Atmos Speakers

[Roen]

Is Ascend planning to come out with ceiling bouncing Atmos speakers that would be placed on the bookshelves?

If not, what would be the best timbre matched Atmos speakers?

[racrawford65]

I'm in the process of upgrading to Atmos... I'm skipping the atmos-enabled (bounce) speakers. From my research, effects are much better with top or height speakers.

I'm planning to use HTM200's for my Atmos speakers.

[Roen]

I'm in the process of upgrading to Atmos... I'm skipping the atmos-enabled (bounce) speakers. From my research, effects are much better with top or height speakers.

I'm planning to use HTM200's for my Atmos speakers.

I can't modify the ceiling or even wall mount where I live, so for now I'm considering bounce speakers.

[davef]

Is Ascend planning to come out with ceiling bouncing Atmos speakers that would be placed on the bookshelves?

If not, what would be the best timbre matched Atmos speakers?

I generally recommend our HTM-200's for this. We have quite a few customers using the 200's in this configuration and they have been quite happy.

Hope this helps!

[jtorrence3]

How are folks mounting the HTM-200s to the ceiling? Just a standard ceiling mount but pointing then straight down? In-ceiling?

[racrawford65]

Looking on the forum, I've seen both ways. I've got two pair coming for ATMOS application. I am still debating whether to mount them to the ceiling straight down (front/rear top) or in front/rear height configuration. From what I've read, the latter gives you about 95% of the effect as ceiling, but it is also standard for DTS-X...in my room, it may be the better way to go as my ceiling is trayed..

[jtorrence3]

Thanks! I'll have to hunt down how others have utilized them.

[racrawford65]

here's one
http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/showthread.php?6271-CBM-170SE-for-Atmos.

I think it was linked from this thread
http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/showthread.php?6305-Any-concensus-on-good-HTM-200-wall-mounts

There was another thread, but I can't find it readily, where the person used 1/4-20 threaded rod through the ceiling into a 2x4 in the attic. He actually added two more rods on the back top (up from the bottom inserts) so 4 rods in total.

I've also seen another thread (maybe on AVS) where someone used OOK picture/mirror hangers with mirror wire, but this was on a wall, not the ceiling. I'm guessing you could add a set to the other side and "hang" the speakers from the ceiling face - down.

[jtorrence3]

Thanks again. Going to go with these in front/rear heights, I think:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009GKIC8M/ref=ya_st_dp_summary?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[racrawford65]

Sounds good.

Planning to mount them similar to what Mr. Lawrence did (link in one of those threads)?

[jtorrence3]

Yep, that's the plan. Hope heights get close enough to the sound of overheads!

[N Boros]

Is Ascend planning to come out with ceiling bouncing Atmos speakers that would be placed on the bookshelves?

If not, what would be the best timbre matched Atmos speakers?

I have a unique situation. My ceiling height is only about 7 feet tall in my theater room. That is the minimum recommended by Dolby for use with "Top" speakers. Many have said that the bouncing speakers don't work that well. Only a range of the higher frequencies can do this bouncing to some extent. So in ceiling or on ceiling speakers would be best and Dolby suggests Top Fronts or Top Rears for the best overhead coverage, that is also not distracting. The Top Fronts and Top Rears are supposed to be in a straight line with the Front speakers all the way to the Surround Backs.

I really wanted to go with Ascend HTM 200s, since I have Ascend speakers for my traditional 7 speakers, and just flush mount them so they they are buried in my drop ceiling. This is no problem at all. My hesitation here is that because of the low ceiling and the fact that I will have one row of seats for 6 people I am spreading my front speakers the widest of Dolby's guidelines of about 30 degree from center. This would put the angle of the HTM 200s at about 60 degees off axis in the primary seat, which is way too far off axis to be close to optimal.

I am now looking at an in ceiling speaker where the drivers are aim-able or maybe just the Focal Birds, which I would try to bury and aim in my drop ceiling. I don't think I would be able to angle and bury the Ascend speakers and have it look right and not be something that I will hit my head on, or I would just go with those.

