Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Gallery Axiom Dolby Atmos 7.2.4 Cinema

7.2.4 Dolby Atmos Surround Sound System
Room Size 26’ x 30’
Equipment List:
• SONY VPLVW300ES 4K Projector
• Da-Lite 159" Fixed Frame Screen
• Theater One Leather Power Reclining Seats
• Yamaha RXA2040 Dolby Atmos Receiver
• URC MX450 Remote Control
• URC 350 RF Module
• Panamax POMB850 Battery Back Up
• Axiom ADA1500 8 Channel Amplifier
• Axiom 1 Pair M100 Boston Cherry Tower Speakers Front Left & Right
• Axiom VP180 Boston Cherry Center Channel
• Axiom 2 EP800 Boston Cherry Subwoofers
• Axiom 2 Pair QS8 Boston Cherry Surrounds & Surround Backs
• Axiom 2 Pair M3 In Ceiling Dolby Atmos Speakers Custom Factory Painted to Match Ceiling
• Samsung Bluray Player
• Bell HD TV

fheinzler has been a ghost so I wanted to end the question in an ambiguous way so he came back to describe it.

I find online any ambiguity is taken as negative, and usually results in the other party defending their stance with a well thought out explanation. To learn something is all I'm after. In a round about diabolical way. Mwahaha.

Sarcasm and jokiness never come off right online.

Funny, I thought it was an East Coast "Look at me... I've had too much screech and I'm posting on the internets" thing.

just saying..

qs8 do not diffuse similar to a dipole type speaker.. dipole is a very different animal...

http://www.audiogurus.com/learn/speakers/difference-between-dipole-bipole-speakers/290

I'm getting one step closer:

system upgrades purchase picture! will this site ever get with the times for inserting pictures or attachments? or is that a hidden feature?!?

Marantz AV7702mkii pre-amp (replacing my aging, failing Onkyo 5507 pre-amp)
Audioquest Red River XLR interconnects (3 LCR)
Audioquest Evergreen RCA interconnects (4 pair 8 Surrounds)
Blue Jeans Cable HDMI Premium HS cables (15', 5', 5')
Polk Audio OWM3 for ceiling mounted Height Channels (two pair)
Monoprice speaker cable for height speakers (16/4 - 16/2 )
Sewell banana plug connectors (12 pair)
Speaker Mounts for Height Speakers (2 pair)

Once installed and complete my system will go from 7.1 to 7.1.4 ATMOS/DTS:X.

solarrdadd -- Very sweet preamp! Any updates on how this sounds with the install? It's only fair to ask you now for the same thing you asked the OP / newf, etc. a year ago: Please let us know your personal experience with the QS8's in an Atmos setting!

It is a topic of some interest, and (agreeing with JBG in the prior post, now a couple of months old) opinions from those who have no experience with the QS8s, or which start from assuming a similarity to dipoles (which have an all-frequency null at the listening position due to out-of-phase wiring ... QS8's do not) may be discarded immediately. In other words, as you pointed out very effectively in Nov '15 (above), most people with an opinion on the issue have limited information on which to base it, and we need to hear from those with actual installs. So ... dish!

Cheers - SQ

PS -- You may be interested in this post, re. including images on the boards here.

I too am very interested if you have done any comparison between using the QS8's in Atoms vs how they sounded inside your original 7.1 install.

I have the Anthem AVM6 so I have a similar Atmos capable setup to you. I currently run only 5.1 and am stilling on the lines to figure out what speakers that I should get to move forward.

For my Atmos, I am taking a non standard route and just using some original small Energy Take5 and mounting them as front and back wall heights rather than in ceiling. I right now want to get the 7.1 portion working right.

I am not sure if I should keep my QS8 currently on the sides. or replace them with something directional. I also need to decide if I go cosmetically accurate as my front speakers and subs are Warm Cherry, and have black for the surrounds.

howdy people, crazy Uncle Solarrdadd here. it's been about 2 good months of using the new Marantz AV7702mkii pre-amp and enjoying ATMOS/DTS:X movies like crazy! the question is since I had a 7.1 system with four QS8 speakers for surrounds, should I keep them despite the recommendation of Dolby (and others) stating that you need to use direct radiating speakers.

well, I'm here to tell you, that I love the sound field that the QS8's produce having moved them down to about ear level for the sides and about 1' above ear level for the rear surrounds (because of a vent and a chair I had to raise the rears to make sure they were the same height).

I have absolutely no regrets and offer no apologies for keeping them in the system. they sound great, I see no need to replace them with direct radiating speakers no matter what dolby or anybody says. keep in mind, I'm speaking for myself and my own preferences. I'm not speaking for the industry or anything. I have found thus far that I believe they enhance the surround effects for the lower layer of sound (7.0) and it makes for a nice mix to the upper layer (.4) and it all sound magical.

the pre-amp's calibration program took no exception with them and the first time I heard the ATMOS splash screen, I knew it was magic. I have almost every movie that has been released with ATMOS/DTS:X and so far, the system continues to amaze me.

I was watching the remake of King Kong using DSU as it was on HD cabletv and between the QS8's and the on-ceiling mounted monitors (four ATMOS/DTS:X speakers) the jungle was huge and active. the natives were truly restless. when Kong was making his way through the jungle, you couldn't see him yet, you just heard all the branches and whole trees being knocked down and snapped. the 8's did their usual super job and I've never heard them sound so good because I've never had them that low before and it sounded both different and very, very good.

in fact, i'll go as far as to say, that when I had them mounted up high, closer to the ceiling, the four of them made for a poor mans ATMOS/DTS:X before such codecs existed!

I have no problem to be able to vote YES to keeping your QS8's in your systems for the lower surround layer of your ATMOS/DTS:X audio system. of course, it's up to your ears to tell you what you like. if you have 8's and 2 or 4 direct radiating speakers that you can swap out for your 5 - 7 speaker lower level, then try them both with the same movies and decide for yourselves.

for me, as I thought and said before, and now knowing with certainty, the QS8's are staying in my 7.1.4 HT ATMOS/DTS:X system!

That's good to hear. I don't know when I'll be able to afford an Atmos/DTS:X setup, but at least now I won't feel in a rush to replace all of my QS8s.

SD -- Thanks for the update! Very nice to hear your opinion / experience.

I quote the prior, because it is somewhat similar to my setup. Because of sloping side walls (theater is over the garage, and rafters are converging) and lots of shelving, my surrounds are to be ceiling hung, a bit higher and more central than is classically considered optimal. I have the Marantz SR7008. No Atmos, or DTS:X, but I do have IIz and neoX. It's 9.2 with m2s for front height, and qs8s for surround and rear. All are (to be) ceiling hung, about 1' down, with about 7' separation left-to-right. My thought is that the "poor man's Atmos" is more or less accurate. In fact, there is some notion that a future upgrade, say, to DTS:X would use vector sound format to create a mix tailored to the installation, with many (certainly not all) of the benefits of a side and top installation. Actually, I'm waiting at the moment for the hangers to come back from a local powder coat shop (welded them up myself). We're enjoying movies plenty well at the moment in 3.2.0

cheers- SQ