Will an Atmos even make sense ?

[Mi_10]

Hi all,

I am trying to setup a simple HT...I am not a big movie junkie and probably see 2-3 movies per month (that too in Amazon / Netflix ) . However I aim to improve these figures by getting a dedicated / half decent HT .

I got the 1608 from Marantz over a 1508 since the price differential was not too much for those two extra channels . My issue is my room size . It is just 12 x 10.5 . Will it make any sense to invest in an atmos setup for this kinda of space or better stick to standard 5 speakers .

I don’t even have the sub since I am not sure if the room could take in so much speakers !! With all my existing speakers being ported, it needs some space behind them intruding into the useable view area for me. If you just leave out 1.5 ft on all four sides then the actual room size stands further reduced !

I understood some high level info about atmos .so I got the point that it is not just about more speakers. Let me know your suggestions on if it makes sense to add atmos speakers . And my ceiling is normal one (not smooth gypsum board one )

 

[efernand1]

I didnt get into a ATMOS setup due to similar space constraints also...there was not much content out there....very few movie channels / online feeds give you actual Atmos effects...most content is either 5.1 or 7.1.....i decided to wait for Atmos to settle in properly and then invest in it....

if you are not really going to watch too many movies....advisable to stick to 5.1 traditional setup.....you can add some mini satellite or cube type speakers for Height speakers or Atmos later...

Room treatment and placement also counts....a lot of factors to really consider if you want the real Atmos deal!

 

[tusharshukla1991]

Sir,
You have really awesome speakers. How is marantz NR series holding up with these power hungry speakers??

I would say that for movies Sub is imp, do go with 12inch or atleast 10 inch sub which can produce 20hz as your speakers are already taking you till 40hz I guess. Subs add an extra oomph to the movie especially if you are into action movies. (you can always adjust the power of sub)
If I were to choose, I would go for SVS PB1000!

 

[elangoas]

.I am not a big movie junkie and probably see 2-3 movies per month (that too in Amazon / Netflix )

Haven't used streaming service to watch movies.. In which audio codec the movies are streamed at present?..

My issue is my room size . It is just 12 x 10.5 . Will it make any sense to invest in an atmos setup for this kinda of space or better stick to standard 5 speakers .

I have 2 overheads at present in my 14 x 11 ft room, think 4 overheads would be even better.. Also had an opportunity to visit a members place with 4 overheads and it was great..

I don’t even have the sub since I am not sure if the room could take in so much speakers !! With all my existing speakers being ported, it needs some space behind them intruding into the useable view area for me. If you just leave out 1.5 ft on all four sides then the actual room size stands further reduced !

What has a sub got to do with room size?.. All it has to do is produce SPL for LFE content + bass, below crossover range.. What are your speakers?..

I understood some high level info about atmos .so I got the point that it is not just about more speakers.

What are you referring as high level info abt atmos?.. Share some light here..

 

[Mi_10]

if you are not really going to watch too many movies....advisable to stick to 5.1 traditional setup.....you can add some mini satellite or cube type speakers for Height speakers or Atmos later...

Room treatment and placement also counts....a lot of factors to really consider if you want the real Atmos deal!

Thanks it does make sense ! I have not yet planned for room treatment, maybe it is something to start thinking on

Sir,
You have really awesome speakers. How is marantz NR series holding up with these power hungry speakers??

I would say that for movies Sub is imp, do go with 12inch or atleast 10 inch sub which can produce 20hz as your speakers are already taking you till 40hz I guess. Subs add an extra oomph to the movie especially if you are into action movies. (you can always adjust the power of sub)
If I were to choose, I would go for SVS PB1000!

Haven't tried out full movies yet, but short movie clips sounded impactful, much much better than the VSX 932 i hooked up for temp use! Have heard great things about the SVS Subs. Although i don't have any immediate plans for the sub, will surely have them under consideration.

Haven't used streaming service to watch movies.. In which audio codec the movies are streamed at present?..

I don't know exactly. but i think the TV says bitstream (which i guess is 5.1 dolby). however i have an option of toggling between PCM and Bitstream

I have 2 overheads at present in my 14 x 11 ft room, think 4 overheads would be even better.. Also had an opportunity to visit a members place with 4 overheads and it was great..

THese overheads, do they play only when Atmos specific content is played or will they act as extended surrounds with normal 7.1 movies

 

[elangoas]

I don't know exactly. but i think the TV says bitstream (which i guess is 5.1 dolby). however i have an option of toggling between PCM and Bitstream

Ok.. If the content is atleast 5.1 Dolby then fine..

THese overheads, do they play only when Atmos specific content is played or will they act as extended surrounds with normal 7.1 movies

The overheads play with both Atmos specific sound track & Non Atmos sound track.. When movies with standard surr back (5/7.1) is played, DTS Neural X (or) Dolby Surround surround modes engage the height channels.. This is also good.. I watch most of the movies with standard 5.1 content + Neural X..

 

[Ravindra Desai]

Hi all,

I am trying to setup a simple HT...I am not a big movie junkie and probably see 2-3 movies per month (that too in Amazon / Netflix ) . However I aim to improve these figures by getting a dedicated / half decent HT .

