideoguy]

I'm running a 5.2.4 atmos system with a denon avr-x4400h and for Atmos I got a pair of SVS prime elevation for the front as height channels and for the back I placed a pair of ELAC A4 atmos modules right on top of my Paradigm surrounds...I got some atmos demos and I can hear sounds from above....but I wonder if I could use a couple of regular bookshelf speakers and mount them on the back wall (about 2.5 metres behind my couch) and if that would give much better results than what I get with the ELAC? I guess I could experiment and hear if that sounds better...The few atmos demos I listened to sounded great but they are optimized for the effect. Many movies with atmos are just not very impressive (but Blade Runner 2049 is amazing! )...anyway...maybe having the 2 SVS elevation at the front is good enough with the ELAC bouncing at the back..can't do much drilling in my apt! Thanks

[@Quetzalcoatl0]

The biggest problem is the movies lack of sound. I've done the same thing as to disconnect everything but the height channels and most movies don't have anything there. Also for up-firing you need a good speaker, a one that hides the mid driver inside so you can't hear it directly. Also the floor standing speakers need to be just above your head so that the up-firing are not visible directly.

[@pratiksaluja2049]

This is a very knowledgeable video. Was so confused while selecting the system. This video sorted/covered everything very well.

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you very much!

[@blue13x]

I completely disagree, have the klipsch 8060 front...the effect is dramatic. Tried several atmos demos discs and I can confirm the sound was clearly coming from above. In the dolby helicopter demo, it you cleary move from back to the front and around, all coming from above. The problems is most forget to bump up the volume of the atmos module a few db, +3 to +6 after doing room correction.

[@Ryand0523]

Hmm, well as right now I only have a soundbar with height effects bouncing off the ceiling, but I will be building out a room in my basement, with in ceiling klipsch speakers, that I think will sound great and add some more dimensionality to my movie watching experience… as opposed to the hit and miss of the bouncing sound off of the ceiling…

[@GP-ue5hd]

Fully agree that the up firing speakers are far less effective than ceiling or front high atmos mounting. But why high end speakers has atmos speakers built-in on the top ?

[@ealanosborne]

Well, some people just can’t mount speakers in the wall or ceiling, so upward firing is the next best thing (maybe they live in an apartment, etc).

[@byronhadley9662]

You are asking the important questions! Will you be having other videos coming out that test speaker placement like this? Also, I didn't know Auro 3D existed. Will you do a video comparing that to Atmos?

[@ealanosborne]

It’s in the long list of topics I want to cover! 🤘

[@datka3]

I've been struggling with Atmos speakers for a while, I have the proper hardware, Anthem processor, Parasound A51 for 4 atmos Klipsch speakers Klipsch RP-500SA installed right on top of my 8 ft ceiling, ( had to get creative to get them installed on the ceiling without dropping and killing someone ) , I did same, disconnected all other speakers and left Atmos running, only in good Atmos demos I was getting enough content sent through them., honestly I'm bit disappointed with how Moves are using Atmos, maybe with time, it will get better. but for me, I'm almost thinking about dropping Atmos altogether. One last option I had was to use Focal Dome speakers and see how they work. but I honestly think it's not a speaker issue but rather move audio mixing.

[@ealanosborne]

Yeah, since it’s gotten so popular and expected now for a new 4K release to be mixed in Atmos, the manpower and resources and budget towards a good Atmos mix has unfortunately been stretched thin. If you have an Apple TV, downloading the movie Gravity (Sandra Bullock) is a must. Insane amount of time and money was spent on the Atmos mix to truly put the audience in the middle of the action. 👍

[@onknight]

I'm going to get 1st Height speakers This week been running 5.1 for ages I Brought Theater Solutions TS30B and Put them high on wall above the TV and Angle down

[@ealanosborne]

That’s the way to do it, my friend! Congrats! 😁🤘

[@TheUsmc0802]

Yeeeeeeeees my man! But now I have to wait all day to watch!

