ATMOS or 7.1 (1 Viewer)

[shumail]

I am planning on buying a Yamaha RX-V6A receiver for my home theatre. The size of the room is approx. 20'X14' with 8-Foot Ceiling Height and 120" diagonal screen. I am looking for advice on 4 areas:

1. Should I go with an ATMOS setup or stick to 7.1.
2. Which speakers work best with this receiver.
3. Should I opt for a fixed screen or a roll-up.
4. Do wires make a difference or are they all the same.

Thanks in advance for your input.

PS. Any other pertinent information you want to throw at me is also welcomed.

 

[JohnRice]

A few general thoughts. I'd be inclined to move the seating forward a bit, rather than having the back row against the rear wall. Ultimately, surround sound works best when there is room behind all the seating for rear surround speakers not to be right at the ears of viewers. Generally with three rows, the goal is to optimize it for the middle row. Something to ask is, do you really need three rows of seating? Sometimes people have changed that to two rows with some beanbags on the floor in front for kids to use.

For the room, I think you're severely limiting yourself by going with a seven channel receiver. Atmos would be great, but only if you can install proper Atmos speakers overhead IN the ceiling. Anything else isn't worth it, and in that case, the seven channel receiver would be acceptable, though I still recommend putting more budget into it. That's a rather low end receiver for such a big room. I strongly suggest at least a receiver that has preamp outputs so you can use an external amp for the front three channels.

 

[DaveF]

Atmos

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Beyond what's already been said, go w/ a fixed PJ screen. No real reason to do retractable screen given such a setup -- OTOH, you might consider a (possibly larger) acoustically transparent screen to use in front of the center speaker if you do go w/ 2 rows and thus might have a little more space for that kind of config.

And you probably don't need special/expensive speaker wires at all. IF you're running them in/thru the walls/ceiling, just get something like this and put decent banana jacks on them:

See on Amazon

IF you're getting rather expensive, especially good speakers particularly for the front LCRs, I suppose it might be worth it to spend a little more for wires specifically for those, but probably nothing more than say the better pre-terminated wires offered by Blue Jeans Cable, which is a sponsor for this site. Personally, I like the Canare 4S11 terminated w/ quality locking bananas -- I use them for my front LCRs.

I also use BJC's Belden 1800F Balanced Audio Cable between my prepro and power amp, but that's only if you get a prepro or AVR w/ balanced XLR pre-outs to use w/ a capable external amp (probably as John also recommended for front LCR) -- this might be overdoing it a little bit even though they're not really that expensive. There are comparable RCA terminated interconnects for regular, non-balanced connections as well.

FWIW, both the Canare wires and Belden balanced cables can also be bought from some other places like B&H -- and I actually have some from B&H as well (in some cases a tad bit cheaper) w/ quality that's essentially indistinguishable (to me anyway)... though B&H doesn't keep as many different lengths and termination combos/options regularly in-stock/available as BJC since B&H presumably doesn't terminate the wires (on order) themselves.

Paying some more for such quality, pre-terminated wires/cables may well just be more peace-of-mind than actual quality diff as long as you're choosing the same basic materials and not going for insufficiently protected/shielded, too low gauge wires, etc plus you're generally quite handy w/ hardware (to terminate wires well yourself). Certainly, I'd be less concerned about such for most other speakers besides the front LCRs... though I did end up using quite nice (but free!) wires for my primary rear surrounds courtesy of ELAC -- there was some odd shipping mishap (and subsequent delays) w/ the Debut 2.0 bookshelves I ordered directly from them alongside UniFi 2.0 floorstanders + center, so they ended up "making things (very!) right" and compensated me w/ their better "Reference" wires (that they normally charge ~2x as much as the Canare wires I use for front LCRs and just about as much as those bookshelf speakers themselves, LOL ). Those ELAC "Reference" wires do seem quite nice (and attractive), but I seriously doubt they're any better than the Canares from BJC that cost ~1/2 as much (even for driving far more expensive, better speakers). They're basically free to me though, so I just use them, but I'd probably never buy them myself, probably not even for the (otherwise super expensive) old/used Thiel CS5is + MCS1 center I also have (currently in storage)...

_Man_

 

[Wardog555]

Do you really need that many seats? Will you use them all often?

Move seeting away from the back wall. And or reduce the rows.
9 channel receiver suggested at a minimum.

Don't go for expensive wiring. There's plentiful of resources online to suggest and recommend even basic inexpensive wiring

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

RE: speakers, what's your budget and how loudly do you plan/want to play them?

IF you definitely want to stick w/ an AVR, especially a lower-end one like that Yamaha V6A, and want to play your movies fairly loud, you might need to get something w/ horn drivers like Klipsch, especially if you also need to keep speakers budget similarly low.