I got the 1608 from Marantz over a 1508 since the price differential was not too much for those two extra channels . My issue is my room size . It is just 12 x 10.5 . Will it make any sense to invest in an atmos setup for this kinda of space or better stick to standard 5 speakers .

I don’t even have the sub since I am not sure if the room could take in so much speakers !! With all my existing speakers being ported, it needs some space behind them intruding into the useable view area for me. If you just leave out 1.5 ft on all four sides then the actual room size stands further reduced !

I understood some high level info about atmos .so I got the point that it is not just about more speakers. Let me know your suggestions on if it makes sense to add atmos speakers . And my ceiling is normal one (not smooth gypsum board one )

I would ask myself what is most important to me in the movies: Vocals, Music or Special Effects.
Remember, you will be hearing vocals from only one channel/ speaker while others will play a mix of everything else.
More often than not, you will be left feeling hungry for more vocals. So its about desiding 'how much' or 'how much not' you want to drown your vocals.

So, if you are into 'drama' keep it simple.
If you are into action, then jaaz it up.

Just my perspective of things. Other may see things differently.

Regards,

Ravindra.

 

[Kannan]

@Mi_10 Though I am out of HT since several eons, I had a similar room specs when I DIYed my 1st HT setup.
Though I built a 7.1, I ended up using only 5 and not even the .1 regularly as I had gone quite overboard with my towers which produced deep lows.
The sub came in only when I wanted a deep kick in the butt watching the likes of 'The Book of Eli' etc.
The 6th and 7th surrounds became bookshelves in and other room.

However while going about with 5.1 in your case, I suggest you have one Atmos speaker for the central axis possibly a bit on the rear of the listening couch.
You always have the option of enabling or disabling it with a flick of a remote key depending on the content you are watching. A nice little full range will do.
I do have a couple of Dayton RS100 widebanders to spare. You are welcome to take it and experiment for your Atmos.
However the most critical in a HT setup is the center channel and it should cleanly operate in the 300 to 8 khz region.

Happy listening!

 

[MaSh]

Hi all,

I am trying to setup a simple HT...I am not a big movie junkie and probably see 2-3 movies per month (that too in Amazon / Netflix ) . However I aim to improve these figures by getting a dedicated / half decent HT .

I got the 1608 from Marantz over a 1508 since the price differential was not too much for those two extra channels . My issue is my room size . It is just 12 x 10.5 . Will it make any sense to invest in an atmos setup for this kinda of space or better stick to standard 5 speakers .

I don’t even have the sub since I am not sure if the room could take in so much speakers !! With all my existing speakers being ported, it needs some space behind them intruding into the useable view area for me. If you just leave out 1.5 ft on all four sides then the actual room size stands further reduced !

I understood some high level info about atmos .so I got the point that it is not just about more speakers. Let me know your suggestions on if it makes sense to add atmos speakers . And my ceiling is normal one (not smooth gypsum board one )

Hi,

Your room size is fine for the NR series. What you immediately need is a Sub woofer before anything else. That will improve things by a Huge margin. Reason being, the NR series's weakest link is its power supply, compared to say the SR series. Hence, adding a Sub and then offloading the Bass content(which demand more power, more current) to the Sub will release a lot of headroom for the Marantz to play with, which in turn will improve your system dynamics noticeably.

In my opinion, for your usage and the content you are playing, 5.1 should be sufficient. On a side note, how are you getting multichannel with Amazon Prime Movies? Mine seem to be running stereo only.

MaSh

 

[Mi_10]

Hi,

Your room size is fine for the NR series. What you immediately need is a Sub woofer before anything else. That will improve things by a Huge margin. Reason being, the NR series's weakest link is its power supply, compared to say the SR series. Hence, adding a Sub and then offloading the Bass content(which demand more power, more current) to the Sub will release a lot of headroom for the Marantz to play with, which in turn will improve your system dynamics noticeably.

In my opinion, for your usage and the content you are playing, 5.1 should be sufficient. On a side note, how are you getting multichannel with Amazon Prime Movies? Mine seem to be running stereo only.

MaSh

Thanks for the good insight bro. Adding the sub looks inevitable atleast from a movie point of view . But curious to understand, will adding a sub take off load off the speakers ? Is there any filter settings that I can use to high pass the freq to speakers ? Or is it auto programmed in AVR s ??
From my little understanding about AVRs I think it simple let the speaker channels are auto roll off . Unless they have programmed it in a way that if it detects a sub preout engagement, it applies some auto filtering to reduce the amount of low freq in passing on to other channels
Pls correct me if I am wrong .

All new movies come with 5.1 HD option automatically. They display that next to the title . Older ones do not have this option. I assume that’s pcm . Again I don’t have a fire stick, just software on TV. My TV native audio supports bitstream .

 

[tusharshukla1991]

Hi Mash,

If you use a firestick (which is available in india) there is an option to switch to dolby digital sound which provides 5.1 tru surround sound from both prime and netflix.
If you use firestick 4k or cube (not available in india but works with indian subscription as well) there is an option to switch to atmos in prime video if the content is available in atmos.

