Speaker advice setup..

[birjup]

So I’m helping build a theater in my brothers new home. Because the size of room and his wanting everything wired by the audio company, it’s a 5.2.2 setup.

He’s wanting to use floor speakers he has already in a box still (Klipsch r26FA).

The 2 atmos and 2 rear surround, both are wired in ceiling we were thinking keg ci200rrthx (the installer is giving us his wholesale discount for 440 a piece). Or comparable speakers within the 450 price range.

And the center channel he’s offering his discount on an Atlantic technology 8600ec for 890. Or something in that range based on suggestions.

Would be interested in sub suggestions. And received.

Thanks in advance.

 

[sweetchaos]

See my “subwoofer comparison” spreadsheet. Link in signature.

I would be considering AVRs that are Dirac Live capable, with Bass Control or ART support. See my comparison thread of all such AVRs. Link in signature.

 

[Chrispy]

You don't have rear surrounds in a 5.2.2 format....just surrounds and they shouldn't be in the ceiling, as they're part of the bed layer....

 

[birjup]

Call

You don't have rear surrounds in a 5.2.2 format....just surrounds and they shouldn't be in the ceiling, as they're part of the bed layer....

Im sorry I’m not sure about terminology, just a newbie.

It may be because the design of the room. It’s an attic with 10foot ceilings. It’s about 1800 sq ft. Wide open space. And the “theater” is in the middle of the room. 150 screen with tiered seating. So since the acoustics would be horrible he said he wanted to do ceiling mounted. Maybe I can have speakers mounted firing at the seats?
Thanks for all the help!

 

[Chrispy]

Call

Im sorry I’m not sure about terminology, just a newbie.

It may be because the design of the room. It’s an attic with 10foot ceilings. It’s about 1800 sq ft. Wide open space. And the “theater” is in the middle of the room. 150 screen with tiered seating. So since the acoustics would be horrible he said he wanted to do ceiling mounted. Maybe I can have speakers mounted firing at the seats?
Thanks for all the help!

Might want to review some of the Dolby Atmos guidelines for speaker placement https://www.dolby.com/about/support/guide/speaker-setup-guides/

Basically you want separation of the bed layer (in a 5.1.2 setup that would be the 5 bed layer channels, front L/R, center and surrounds) from the ceiling/Atmos layer. Combining them isn't recommended. I see now that you're also using the bouncy type speakers atop the floorstanders to confuse issues. I'd just use all ceiling speakers as Atmos speakers, and use surrounds that are not in the ceiling. Is wall mounting surrounds a possibility? Or floor standers or bookshelves on stands for surrounds?

 

[birjup]

Okay! So I’ve gotten two new wires in run so I can add speakers to either side of the seats for bed layer.

I’ve gotten some decent deals and now changed things around.

Pioneer VSX-LX505​

2 Atlantic audio 8600 elr
8600 ec center —— should I put these 3 on a separate amp.

2 Atlantic audio 8200 esr for the rear

And 4 atmos in ceiling.

2 Atlantic 444sb subs.

Got dealer pricing from them. So took advantage.

 

[amicusterrae]

"should I put these 3 on a separate amp"?
The 8600s are spec'd 6 ohms nominal, and your receiver has a 6 ohm power rating, so you can give it a try! Whether the speakers will play loud enough and cleanly for you in that room will depend on several factors. How many decibels do you want (and ample you'll want headroom for home theater peaks)? What's the room size and how far away will the listeners sit from the front speakers (there are calculators online that can tell you how much power you need)? 91 dB is good efficiency, so those towers should get loud. The other rub on matching a speaker to amplification is that some manufacturers really fudge the impedance spec for speakers, and most speakers drop below the nominal rating at specific frequencies (not sure of any speaker out there that has constant impedance). You're going to use subs, so if you cross over the front towers, then you'll probably reduce the "strain" on the receiver, but it would be nice to see an impedance curve for those towers.

Only other suggestions are that you be as fussy as possible about placing the side surrounds. If your sidewalls are within a couple feet of the seats, and you're using on wall speakers, you may want to mount the sides a little above ear height, with an eye toward experimentation (not clear if the 8200s are for the sides, too). If you are doing in wall, it's a tougher call because I assume you don't want to cut multiple holes For the 8200s specifically, whether on the sides or as rear surrounds, I strongly suggest bipole configuration, as it will give you the widest dispersion (today's surround sound modes are not optimized for dipole surounds).

For the subs, if your room is a rectangle, then symmetrical placement at the 1/4 or 3/4 sidewall lengths often works well. You can use an online calculator to estimate room modes, and that would help identify ideal locations, too. Putting them in the two front corners probably will maximize output but don't expect the smoothest response there. Most folks use room equalization for bass frequencies (at least), either built into their receivers or via additional equipment, but being thoughtful about placement can help a lot and eliminate some need for EQ.