Ceiling Speakers For An Atmos Setup

-


As part of an Atmos equipped home theatre HT) system, many of us will have to choose between Atmos- enabled speakers, which bounce sounds off your ceiling, or mount speakers either in the ceiling or on it.

 I would suggest the latter if you are rebuilding a HT den. Most hobbyists prefer the sound when the speakers are mounted in or on the ceiling.

 If you choose in ceiling speakers, you can choose to mount them flush with the false ceiling, and you can choose those with directional tweeters that can swivel or tilt towards your listening position.

 Some of us use speakers which are mounted onto the ceiling rather than in it. 

 In any case some points that you should look out for 
Speaker woofer size 

 Bigger woofer = more bass = more vibrations = more bracing needed to prevent vibrations = more cost = more building complexity..
OR

 Take the smaller woofer - direct the bass to your subs - cut a smaller hole - less bracing - lower costs

 Weight of the speaker

 If the speaker is heavy, your builder will need to make sure your ceiling can bear the weight without collapse, and also factor in some dampening without vibration.

 Now some of you might ask:
Do I need purpose built in ceiling speakers or can I simply mount some bookshelf speakers onto the ceiling?

 Well these ceiling speakers work better if they sound like a single coherent source and if you have a low ceiling, there will be a phase difference if you use a bookshelf speaker in which the tweeter is some distance away from the woofer. That's why coaxial speakers work better.

 Otherwise you can use a full range single woofer speaker like the Anthony Gallo Micros or A'Divas. 

 The frequency response does not need to be a true full range speaker, that would make it too heavy to mount. But S&V has an answer:
Which In-Ceiling Speaker Should I Use for Dolby Atmos?

 "recommend using “conventional overhead speakers with wide dispersion characteristics.” How wide is wide enough? About 45 degrees from the reference axis over the audio band from 100 Hz to 10 kHz'

 This link will take you to the recommendations by Dolby:
7.1.4 Overhead Speaker Placement
Some people have tried using bookshelf speakers as Atmos speakers. These are not so ideal for a few reasons. First they are heavy and require adequate bracing to prevent vibrations. There is a real risk that your ceiling cannot support a speaker weighing a few kilos. 

 Second the tweeter and woofer are usually not coaxial, resulting in potential phase difference which may spoil the experience. That's why many ceiling speakers have the tweeters mounted in the centre of the instalment. 

 Finally they look bulky and may fail the all important WAF .. unless you have a very accommodating wife! 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

KEF LS 50 Meta review and comparison with the LS50

-
Image
The original KEF LS50 was one of those landmark speakers, a pocket rocket which performed at a much higher level than what it’s price tag might indicate. The original LS50 has been widely reviewed, and is well regarded by audiophiles everywhere.  However it does have some bite in the treble and lacks some deep bass, and works better for music which does not go too deep or with a sub to reinforce the bass. But what it does have is fabulous imaging, which allows you to how off great soundstaging, depth, and definition. If you are into details, you’ll love them. The coaxial design is also wonderful for those who sit a bit off axis. The construction is a marvel in itself and with a modern design, a beautiful gloss finish and a quality build. No wonder it’s loved by music lovers the world over. Now recently KEF has introduced the new KEF Meta. This is an updated version of the original and whilst it can look deceivingly the same, there are significant differences. First a link to the offici
Read more

Dynaudio Heritage Special Speaker Review

-
Image
Dynaudio is a company that has been in the speaker business for more than forty years and prides itself on making most of its components in house, especially the drivers and most of the cabinetry. Through the years they have developed many beloved components for their top end products and have also distilled them down to the masses whenever they launch a special edition. So they have adopted a similar format and take some of their finest drivers, an Esotar 3 tweeter and a woofer derived from the Evidence range and placed them into a more traditional walnut veneer speaker for us to sample.  Thus the Heritage Special (HS) was born. The catch ? Well there are two.. firstly it’s by no means cheap, even though it uses choice components. Second there are only 2500 pairs so if you’re waiting to get one, don’t ! And that’s the sum of my review if you may. If you’re a Dynaudio afficiando, just plonk down the deposit that had planned for the annual summer holiday and get this instead. Now reader
Read more

Haiku fan review II - Mounting a Fan and Using more than one Fan

-
Image
A long long time ago, you had but a handful of choice of fans, and well, they mostly looked the same. The luxury fan market was almost non existent and then Haiku came along and all that changed. My original review is linked here:  Haiku fan review - how to choose a fan Since then, things have moved on and now we are into the fourth generation of the Haiku fan, or fifth if you count the more budget orientated version as well.  Well let's mention what is still present first. The cool, sleek design is still here. And you get both composite ABS blades, as well as bamboo options. It is still a DC motor, with the attendant energy savings, and the silent motor. But most importantly for most buyers, it still looks good. So what is new?  The size options have increased, from 52", 60" and now 84". You still get the option of a longer stalk for higher ceilings, but the longer mount  which extends from 40 to 70 cm comes with a rather bulbous base, instead of the mo
Read more