Help: upgrading to Atmos

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Welcome! - My recommendations are below but, respectfully, I have to ask why you would consider implementing Atmos in a room that is really not suitable for it. It just seems like a lot of money to spend and not get optimal results. Is this going to be your main theater room?

1) With Atmos, the more speakers the better is the general mantra however if they cannot be properly placed you may not be happy with the outcome.
2) See #1. Short answer is "yes."
3) I would steer clear of dipole. I currently have them in my room and will probably be replacing soon. Initially I felt they would be a better choice since they can direct sound to both the front and rear rows of my room but 99% of the time I'm the only one in there, so...
4) Any reason they can't be mounted closer to ear level? If that's not possible then a slight downward trajectory might be a good idea.

 

I agree with John's sentiments. I'm also moving away from di/bipole surrounds. They used to be preferable, years ago, but soundtracks have evolved and benefit from more distinct sound placement.

Regarding the height of your surrounds. If they are too high, and your current setup is significantly too high, they are simply too high. Aiming the speakers down makes zero difference in that respect. The sound comes from where it comes from, regardless of how the speakers are aimed.

I'm always curious, why Klipsch? It seems that 99% of people who are setting up a new system want to use Klipsch. I've found that salespeople tend to act like that's the only brand in existence, and I suspect they must offer massive spiffs (commissions from the manufacturer) to get them to force their brand down people's throats. I've had several people tell me that salespeople they go to won't even talk about any other brand of speaker.

 

I don't want to derail the thread but, for me, it was the sensitivity specs and [if I'm honest] appearance. I still have my SVS Prime Towers just in case I change my mind but may I ask you "why not Klipsch?"

 

1) That's really not how it works. Any decent speaker that's had the levels properly calibrated will allow dialog to be heard just fine.

2) Klipsch speakers are easy to drive, but considering the size of the room and the fact it's a bedroom, that's probably not a major consideration, unless you want neighbors a block away to hear the movie you're watching. Besides, the efficiency of a speaker is only one very minor factor in deciding on a speaker. Ironically, it has little to do with how good they sound, in most situations. Plus, I find them to be rather over-priced for what you get. There are hundreds of speakers brands to choose from, several of which have distinct benefits over Klipsch. Check out Paradigm, as one of the many, many, many options. I personally like the ELAC Debut line for a really good, economical speaker, which happens to cost about 1/2 of most Klipsch, and have significantly better sound. Their imaging is excellent, which will make a huge difference with surround sound. There are so many to choose from.

 

You’ll need to give us some examples of brands that are available.

 

There’s a strange tendency these days to claim the only important factor In speakers is efficiency, but that’s certainly not true. Not by a long shot. This distinction between music and movies is marketing, not reality. You want dynamic speakers, as opposed to something like electrostatics, but those aren’t something you’re considering.

 

The brands you mentioned are all worth considering.

 

I wonder if people consider Klipsch to supposedly be better for dialogue due to them tending to be "bright" at higher frequencies. Personally, I always found Klipsch speakers fatiguing after awhile, especially anything that used a horn tweeter which was one of their selling features.

 

I would speculate that most people [myself included] are simply not experts and trying to get the best available bang for their buck. Mine were indeed "bright" but that was easily tamed.

 

That's not exactly what I'm saying. I've just observed that about 98% of people who ask about new setups have already decided, or been directed to Klipsch. I've heard from several of them that salespeople they encounter don't seem to even be willing to discuss any other brand, which makes me suspicious. There are a lot of decisions and compromises to make when designing a speaker, and efficiency always comes at the sacrifice of other things, some of which I personally find to be far more important in a speaker.

 

Well stated and exactly the type of information I was looking for. We all have our areas of expertise [and I know this is one of yours] then there are our hobbies. When it comes to computers, networks, etc, I consider myself [relatively speaking] an expert since that is what I have done for a living for over 30 years but I have never done anything with a speaker aside from purchasing and enjoying it. I also do my research but, as you illustrate, [if you have no objective knowledge] even research can be heavily influenced by marketing in the today's world.

So, for me, I wanted a little more "punch" from my speakers at lower volumes. I figured the increased sensitivity of the Klipschs would allow my amps to get more out of them than the SVS Primes. Sadly, the SVS Ultra Towers were a non-starter due to the side-mounted woofers.

@joms - Please forgive me for derailing your thread. Happy to help with any other questions you might have and @JohnRice is one of our foremost experts here, so you're in good company.

 

You seem to be pretty much decided on implementing this setup despite what you're hearing here. I'm not trying to be disrespectful of your choices as it's your money and, [even with the diagram] no one can know your space or ultimate goals like you, but I am curious as to why.

As far as speaker recommendations, there are others here who are much better qualified.