Dolby Atmos viable?

[spotnyk]

Hello,

 

I've had a Denon AVR-S920W for about six years, which I was using to power a Bose Acoustimass 6 Series V setup.

 

- Denon https://www.denon.com/en-us/product/av-receivers/avr-s920w

- Bose https://www.amazon.com/Bose-Acoustimass-Theater-Speaker-System/dp/B00TVFO08S

 

Recently, I got rid of the Bose and now am running Polk 2xXT20 (front), 2x XT15 (rear), and an XT30 (center).

 

- XT20 https://www.polkaudio.com/en-us/product/bookshelf-speakers/monitor-xt20

- XT15 https://www.polkaudio.com/en-us/product/bookshelf-speakers/monitor-xt15

- XT30 https://www.polkaudio.com/en-us/product/center-channel-speakers/monitor-xt30

 

My question is: If I purchase a pair of XT90 height modules, will I be able to push Atmos through my receiver correctly? It lists Atmos as supported, but again, this is six years old, so I'm wondering if that is still accurate.

 

- XT90 https://www.polkaudio.com/en-us/product/height-modules/monitor-xt90

 

Thanks in advance.

[circeseye]

its a 7.1 unit and it does say it does atmos so you "should" be able to do a 5.1.2 set up

 

looking at the manual
https://downloads.denon.com/documentmaster/us/de_avrs920w_om_e3_en_v00b_29th_sept-2016.pdf

 

it looks like your rear speakers turn into your atmos (page 32)

[spotnyk]

1 hour ago, circeseye said:

its a 7.1 unit and it does say it does atmos so you "should" be able to do a 5.1.2 set up

 

looking at the manual
https://downloads.denon.com/documentmaster/us/de_avrs920w_om_e3_en_v00b_29th_sept-2016.pdf

 

it looks like your rear speakers turn into your atmos (page 32)

Ah, okay.  Thank you.

So, does that mean the height modules would run on the rear channels, or the existing rear speakers would be used by Atmos?

 

[circeseye]

if im reading it right then yes your rears will turn into atmos height speakers

in the avr settings you would set the rear to height.

your surrounds would now be your rears

 

 

if im not reading it right it would be your surrounds that will become your height and rears stay the same

but still need to go into avr settings and switch it
 

hell just go into avr settings first to see if its rear or surrounds that will switch to heights. that would be easiest

[spotnyk]

1 hour ago, circeseye said:

if im reading it right then yes your rears will turn into atmos height speakers

in the avr settings you would set the rear to height.

your surrounds would now be your rears

 

 

if im not reading it right it would be your surrounds that will become your height and rears stay the same

but still need to go into avr settings and switch it
 

hell just go into avr settings first to see if its rear or surrounds that will switch to heights. that would be easiest

Great idea. Sorry for the bother, and thank you again. 

[Omon_Ra]

22 hours ago, spotnyk said:

Great idea. Sorry for the bother, and thank you again. 

It will be the set of speaker terminals that are labeled 'assignable' that will most likely become the height speakers. When you're in your settings, set it to the Atmos/height configuration for the speakers. Then turn on test tone, and cycle through the new speaker locations to confirm which terminals are your heights. You'll need speakers connected to them to hear the tone, but just adding that in case you don't already have speakers hooked up to them.

[sm1th5]

On 4/9/2023 at 3:00 PM, circeseye said:

surrounds would now be your rears

Wrong.

 

There are no rear surrounds in a 5.1.

5.1 configuration is called just surrounds and or side surrounds.

 

Rears only apply in 7.1 and when atmos is used. You lose rear surrounds.

[circeseye]

1 hour ago, sm1th5 said:

Wrong.

 

There are no rear surrounds in a 5.1.

5.1 configuration is called just surrounds and or side surrounds.

 

Rears only apply in 7.1 and when atmos is used. You lose rear surrounds.

read the manual also ITS A 7.1 UNIT. either rears or surrounds switch to atmos and the manual isnt exactly telling. it looks like it says rears switch. hense why i said see with ones switch in the avr itself.

also on 5.1 called rears or surrounds WHO CARES.

[cmndr]

2 hours ago, circeseye said:

read the manual also ITS A 7.1 UNIT. either rears or surrounds switch to atmos and the manual isnt exactly telling. it looks like it says rears switch. hense why i said see with ones switch in the avr itself.

also on 5.1 called rears or surrounds WHO CARES.

My general experience with Denon/marantz AVRs is that, you can't configure "rears" without "sides". 

This is what I've found to be the case with the 4 Denon/Marantz AVRs I've fiddled with:

Left + Right - mandatory
Center - completely optional
Sides - optional

Rears - optional but require sides
Tops/Heights - optional; you're generally unable to position two pairs of speakers "right next" to each other (i.e. can't do top front and top middle but you can do top front and top rear OR you can do top heights + top middle). [note: I could be mis-remembering here, I have seen this on AVS forum before though]

 

Regardless, for most people in most set ups 5.X.2 > 7.X.0. One exception might be the instance of "I'm super close to the side speaker and want less loudness out of it and there's space behind me" - being able to spread out the sound from the sides is useful. 

 

[sm1th5]

On 4/11/2023 at 9:17 AM, circeseye said:

read the manual also ITS A 7.1 UNIT. either rears or surrounds switch to atmos and the manual isnt exactly telling. it looks like it says rears switch. hense why i said see with ones switch in the avr itself.

also on 5.1 called rears or surrounds WHO CARES.

How about you say correct information instead of miss information. 

If you don't wish to care. I will ask you to go somewhere else.