Deciding on surround setup.

BeRad

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post, but maybe the mods could move it to the proper spot.

I need help\advice on upgrading my surround setup.
Currently I have RTiA9s, CSi5, and FXi A4s in a 5.1 setup.
I'd like to get into an Atmos setup but the room has constraints that can't be altered. Those are:
20'x20' room with a 6'8" ceiling.
Bulkhead across the center of the room (running left to right) that is 12"wide and 8"high.
The main seating is against the back wall.

I'm thinking of having the surrounds as they currently are (slightly above ear level and about 2' in front of listening position), adding rears on the ceiling above listening position, adding height speakers on the listening side of the bulkhead aimed at listening position, and then adding front wides approx half way between the mains and the surrounds.

What do you think? What would you do in this situation?

Thanks in advance.

mantis

I think Atmos isn't in your cards with only 6'8" ceiling height. You do have 2 choices as far as I can see. 1 get height modules and put them on the 9's as up firing. TheA4's however I don't think are able to hold any height modules I know of. So what you could do is consider in ceiling speakers. I would go for front and rear. They need to be spaced the same as your main channel speakers so example is your mains are 8 feet apart, make both sets of Atmos left to right 8 feet apart. Try to follow Dolby's guide for placement as close as you can in your limited height room. In Ceiling speakers I think are the best option you got. Upfiring might work ok but you can only do 1 pair of them on the 9's.

Emlyn

Polk's height modules can also be wall mounted in addition to being placed on flat topped speakers. Is the limited ceiling height because it's a basement? There's no real height space to work with using conventional speakers.

I agree that in-ceiling speakers are the best option if the ceiling allows it.

BeRad

Yes, it's a basement, and a concrete ceiling. Maybe 2.5 extra inches available if I remove drywall and mount direct to the concrete. I was thinking that maybe I could flush Mount some low profile speakers to the ceiling just to get SOME Atmos effect. I could even aim something like the ohm speakers easily at perfect angle to the couch.

I'm worried the up firing speakers wouldn't work as well with that bulkhead possibly interfering with the sound bounce.

With lots of reading and pondering last night I've decided to stick with a 5.1.x setup and move the couch forward 3 feet. Mains will end up about 9 feet apart.

mantis

So Atmos is great when you have good space to do it in. It's also great in less than ideal rooms but you have to try and get things as close to optimal as possible or your wasting your time and money.

Atmos also isn't that big of an upgrade even over 5.1. 7.1 is basically a Atmos configuration and you might want to look into doing that with a pair of front height speakers mounted high on the front wall. Look into this configuration, it might serve your room better if you not willing to look into in ceiling speakers. Mounting speakers on those low ceilings ? I'm all out on that idea. I would not do that. In ceiling or heights on the front and back walls maybe but in ceilings are the way to go.

I also want to point out how not important having the highest quality or perfectly matching in ceiling speakers or any speakers for Atmos use is. Especially after a Calibration. So getting some close to flat responding speakers would work with just about any floor level speakers just fine. This is where mixing and matching isn't a big deal at all.

BeRad

Awesome, thanks for the input. In ceiling will be easy (although I might have to bump them out a bit but very doable)