If you have 8 foot ceilings or more and you don't have your front speakers widely spaced, then the HTM 200s mounted on the ceiling should be perfect. The price is right and it should be the best possible match to the rest of the Ascend line.

[avsnoob10]

I need HTM200SE for my rear surrounds but have to mount them from Ceiling, do HTM-200SEs have threads already or have to drill holes?

[N Boros]

I need HTM200SE for my rear surrounds but have to mount them from Ceiling, do HTM-200SEs have threads already or have to drill holes?

Threaded inserts on back:

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/htm200/htm200featrs.html

[Mag_Neato]

I need HTM200SE for my rear surrounds but have to mount them from Ceiling, do HTM-200SEs have threads already or have to drill holes?

Although they have threaded inserts on the back as N Boros pointed out, don't be afraid of drilling/screwing directly into the cabinet to attach some sort of mounting bracket if needed. I would not feel secure using only the inserts provided as they are located only towards one end of the cabinet which would be fine if the speakers were to remain in a vertical orientation, but I would beef up the mounting for a ceiling application.

[avsnoob10]

Thanks again. Going to go with these in front/rear heights, I think:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009GKIC8M/ref=ya_st_dp_summary?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Are you using the mount you linked for HTM-200SEs? Do you have to drill additional holes on the speakers with the mount you listed?

[racrawford65]

Are you using the mount you linked for HTM-200SEs? Do you have to drill additional holes on the speakers with the mount you listed?

Search for posts by Mr. Lawrence - I believe he used these but needed to drill holes to allow to connect the wires.

I mounted mine as front/rear heights -- I used picture hanging wire and OOK hooks, along with the threaded inserts. Although I can't aim or tilt the speakers, seems to be working great. I'll need to watch a few more DTS or ATMOS movies to validate. If not, I may add some tilting/swiveling mounts as F/R heights. I've already bought two pairs of these from Amazon. They look to open wide enough so I can either mount the HTM vertically or horizontally.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HBY4GXO/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1JLWR7EJNHQUR&colid=2QRGK03YIR1PZ

[yesplease]

http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/showthread.php?6171-Ascend-Atmos-speakers&p=53070#post53070

[racrawford65]

Yesplease - thanks for the link. that's the thread I was thinking of in my earlier post!

[Roen]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170818/12c90911c53f3ec79f6c6e9744fa2bd1.jpg

Pic of my current 3.1.2 setup.

Too bad Ascend didn't have an upfiring speaker, otherwise I would've been all over that. The AFX provides a bit, but played back to back with the Sierra-2, there's no contest or timbre match. I'm thinking about selling and switching to a KEF R50 Atmos instead.

[RandomName]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170818/12c90911c53f3ec79f6c6e9744fa2bd1.jpg

Pic of my current 3.1.2 setup.

Too bad Ascend didn't have an upfiring speaker, otherwise I would've been all over that. The AFX provides a bit, but played back to back with the Sierra-2, there's no contest or timbre match. I'm thinking about selling and switching to a KEF R50 Atmos instead.

You should consider putting the modules on the speakers. With up firing speakers so low, you are gonna hear the direct sound emissions instead of mostly just reflections. You ideally want them at least above ear level but under half the height of your wall.

[PoppaOptic]

I see some great ideas on mounting. Hopefully I'll be able to setup an Atmos system in the near future!

[Roen]

You should consider putting the modules on the speakers. With up firing speakers so low, you are gonna hear the direct sound emissions instead of mostly just reflections. You ideally want them at least above ear level but under half the height of your wall.

They were originally on top of the speakers. I moved them lower to increase effective distance because I wasn't as convinced of the Atmos effect.

They sound better in their current position.

[Roen]

You should consider putting the modules on the speakers. With up firing speakers so low, you are gonna hear the direct sound emissions instead of mostly just reflections. You ideally want them at least above ear level but under half the height of your wall.

I did more testing and ended up moving the upfiring speakers back on top of the front L/R, after playing the Jan 2015 Dolby Demo disk.