[@khalliwallivlogs]

Im waiting for my str an1000 to arrive and now Im confused where to place the height channels, in the beginning i just thought i would place them right above my head it was so obvious but now i understand it can be a noob mistake, now after watching many videos Im planning to place two satellites on ceiling front shooting directly towards you, like if you had a an on ceiling 4 speaker configuration, where the front ceiling speakers would be placed, so it might can give you that wall of sound effects with height sensation too, please inwant opinion on this 🙌🏼

[@perrysmiles60]

Hi Ealan, First off, listening to your videos are always pleasant because of the Funny Flair you put into to them and all the visual effects you add as well - you're just a natural at it! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us, much appreciated. I have my front firing Atmos speakers placed over and behind the front L & R, the bottom of the Atmos speakers (Canton AR-500s) are installed at exactly 8 feet off the floor. I'm sitting at about 13 feet from that wall. I feel that I'm getting more dimension to my sound coming from the front stage, rather than Atmos effects from them. My question to you is: Is it that these Cantons need more power to be driven because their sensitivity is 86db and maybe my AVR is not powerful enough to hear them to their capacity?.. (Sony STR-DN1080 set up as 5.1.2) OR are my speakers placed too far apart and too high for me to hear properly?

[@ealanosborne]

Honestly, yes. 13 feet from the wall requires a lot of power to get to your listening position without losing much volume. BUT…maybe instead of spending money on a more powerful receiver, etc, try the SVS suggestion and mount them to your sides (if possible)? I’ve read some comments already from this video that swear by the side-mounting option. 👍

[@perrysmiles60]

@@ealanosborne Unfortunately side mounting is not an option for me, but at least I know now that they're installed at the right place/height and more power in the future will correct the situation and make them perform the way they should. Thanks Ealan.

[@evrythingis1]

I hate to say it, but it sounds like "Atmos" itself is what's not worth anything. The standard might be useful for video games in the future, but I'm pretty sure it never even took off correctly for movies. If you have a correctly set up 5 or 7 channel system you would have to have an actual theater sized room for atmos to be worth any money, let alone effort.

[@ryanchappell5962]

Seems like in wall heights have an extra advantage of wiring convenience. It’s the same wall cavity that is used for the mains

[@ealanosborne]

Very true. 👍

[@abdulmoosani3276]

What about 4 on wall heights front and rear and 2 in ceiling over the seats that should be a good solution

[@ealanosborne]

Yeah, if your AVR can support 6 heights, that’s exactly the most ideal configuration! 🤘

[@josedln3040]

Got mine in the front, would like them in ceiling. For now, I'll just increase the db until i have time

[@gohanpcgamer]

I noticed lot of people using up-firing speakers on the ceiling, but wouldn't the audio be upside down?

[@fireeyes5399]

Great video again Ealan. I got my Emotiva Atmos speakers and I just laid them on top of the bookshelf speakers. I think I'll attempt to put them on the top of the wall as soon as I get a chance. I'm sure they'll be better for it in comparison. Thanks for your insight and opinion what you think is the best or worth doing for height speakers. Great information..

[@Shift4g]

Did you use the Dolby demos for the up firing? Those pretty much confirm the science works, at least in every case I've tested (even sound bars trick some people). The subtlety from bad Atmos mixed movies/shows (98% of all content in existence) does make it hard to recommend though.

[@thenonexistinghero]

Same as my experience. From the back it does sound kinda like it comes from the ceiling as long as I'm not looking at a rear speaker. But from the front it sounds more like the sound comes from above the TV for most part. I think maybe a few times it sounded like it came from a corner from the room. Still, my room is not that ideal for it. The ceiling is relatively high (probably 10-11 feet) the room is long and rectangle, not a solid block. So it I suppose it could improve a little bit. Still, I didn't buy my Q990B specifically for Atmos. I just wanted to buy a good soundbar and I settled on this one for €900 or so. It was a high-end soundbar for very cheap while every other option that was equally good was at least €1500. The sound is very satisfying overal, just the front 'ceiling' sound is a bit lacking.

[@resulnaki]

I completely disagree with upwards firing. You even gave a good reason with the Atmos tracks being pretty much terrible still in today's movies, but I can definitely hear them well if you have the right source. My upwards only travel about 4 to 5 ft in the air before reflecting to about 6ft of distance.

[@ubacow7109]

With the upwards firing did you up the volume/output in the AVR? Most AVR's have very limited output to channels outside of the L/R main channels, and even Center Channel can get the short end sometimes, and the more channels you have the output continues to get more divided. Almost all manufactures claim X Watts per channel, but the reality is that X watts for L&R, Y watts for center, and Z Watts for everything else. I also dont think most top firing channels are designed with efficacy in mind esp since the enclosures for them are so tiny, a bulk of it really high mid-higher frequencies and the woofers will play something... just not a lot, so to compensate you need to add more power to drive them harder to increase output.