There is no option in prime from mobile app or web browser for 5.1.
For netflix, with windows 10 app there is an option for dolby.

 

[tusharshukla1991]

Here are links for amazon and netflix:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201460880

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Netflix-compatible_devices

And yes, dolby and even atmos works with samsung and sony's inbuilt prime app

 

[sdurani]

Will it make any sense to invest in an atmos setup for this kinda of space or better stick to standard 5 speakers .

IF you can tell the difference between sounds coming from around you versus sounds coming from above you, then it makes sense to get an Atmos set-up. Atmos adds speakers above you, so you won't need to place additional speakers around you. Since you already have 5 speakers around you, get 2 more similar sounding speakers and mount them above you (either on the ceiling or high up on the side walls).

 

[Naveenbnc]

For movies, sub is a must. Period !

As far as atmos is concerned, most of the movies won't give sounds from above. Only a few movies give that effect. And that too...only in a few scenes in any movie. But those few moments will be thrilling

 

[Mi_10]

Hi,

Your room size is fine for the NR series. What you immediately need is a Sub woofer before anything else. That will improve things by a Huge margin. Reason being, the NR series's weakest link is its power supply, compared to say the SR series. Hence, adding a Sub and then offloading the Bass content(which demand more power, more current) to the Sub will release a lot of headroom for the Marantz to play with, which in turn will improve your system dynamics noticeably.

Just went inside the audio settings, they do have some basic crossover points. So i agree to your point of getting a Sub. It would help in dissemination of available power much more effectively. Thank you

 

[Kannan]

Just went inside the audio settings, they do have some basic crossover points. So i agree to your point of getting a Sub. It would help in dissemination of available power much more effectively. Thank you

Normally even basic receivers with sub out have in-built bass management. Since you will be going with an active sub, you can also do bass management on the subwoofer itself.

 

[Naveenbnc]

Personally I won't even enjoy music without sub.

Audiophiles would say music should be enjoyed in 2.0. But i feel the need of sub even if the Fs or Bs gives decent bass.

 

[MaSh]

Thanks for the good insight bro. Adding the sub looks inevitable atleast from a movie point of view . But curious to understand, will adding a sub take off load off the speakers ? Is there any filter settings that I can use to high pass the freq to speakers ? Or is it auto programmed in AVR s ??
From my little understanding about AVRs I think it simple let the speaker channels are auto roll off . Unless they have programmed it in a way that if it detects a sub preout engagement, it applies some auto filtering to reduce the amount of low freq in passing on to other channels
Pls correct me if I am wrong .

All new movies come with 5.1 HD option automatically. They display that next to the title . Older ones do not have this option. I assume that’s pcm . Again I don’t have a fire stick, just software on TV. My TV native audio supports bitstream .

Yes all receivers have bass management. When NO sub is detected front speakers run full range by default. However when you add a sub, you get the option to cut off low frequency to the speakers. Example you can then set the speakers to play til only 80hz and above. Everything below 80hz goes to the sub.

In my opinion, skip the Atmos and invest in a good sub.

Hi Mash,

If you use a firestick (which is available in india) there is an option to switch to dolby digital sound which provides 5.1 tru surround sound from both prime and netflix.
If you use firestick 4k or cube (not available in india but works with indian subscription as well) there is an option to switch to atmos in prime video if the content is available in atmos.

There is no option in prime from mobile app or web browser for 5.1.
For netflix, with windows 10 app there is an option for dolby.

Ahh thank you. Yeh been playing through browser on windows 7. Got to get a firestick.

MaSh

 

[rpmahale]

Room dimensions and budget make a big difference in selection of components for HT setup. Because of that manufacturers come with different solutions for each individuals. In your case if budget is not constraint then I will suggest you to go for satalite subwoofer system with Atmos enable 5.1.2 AVR. Klispch quintat V or Definitive Technology ProCinema 600/800. Due to small size of speakers, you can accommodate more speakers in your room at the same time you will get active subwoofer with it. With Klispch need to purchase separate as it is not bundle with Satalite speakers.
Atmos make a difference in movie watching experience but due to limited contains, there are limitations on availability. Percentage of Atmos effects in a movie is a matter of investigation. Nowday major studios has started giving Atmos/DTS-X sound track on only UHD movie Blu Ray disk which cost Rs. 2500/- to 3500/- and UHD Blu Ray player cost Rs. 30,000/- onwards. Major movie streaming services plan to release movie on Atmos track in near future but again the core will be Dolby Digital plus so you will miss lossless surround sound. Give some time, do little search and invest wisely....

 

[matbhuvi]

Blu Ray disk which cost Rs. 2500/- to 3500/- and UHD Blu Ray player cost Rs. 30,000/- onwards

True that. But, blu ray movies used to be that cost 5 years back. Now, i get it at Rs. 500. I am pretty sure UHD price will also go down in time.
BTW. atmos does make a difference in movie experience. It creates a real 3D sound.