Home cinema system for unusual room
Discussion
Looking for some help with advice for a system.
Firstly it must be wireless ,wired is not an option.
I have looked at Soundbar with 2 wireless subs but most systems are running Dolby Atmos etc and bouncing sound around and this is where my problem lies.
The room has a high ceiling but it is also v shaped ,so with my current Soundbar the angles create a bit of a situation where the dialogue can get overwhelmed .
I don’t mind not having 7.1 sound or whatever and quite happy with 5.1 but I’m struggling to find a suitable system .
Firstly it must be wireless ,wired is not an option.
I have looked at Soundbar with 2 wireless subs but most systems are running Dolby Atmos etc and bouncing sound around and this is where my problem lies.
The room has a high ceiling but it is also v shaped ,so with my current Soundbar the angles create a bit of a situation where the dialogue can get overwhelmed .
I don’t mind not having 7.1 sound or whatever and quite happy with 5.1 but I’m struggling to find a suitable system .
Tony1963 said:
How effective would a system that sets itself up using a microphone and test sounds? Surely that’d be the best hope as guessing the effects of room acoustics is nigh on impossible.
That’s what I currently have but it worked well in a normal room but doesn’t work well in this room ,the dialogue tends to get lost .My advice:
2 channel or
2.1 channel or
3.1 channel
The room shape sounds like you're seriously compromised ... you're never going to get the best out of a surround sound set up, so you're wasting money trying. You sometimes have to accept defeat and compromise to get a system that works.
There are no wireless speakers speakers, it is a misunderstanding that they exist. Any brand that says there speakers are wireless are referring to the way in which it receives audio/data only. They still require power ... so you'll need a socket or fused spur at each speaker location. If not, speaker cables are easier/cheap than adding sockets ...
2 channel or
2.1 channel or
3.1 channel
The room shape sounds like you're seriously compromised ... you're never going to get the best out of a surround sound set up, so you're wasting money trying. You sometimes have to accept defeat and compromise to get a system that works.
There are no wireless speakers speakers, it is a misunderstanding that they exist. Any brand that says there speakers are wireless are referring to the way in which it receives audio/data only. They still require power ... so you'll need a socket or fused spur at each speaker location. If not, speaker cables are easier/cheap than adding sockets ...
franki68 said:
Rear surrounds are fine I have plenty of power sockets.
A bit of research has led me into the AV receiver which can run wired fronts and sub but utilise wireless for rears such as denon or yamaha ,that looks my best option as I do prefer speakers to soundbars.,
I suspect those receivers will come with a microphone and guide as to set up the DSP. In your room with high ceilings it's pretty essential. My last place had an open plan living/dining/kitchen 14m x 8m with mostly hard surfaces. I installed quite a bit of room damping to reduce reverb and the DSP helped for music and Surround sound. It made a huge difference. A bit of research has led me into the AV receiver which can run wired fronts and sub but utilise wireless for rears such as denon or yamaha ,that looks my best option as I do prefer speakers to soundbars.,
My Denon DSP with microphone (audessy?) Is ham fisted and not nearly as good as a session with a DBL meter.
For the op I'd go 5.1 and keep it simple. For me, Atmos ceiling is a gimmick. How many films other than top gun actually benefit from it in any real sense over the ample and quite superb DD5.1/DTS? Even with top gun your attention is on the screen.
For the op I'd go 5.1 and keep it simple. For me, Atmos ceiling is a gimmick. How many films other than top gun actually benefit from it in any real sense over the ample and quite superb DD5.1/DTS? Even with top gun your attention is on the screen.
Griffith4ever said:
My Denon DSP with microphone (audessy?) Is ham fisted and not nearly as good as a session with a DBL meter.
For the op I'd go 5.1 and keep it simple. For me, Atmos ceiling is a gimmick. How many films other than top gun actually benefit from it in any real sense over the ample and quite superb DD5.1/DTS? Even with top gun your attention is on the screen.
Ha, I remember when I got my first Pro-Logic receiver back in 1995 my friends told me it was a gimmick, no need for anything more than stereo. For the op I'd go 5.1 and keep it simple. For me, Atmos ceiling is a gimmick. How many films other than top gun actually benefit from it in any real sense over the ample and quite superb DD5.1/DTS? Even with top gun your attention is on the screen.
Lots of Marvel stuff makes good use of overhead channels... Dr Strange has a brilliant bit where there are voices coming from all around ("the bit where the bald woman sends him into a weird wobbly dimensional thing" is the best way o can describe it). I made my way through Star Wars 1-9 on D+ and IIRC they all used it too.
Don't get me wrong, all else being equal the difference between 5.1.4 Vs 5.1 is not as marked as the difference between 5.1 and 2.0, but the overhead channels are great for ambience (which, TBH is what they are mostly used for) as well as objects flying around. Like regular surround sound it's fun when they use it overtly but you don't sit down to watch a film hoping that the rear channels will make lots of sound. But then, home cinema has always followed a law of diminishing returns and small improvements over the previous depth of experience.
Griffith4ever said:
I think that sums it up well tbf :-)
Biggest leap was from stereo to pro logic,followed by the big step to DD/DTS 5.1.
I Agree about surrounds. At first I was always waiting for obvious effects, then after a while got very used to having the ambience of them.
When I upgraded from Pro-Logic to 5.1 I went straight from PL to TrueHD (having not had the disposable to upgrade sooner I was running kit from 1997 until about 2010). One fun side effect was that any rustling type sounds sent our cat looking for the mouse that he presumed was scurrying around back there. With PL the limited surround effect never made him so much as look up.Biggest leap was from stereo to pro logic,followed by the big step to DD/DTS 5.1.
I Agree about surrounds. At first I was always waiting for obvious effects, then after a while got very used to having the ambience of them.
So there is a case to be made that TrueHD made the leap to sound quality that could convince a cat that phantom mice are scurrying around.
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