Generally, speakers that use horn drivers tend to be substantially more efficient and less demanding on the amp/AVR. But not everyone likes the horn sound quality -- and such speakers are generally not considered so great for audio fidelity... particularly for music playback... but they can play louder than most on less power.

You'd also still need/want to consider something (else) for subwoofer though. Again, what's your budget? IF you can afford them, maybe 1 or possibly 2 SVS subwoofer(s) at least SB-3000 or higher.

_Man_

 

[shumail]

A few general thoughts. I'd be inclined to move the seating forward a bit, rather than having the back row against the rear wall. Ultimately, surround sound works best when there is room behind all the seating for rear surround speakers not to be right at the ears of viewers. Generally with three rows, the goal is to optimize it for the middle row. Something to ask is, do you really need three rows of seating? Sometimes people have changed that to two rows with some beanbags on the floor in front for kids to use.

For the room, I think you're severely limiting yourself by going with a seven channel receiver. Atmos would be great, but only if you can install proper Atmos speakers overhead IN the ceiling. Anything else isn't worth it, and in that case, the seven channel receiver would be acceptable, though I still recommend putting more budget into it. That's a rather low end receiver for such a big room. I strongly suggest at least a receiver that has preamp outputs so you can use an external amp for the front three channels.

Thank you for the prompt response and apologies for my late reply. We are 5 family members and theatre use is primarily a social activity so we can expect to have some guest over. Going anything lower than 9 seats wouldn't work for a family situation. That said, the front 2 rows will have a better experience than the rear row but that's a compromise we will have to make. The Yamaha RX-V6A falls within budget. I explored some 9 channel receivers but the price jumps drastically. BTW I've already bought the receiver. For now I've attached some 20 year old speakers to get the thing fired up but I definitely need to change the speakers. Went with the Optoma UHD 35 4K project. I'm already $2500 in so far with these two things. The room furnishing cost is extra. Now I'm wondering if the Klipsche speakers will suffice, but they only come in a 5.1 or 7.1 with upward firing. I do have the option to run the wires and install in-ceiling speakers and would rather do that than getting upward firing. Don't want the sound to be too loud as is will mostly be used for movies and not music or gaming.

I'm not sure if I'm understanding this correctly but I read somewhere that we can attache 9 speakers to the RS-V6A i.e. back speakers as well as atmos as it provides the extra ports and the AVR will automatically detect the signal it is receiving and switch between speakers. Would love some clarity on this. If I go with Klipsch 5.1 reference pack and then get two additional towers for the front L/R and also get some Atmos in-ceiling speakers would that work?

A few general thoughts. I'd be inclined to move the seating forward a bit, rather than having the back row against the rear wall. Ultimately, surround sound works best when there is room behind all the seating for rear surround speakers not to be right at the ears of viewers. Generally with three rows, the goal is to optimize it for the middle row. Something to ask is, do you really need three rows of seating? Sometimes people have changed that to two rows with some beanbags on the floor in front for kids to use.

For the room, I think you're severely limiting yourself by going with a seven channel receiver. Atmos would be great, but only if you can install proper Atmos speakers overhead IN the ceiling. Anything else isn't worth it, and in that case, the seven channel receiver would be acceptable, though I still recommend putting more budget into it. That's a rather low end receiver for such a big room. I strongly suggest at least a receiver that has preamp outputs so you can use an external amp for the front three channels.

Thank you for the prompt response and apologies for my late reply. We are 5 family members and theatre use is primarily a social activity so we can expect to have some guest over. Going anything lower than 9 seats wouldn't work for our family situation. That said, the front 2 rows will have a better experience than the rear row but that's a compromise we will have to make. The Yamaha RX-V6A falls within budget. I explored some 9 channel receivers but the price almost doubles. BTW I've already bought the receiver. For now I've attached some 20 year old Sony Home Theatre speakers to get the thing fired up but I definitely need to change the speakers. Went with the Optoma UHD 35 4K project. I'm already $2500 in so far with these two things. The room furnishing cost is extra. Now I'm wondering if the Klipsche speakers will suffice, but they only come in a 5.1 or 7.1 with upward firing. I do have the option to run the wires and install in-ceiling speakers and would rather do that than getting upward firing. Don't want the sound to be too loud as is will mostly be used for movies and not music or gaming. What would be a realistic budget for the speakers.

I'm not sure if I'm understanding this correctly but I read somewhere that we can attache 9 speakers to the RX-V6A i.e. back speakers as well as atmos as it provides the extra ports and the AVR will automatically detect the signal it is receiving and switch between speakers. Would love some clarity on this. If I go with Klipsch 5.1 reference pack and then get two additional towers for the front L/R and also get some Atmos in-ceiling speakers would that work? This way I can break down the expense into 2 or 3 phases.

