What to select in Speaker setup when choosing height versus top surround? (1 Viewer)

[TheThrillisgone]

Hello all, Thanks for any advice. I am currently setting up my speaker placement. So I am adding two speakers above the front surrounds. They will be directly above the front left and right surrounds up in the corner where the wall meets the ceiling. After reading a bunch of articles I am still clueless about what to select to ID these speakers in the speaker setup.

Why should I select Height speakers versus Top Surrounds. What does the receiver do when I select one or the other? Does it reduce or increase the information sent to them or how does it treat the channel differently by what I select? Or is there a third option I should select?

I already have in the plan 4 atmos speakers in the ceiling. So basically how do I classify them in the setup and why one choice or the other.

I wound up with an extra set of speakers and am trying to utilize them. Simple for me to install so trying to get the best use out of them in this scenario.

They are positioned about 16 feet apart and about 8 foot high in the corners.

Thanks
Ray

 

[Todd Erwin]

Can you provide a diagram of your speaker layout? I'm a bit confused with your use of the term "top surrounds" as well as:

So I am adding two speakers above the front surrounds. They will be directly above the front left and right surrounds up in the corner where the wall meets the ceiling.

If you can provide the make and model of the receiver, that would be helpful for some of us to offer some advice.

 

[TheThrillisgone]

Thanks for your replay. The receiver is a Marantz SR6015.

Here are two drawings I made, Not to scale.
The first is viewing facing the TV with the new speakers I am talking about. The second is a top down view of everything.
I think I have been looking at too many articles and may have my terminology mixed up.

Thanks
Ray

 

[JohnRice]

This probably won't be popular, but I suggest sticking with a more designated Atmos configuration. That has two side surrounds relatively straight out from the sides of the viewing position, two on the back wall (ideally closer together than you have now) and four Atmos speakers pretty much as you have them now. Though, the front Atmos could be closer to the viewing position. Then you just run standard Atmos mode, and Dolby Surround added for less than Atmos soundtracks, if you want. Having surround speakers on the front wall is more of a marketing thing electronics manufacturers came up with.

 

[TheThrillisgone]

This probably won't be popular, but I suggest sticking with a more designated Atmos configuration. That has two side surrounds relatively straight out from the sides of the viewing position, two on the back wall (ideally closer together than you have now) and four Atmos speakers pretty much as you have them now. Though, the front Atmos could be closer to the viewing position. Then you just run standard Atmos mode, and Dolby Surround added for less than Atmos soundtracks, if you want. Having surround speakers on the front wall is more of a marketing thing electronics manufacturers came up with.

Thanks Johnrice

I contemplated side surrounds instead but the room is far from ideal for that. The left side of the room is completely open to the rest of the house (No wall). Very high ceilings on that side. So a side speaker on the left side would basically be sitting in the middle of the open floor where you walk through. Basically just trying to use an extra set of Klipsch speakers the best I can , cart in front of the horse plan.

Thanks
Ray

 

[TheThrillisgone]

Well, Apparently I am not a very smart person. I decided to double check my receiver ( brand new, Just got it) and see what channels are available. The 4 atmos I have are assigned already and there is no extra channel for what I want to do. So, I am going back and seeing how it would be possible to set up the side surrounds on the one side. Maybe going really high up and pointing it down, who knows. Sorry to waste everyone's time.

 

[JohnRice]

I definitely understand. You have to work within your room. I looked at the setup options of my Marantz SR7012, which should be fairly similar to your SR6015, and I'm at a loss for what configuration would be right. It just doesn't seem to be designed to configure the speakers the way you have them. It's also infuriating how ambiguous the options are. In the interest of making it idiot-proof, they've made it inflexible and mysterious. For the life of me, I see no way to set up rear surrounds without side surrounds.

 

[TheThrillisgone]

I definitely understand. You have to work within your room. I looked at the setup options of my Marantz SR7012, which should be fairly similar to your SR6015, and I'm at a loss for what configuration would be right. It just doesn't seem to be designed to configure the speakers the way you have them. It's also infuriating how ambiguous the options are. In the interest of making it idiot-proof, they've made it inflexible and mysterious. For the life of me, I see no way to set up rear surrounds without side surrounds.

Thanks JohnRice.

I appreciate your help. Back to the drawing board. My wife just thinks I'm crazy. She likes the end results but would be fine if there were no speakers. At least that she could see.

Thanks
Ray

 

[JohnRice]

We posted our last response at the same time.

Yeah, I missed the fact you were trying to run more speakers than the receiver is capable of.

 

[TheThrillisgone]

My Marantz SR6015 allows a choice of Ceiling speakers as well as height speakers as a selection. I wound up going with ceiling speakers as the selection. It also allowed me to pick 4 speakers ( 2 fronts and 2 backs) . It recognized them as Atmos speakers. I did mount them on the ceiling as overheads. I also used wire mold to hold and hide the wires as I have no access to an attic. I recall I had to pick 11.1 to get the extra choice of the 4 Atmos speakers. I think ( I could be wrong) that the height selection assumes the height speakers are sitting on top of the front and back speakers shooting up to the ceiling, That was not going to be my scenario so Ceiling worked for me. I ran the Audyssey setup and then went back and tweaked the levels with a Sound Pressure meter. I am satisfied with the end results. The Marantz seems to be a good choice for me and what I wanted to do with my new system. My old system was 30 plus years old so I wanted something with all the new bells and whistles. I went with 4 Polk OWM3 speakers for the Atmos speakers and am pleased with them. Relatively inexpensive, I think you can also get them in a pack of 4 which is cheaper than buying them as 2 pairs. My ceilings are vaulted so I made special brackets. The Polks also have a threaded mount hole , This seems somewhat standard as there were a LOT of ball type mounting brackets that would work with them that pivots so you can aim them toward the seating position. My Side and back surrounds are Klipsch Bookshelf type speakers. Not too pricey and have great sound. My original idea was buying and using height speakers but ditched that idea because of vaulted ceilings and also reading that the up firing speakers for Atmos were just OK and not optimal. So I went with ceiling mounts and the Polks.

Hope that answers something LOL
Ray