[@ealanosborne]

Yeah, ideally you’ll want to power your heights with an external amp. But to answer your question, yes - I basically turned up the volume to max on the heights specifically. Still wasn’t impressed. 🤷‍♂️

[@tedsalvilla6355]

This is great, Ealan! Thanks for sharing. I plan to setup a 5.1.4 or a 7.1.2 configuration with in ceiling speakers. However, with the renovation i'm planning with my wife to make the living room a little bit cleaner without the ear level standing L-R surround speakers, i need to place my L-R surround speakers using Klipsch CDT-5650-C II on top as well. Not sure if you have tried this but would be great if you could share your insights. Thank you!

[@JV220]

How did it turn out? How did you position the speakers?

[@hdtvkeith1604]

Curious if bouncing is better or mounting them in the height position and trying them as Atmos to kind of fake out the Atmos setting.

[@washakie1961]

my samsung 990c surrounds are to the left and right of my couch; about a foot above my head . What I hear is a side left and right surround plus a high left and right surround. The front heights sound like a high left and right. Sounds good.

[@hofmarskal]

I recently installed my first front hight speakers, svs prime elevation. Now I am immediately curious about having 4 higt speakers. But I have my back against the wall and I think its called slanted ceilings. The ceiling is about 3.5meters where my hight speakers are placed. The ceiling is about 26*. So witch solution for 4 hights is best? In ceiling is not an option since they wound point away for the listening position. So on ceiling speakers that can be pointed at the listening position or behind the listening position😅💩 I often think about this, and witch kind of speakers I should use.

[@ealanosborne]

Yeah, I would still go with on-ceiling pointed at the listening position. Techno Dad did an experiment with 6 heights and came to the conclusion that the middle heights should be as close to straight above you as possible. So the same goes for 4 heights if you’re in a position where you can’t have the rear heights behind your MLP

[@horacegeorge1754]

I swear this is the EXACT thing I'm going through. I bought some klipsch r 41sa's 3 days ago. Placed them on my towers for upfiring. I've got 100 watts per to power them & was thinking "is this all im going to get"?!!! Smh

[@paker51]

Since the sound has a longer distance to travel to the listener from the speaker shouldn't the volume and distance be compensated for in the receiver?

[@ealanosborne]

Correct. You assign it usually as “Dolby speaker” which tells the AVR to compensate as such. But still…reflected sound is okay, but not the most ideal

[@jaimeguaderrama931]

Great video…. I live in a apartment so I have no Choice to go with upfiring speakers. Maybe you can make a video how to run speaker wires for those that live in a apartment and want to hang speakers in the corner wall/ ceiling.

[@enparfaitetat1978]

Daredevil Atmos is great too. Thank you! I try back to 5.1 and it's so hard to hear than basic Atmos 4 speakers reflections.

[@dannyr2272]

Great video! What bass traps did u have behind you lol ?

[@allenbroomfield1316]

I have two down firing front height speakers but plan on adding in-ceiling speakers very soon.

[@CalCobra]

I know I'm behind the times, but I've been enjoying my 5.1 THX certified Atlantic Technology speakers since I purchased them new since the late 1990'a when AT was all the rage. I'm now looking to buy my fourth AVR to power these speakers, and for fun, I picked up the Klipsch Reference Cinema 5.1.4 package (for $250 I had to play with it) and now I'm looking for a 9 channel receiver :) The addiction never ceases. Long story, but I actually have two sets of my Atlantic Technology speakers, sans subwoofers so I am thinking if I wanted to "upgrade" the Klipsch speakers I could use the extra Atlantic Technology speakers to build out a full 5.1.4 system. The rear Atlantic Technology speakers feature spatially-enhanced di-pole speakers with two 3.5" polypropylenes offset to the sides, with a center 4" polypropylene driver. They're all mid-range drivers in a sealed MDF box with a frequency response of 50Hz - 12.5kHz. Would these di-pole speakers work as Dolby Atmos (and DTS:X) height speakers?

[@ealanosborne]

Wow! Thanks for your home theater history! 🎉 And yeah, I would probably advise NOT to have dipoles as height speakers, just because they’re meant to create a cube of sound. So having dipole speakers would probably throw off the precise placement of audio objects within 3D space. You can get away with dipoles either as surrounds or surround backs, but heights are a different story. 😁🙌

[@CalCobra]