 

[shumail]

RE: speakers, what's your budget and how loudly do you plan/want to play them?

IF you definitely want to stick w/ an AVR, especially a lower-end one like that Yamaha V6A, and want to play your movies fairly loud, you might need to get something w/ horn drivers like Klipsch, especially if you also need to keep speakers budget similarly low.

Generally, speakers that use horn drivers tend to be substantially more efficient and less demanding on the amp/AVR. But not everyone likes the horn sound quality -- and such speakers are generally not considered so great for audio fidelity... particularly for music playback... but they can play louder than most on less power.

You'd also still need/want to consider something (else) for subwoofer though. Again, what's your budget? IF you can afford them, maybe 1 or possibly 2 SVS subwoofer(s) at least SB-3000 or higher.

_Man_

The Yamaha RX-V6A falls within budget. I explored some 9 channel receivers but the price almost doubles. BTW I've already bought the receiver. For now I've attached some 20 year old Sony Home Theatre speakers to get the thing fired up but I definitely need to change the speakers. Went with the Optoma UHD 35 4K project. I'm already $2500 in so far with these two things. The room furnishing cost is extra. Now I'm wondering if the Klipsche speakers will suffice, but they only come in a 5.1 or 7.1 with upward firing. I do have the option to run the wires and install in-ceiling speakers and would rather do that than getting upward firing. Don't want the sound to be too loud as is will mostly be used for movies and not music or gaming. What would be a realistic budget for the speakers.

I'm not sure if I'm understanding this correctly but I read somewhere that we can attache 9 speakers to the RX-V6A i.e. back speakers as well as atmos as it provides the extra ports and the AVR will automatically detect the signal it is receiving and switch between speakers. Would love some clarity on this. If I go with Klipsch 5.1 reference pack and then get two additional towers for the front L/R and also get some Atmos in-ceiling speakers would that work? This way I can break down the expense into 2 or 3 phases.

 

[Wardog555]

No you cannot use 9 speakers with that receiver as it's only 7.1 or 5.1.2 setup.

The klipsch speakers do have apeakers that doesn't have the atmos built in and definitely go for the reference premier if you like their sound.

Is everyone going to be using the home theater at the same time?

I'm not an expert when it comes to multiple row seating and multiple people.

The trinnov speaker guide document may be useful for you to read and learn.



Figure out the MLP and then start planing from there. Front row? Or something else.
I would definitely sit the front row but that comes down to personal viewing immersion preference.

Best of luck

 

[JohnRice]

The Yamaha RX-V6A falls within budget. I explored some 9 channel receivers but the price almost doubles. BTW I've already bought the receiver. For now I've attached some 20 year old Sony Home Theatre speakers to get the thing fired up but I definitely need to change the speakers. Went with the Optoma UHD 35 4K project. I'm already $2500 in so far with these two things. The room furnishing cost is extra. Now I'm wondering if the Klipsche speakers will suffice, but they only come in a 5.1 or 7.1 with upward firing. I do have the option to run the wires and install in-ceiling speakers and would rather do that than getting upward firing. Don't want the sound to be too loud as is will mostly be used for movies and not music or gaming. What would be a realistic budget for the speakers.

I'm not sure if I'm understanding this correctly but I read somewhere that we can attache 9 speakers to the RX-V6A i.e. back speakers as well as atmos as it provides the extra ports and the AVR will automatically detect the signal it is receiving and switch between speakers. Would love some clarity on this. If I go with Klipsch 5.1 reference pack and then get two additional towers for the front L/R and also get some Atmos in-ceiling speakers would that work? This way I can break down the expense into 2 or 3 phases.

Some receivers do operate that way. I’m not sure if it’s a good use or not.

 

[shumail]

No you cannot use 9 speakers with that receiver as it's only 7.1 or 5.1.2 setup.

The klipsch speakers do have apeakers that doesn't have the atmos built in and definitely go for the reference premier if you like their sound.

Is everyone going to be using the home theater at the same time?

I'm not an expert when it comes to multiple row seating and multiple people.

The trinnov speaker guide document may be useful for you to read and learn.



Figure out the MLP and then start planing from there. Front row? Or something else.
I would definitely sit the front row but that comes down to personal viewing immersion preference.

Best of luck

Please see a screenshot of the owners manual, read Note 1. Kindly elaborate. TIA

 

[Wardog555]

And this is what I mean.

7 speakers to be used together. Not 9 speakers even though you can connect 9 speakers to it.

If 9 speakers were to be used together it would be 7.1.2 or 5.1.4 and this receiver doesn't support it.