@@ealanosborne Thanks, that makes sense. I may end up using a second pair of the Atlantic Tech front speakers for the front height effect speakers, and mount them horizontally like a center channel (easier/safer to mount) and it would spread out the sound-field. They have two 4" midrange drivers and a dome tweeter, rated at 10-150W, with a frequency response of 50Hz-20kHz. The rear of my room is [unfortunately] relegated to speaker stands only positioned behind the listening area. Fine for a 5.1 system, but limits height effect options, so I may end up using a pair of the Klipsch Reference Cinema Atmos speakers with their upward firing components for the rears surround and height effects and keep the ATs everywhere else. Not ideal, and I realize you're not a big fan of the upward firing Atmos speakers, but it's better than nothing(?), and if the fronts are mounted on the ceiling, I think it would work, even if not representing a level height effects playing field. BTW my first HT setup was a Pioneer Dolby Pro Logic Surround AVR with a Pioneer Laser Disc, it was the bomb back in the 80's! Star Wars (any of the original trio) were great on Laser Disc, actually I should say laser discs, as it took several double sided discs per movie. Blade Runner was great on laser disc, and there were several directors cut or laser disc only special edition/content discs. Now we collect 4K BluRay or just download/stream it :) Thanks again, I've been really enjoying your channel!!

[@ealanosborne]

@@CalCobra I wish I could’ve experienced your setup in the 80’s! I would’ve been in A/V heaven! 😄

[@troyhenry3267]

Ealan, I'm converting a small bedroom into a dedicated front projection HT room. It measures 12.5" x 12.5" x 9. I've heard from some don't do atmos in this room due to how small it is. Or the separation of the atmos speakers wouldn't be big enough. I've decided to install 2 atmos speakers and then maybe decide later to add 2 more. What are your thoughts??

[@ealanosborne]

I think Atmos should be fine since you have 9 foot ceilings. But I would invest in a DSP for subwoofer(s) since square rooms can sometimes be a nightmare for bass management. Like those from MiniDSP.

[@SpringVinMoto]

New subscriber here. Enjoying your take on atmos placement. Time to try moving my hights from top of my mains.

[@richlandzee8686]

Can't wait for you to review the 4.0.4/4.1.4 Sony HT-A9 system. I'm interested to see what Sony sound engineers have up their sleeves with DSP. Their claim that you can position the speakers differently and it will compensate automatically during calibration is very interesting. Mounting the speakers about half way up on each side of the TV on the wall might work better for Atmos unlike Soundbars.

[@ealanosborne]

Me too! I’m trying to get a review unit, but it’s still so popular that they can’t keep up with demand AND send out review units to influencers like myself. Sheesh!

[@matrixz6]

I have 4 SVS Prime Elevation speakers. 2 on each side wall in line with my main front speakers.

[@minsungso4698]

I was wondering about this lately! You’re the best! Your insightful reviews have been a great influence on my purchase decisions and I’m very happy with them. I want hear about your thoughts the new budget receivers with HDMI 2.1 from Costco.

[@ealanosborne]

TwoGuyzTech have reviewed both of those receivers if you want to know their opinion. I hope to review those myself someday! 😊

[@itzzyanibg3060]

I am planning to upgrade from 7.1 to 9.1, but not sure where to place the atmos speakers. Above fr and fl or above surr l and surr r. Also now i may need to think of even upgrading to 5.1.4 with auro 3d because i am in europe and can take advantage of it.

[@openmind6969]

Thanks, just got my height speakers and had them placed BEHIND the TV to fire up.... with 9 foot ceiling I am also not sold.... might put these in top corners of room.... fun to experiment. In end the wife will decide what is acceptable speaker visibility ;-)

[@ealanosborne]

Heh heh, that’s right! You must pay the wife toll in the end. 😁

[@dalekslookgood]

Hi Thanks for the video. A while back i changed my 9channel+sw avr setup (no pre amps outs) from 7.1.2 (front heights for atmos) to 5.1.4 (4 heights for atmos) and losing the rear surrounds . I can recommend 5.1.4 over 7.1.2. As you mention in the video, 4 speakeer atmos is much better than 2 speaker atmos. Also, i have all 4 height speakers on the upper wall near the ceiling for and aft, and slanted slightly downward. I am happy with my atmos setup. But that said, the actual atmos effects vary very much from one film or series to another. It is a pity that spectacular films like the Marvels (at Disney) and the Starwars (at Disney) 4k atmos bluray discs don't always have the best atmos around. I ve heard way better atmos from other films. I make a note of the best atmos discs i have in a spreadsheet. Atmos can be both simply 'okay' as well as sometimes , breathtakingly spectacular at home. My poor neighbors!

[@ealanosborne]

I agree. I wish there was a standard that all films had to meet before saying they’re mixed in Atmos. Maybe someday. 🤷‍♂️ But I sure do enjoy the movies out there that have excellent Atmos mixes! So I have to stay positive! 😄

[@davebennett9638]

Ok, so it sounds like you really liked the wall mounted height speakers more than the on-ceiling/in-ceiling speakers. Is that an accurate assessment? I'm working on finishing my basement at the moment and am getting ready to run speaker wire before drywall goes up. Trying to decide if I wire for in-ceiling while I have the chance or if I should go for wall mounted height speakers instead. Thoughts?

[@ealanosborne]

I did like on wall better. And it’s more versatile in the long run in case you get into Auro 3D at some point, since Auro works best if your heights are on wall. 👍 But even Atmos and DTS:X sound phenomenal with on wall heights.

[@bostonquad2068]

Emotiva Atmos speakers are sick

[@TheJustina102085]

Old video I know, and it’s been very helpful with building my system. This channel in general has been great! Im in process of upgrading to more height channels. Bringing my system from a 5.1.4 to a 7.2.6 or 7.2.8 especially since my room is fairly long rectangular in shape… is it possible or beneficial to have in ceiling speakers with wall height channels as well angled down at that 30 degrees?? May be a dumb question but can’t seem to find any info on the subject… if it’s possible do you mix them in at different locations such as in ceiling for middle of room and wall height channels for front wall & rear wall? I love height sound on atmos & DTS so looking to expand it as much as I can! I use to say I was going with 9 channel base layer, but realized that not much content out there & that I would benefit more from additional height channels… Anyways sorry if my comment was confusing. Thanks for any input! Keep up the great work! Also, you may have mentioned it but if you have a Patreon, I’ll have to subscribe since I love the content!

[@ealanosborne]

Thanks for your kind words! Well, truth be told, the amount of height channels you can have is dependent upon the software of your AVR or preamp processor. The new Denon and Marantz AVRs can process up to 6 height channels, as well as preamps like the Emotiva MC1, Tonewinner AT-300, and IOTA AVX17. But having 8 heights will only be possible with processors like a Trinnov Altitude 16, which you can customize all you want - but it costs $18,000. 😱 But if you went with 6 heights, for example, yeah, you could have your front and rear heights be mounted at 30 degrees, high on either wall, and some in-ceiling speakers straight up above your listening position for middle heights. That’s what I would recommend down the road. 😁🤘

[@SqueamishPuppet]

My speakers are on the front wall and the wires hide behind my projector screen. I love how it sounds! The front sound stage feels huge.

[@zergslayer69]

I have all Klipsch RP speakers including the 8000f towers. Picked up the RP 500SA upfiring speakers and even at the levels turned to the max, the volume was softer than the rest of the speakers. I've also swapped the cables with another surround speaker and the volume was still lower. With the towers producing so much volume, the poor upfiring speaker has no chance. As much as I wanted to love it, it's going to go back. Should also note that I have a 10 foot ceiling, so that's probably not helping either.

[@ealanosborne]

Would you be able to mount them at all? Or is upward firing your only option?

[@zergslayer69]

@@ealanosborne Nope, can't mount. But even if I did, they just didn't seem capable of pushing out the volume needed to keep up with the rest of the system.

[@georgiodavid]

How did you mount sailing speakers brother? I am about to mount 4x DYNAVOICE FX-4 v.3, but standard keyhole on it I don't trust those on sealing

[@ealanosborne]

Heavy duty Velcro! Although that was knowing it would just be temporary. But at the same time, I'm pretty sure they would have stayed up there to this day, had I not taken them down. That Velcro was strong!

[@nespressoman]

Excellent video, thank you. Beautifully explained.

[@larryvaughn5843]

What would you think about Yamaha HS8 for the ear level speakers and HS5 for the height speakers?

[@ealanosborne]

That works in my book! 👍

[@arosas267]

Can you please give me some advice? The theater i built in an existing space has 2 ceiling speakers already, 1 in center towards the screen and 1 in center towards the listening seats. Is it possible to wire this up for atmos without problems?

[@ealanosborne]

Whoa, interesting! Hmmm…that’s really tricky, though with most AVRs, since you can’t really specify only 1 height channel up front (or in the back), unless it’s the “voice of god” channel in an Auro 3D setup. But typically, voice of god is straight above the listening position. Only with something like a Trinnov processor can you specify pretty much any configuration you want that’s out of the ordinary. 🤔

[@alexlanning712]

food for thought, Ealan

[@rcud1]

I have 9' ceilings and had some nice Atmos upfiring speakers, and using a high end Yamaha receiver, could barely discern any Atmos effects. I recently removed them. I just don't know if I want to put in ceiling speakers.

[@fightingmink]

I hate being short. Dude just reached up to the ceiling. LOL