[i_max2k2]

Looks like a good setup! I have LSiM 705's up front with a 704c center, 703's as side surrounds and 702 FX's in the rear and they work great together! I use an Outlaw 5000 to power the LCR's plus 2 front height speakers. For atmos, I was using Focal Sibs for awhile (on ceiling or on wall mounting options) and they were ok, but not great. Because I have taller ceilings, I was able to build some little speaker stands out of 2x4's and plywood and mount 703's as rear surrounds and I have Polk Legend 200's setup for the front heights and they sound amazing! Not sure if it would work, but maybe you can get some Polk Audio 265 LS in wall speakers and mount them in ceiling. They have an aimable tweeter and the tweeter matches the LSiM line.

You have a beautiful HT! I have a flat ceiling so my plan is to go for straight in-ceiling speakers. I'm seeing some great prices for Polk 80 F/X LS (~$370/ pair), which are supposed to be timber matched to the LSiMs. I only worried about the angle, on the polk forums I saw a few threads talking about them, but not a comprehensive review about them.

I have a similar setup and used Polk TL3s for my Atmos speakers, mounted with omni-mounts so that they could be pointed at the MLP.

From what I have read the in-ceiling if that can be done is considered the best solution, thats what I'm trying to find a couple pairs for.

 

[m0j0]

You have a beautiful HT! I have a flat ceiling so my plan is to go for straight in-ceiling speakers. I'm seeing some great prices for Polk 80 F/X LS (~$370/ pair), which are supposed to be timber matched to the LSiMs. I only worried about the angle, on the polk forums I saw a few threads talking about them, but not a comprehensive review about them.



From what I have read the in-ceiling if that can be done is considered the best solution, thats what I'm trying to find a couple pairs for.

Thanks! I really enjoy my time in my theater! I just added some Aperion super tweeters to my 705's up front and 703's on the side and have been really impressed with them. The LSiM's are great speakers, but are a bit on the laid back side. The super tweeters seem to really add that extra sparkle, as well as really making musical instruments and sound effects sound spectacular! Been really enjoying them lately! One thing I did have to do though was go in to the Audyssey curve editor and make the frequency response flat out to about 12KHz. Otherwise, if left to its own devices, Audyssey wants to start rolling off around 5KHz or so. I had always trusted Audyssey and never realized the impact it was having on the top end. Now that I have it flat out to 12KHz, I hear so much more detail, especially breaking/shattering glass, sound effects, etc and it really makes the movies come alive.

 

[Huai]

Just completed my DIY setup 265LS + 255c ls up front 80 fx/ls for atmos and sadly rc55i for the surrounds because I only have 2.75" in the wall behind me.

 

[i_max2k2]

Just completed my DIY setup 265LS + 255c ls up front 80 fx/ls for atmos and sadly rc55i for the surrounds because I only have 2.75" in the wall behind me.

View attachment 3073376

View attachment 3073378

How do you like the 80 F/X LS for atmos, I’m trying to see if they would be good fit for my setup.

 

[Huai]

They are great but overkill to be honest - less than 10% of movie track sounds come from above.

 

[i_max2k2]

They are great but overkill to be honest - less than 10% of movie track sounds come from above.

Interesting, they will exclusively be used for object based sound, since I don’t think I’d be doing any music playback from them.
Maybe the RC80i are a good choice for the atmos then?

 

[shs1234]

From what I have read the in-ceiling if that can be done is considered the best solution, thats what I'm trying to find a couple pairs for.

That may be true from an aesthetics point of view, but you will get the best blended Atmos "dome of sound" with speakers you can point at the MLP. If you can do that with in-ceiling speakers, fine. However, if in-ceiling are the best for Atmos, why are not in-wall the best for your other speakers? The nice thing about on-ceiling or near-ceiling speakers is that you can move them when experimenting with placement and not have holes to fill. Go with in-ceiling Atmos speakers if you wish, but I don't know why they are considered best.

 

[chi_guy50]

Interesting, they will exclusively be used for object based sound, since I don’t think I’d be doing any music playback from them.
Maybe the RC80i are a good choice for the atmos then?

Referring to overhead speakers as "atmos" is a misnomer as the term does not pertain to any particular speaker location. Rather, the Dolby Atmos codec is just one of the immersive surround-sound formats (in addition to DTS:X and Auro-3D). Nonetheless, those overhead speakers in your setup will most likely be used for a lot more than just audio objects; in fact, at this point in time the selection of content authored in Dolby Atmos or DTS:X is minimal compared to the non-immersive sound tracks (and you can all but forget the misbegotten Auro-3D, which never took off here in the U.S.). Therefore, if your usage is typical, you will more frequently be sending upmixed channel signals to those speakers.

HST, Dolby themselves recommend the use of full-range speakers for the overheads (see below). While you may take their recommendations with a grain of salt, I myself would not treat the overheads any differently from the rest of my surround speakers regarding their capabilities.

"Dolby Atmos audio is mixed using discrete, full-range audio objects that may move around anywhere in three-dimensional space. With this in mind, overhead speakers should complement the frequency response, output, and power-handling capabilities of the listener-level speakers. Choose overhead speakers that are timbre matched as closely as possible to the primary listener-level speakers. Overhead speakers with a wide dispersion pattern are desirable for use in a Dolby Atmos system. This will ensure the closest replication of the cinematic environment, where overhead speakers are placed high above the listeners."

Dolby Atmos® Home Theater Installation Guidelines

That may be true from an aesthetics point of view, but you will get the best blended Atmos "dome of sound" with speakers you can point at the MLP. If you can do that with in-ceiling speakers, fine. However, if in-ceiling are the best for Atmos, why are not in-wall the best for your other speakers? The nice thing about on-ceiling or near-ceiling speakers is that you can move them when experimenting with placement and not have holes to fill. Go with in-ceiling Atmos speakers if you wish, but I don't know why they are considered best.

One major reason why in-ceiling speakers are preferred is that effective three-dimensional imaging requires the overhead speakers to be mounted at a certain minimal elevation that is difficult to achieve with the low ceilings in most home environments that lack a custom-built theater. If your ceiling height is eight feet or less, mounting the overhead speakers on the ceiling (or on the walls) is apt to result in too low an elevation angle due to the depth of the speaker assembly in addition to that of the mounts. The elevation of the overhead speakers relative to that of the listener- (ear-)level speakers creates that dome of sound, as you called it. The less the separation between the two levels, the more the dome collapses into a mere two-dimensional effect.

 

[shs1234]

Fair enough. There are certainly practical reasons why in-ceiling speakers are used, as you mention. The ceilings in mystic home theater are 10' 8" and that seems to allow use of my albeit small "bookshelf" speakers. Here is a writeup of my home theater design and optimization that features my LSiM speakers and the Polk TL3s.

The Smallcombe Home Theater II – Part 3 - HomeTheaterHifi.com

Welcome to the third and final installment of a series of articles on the process of construction and optimization of a home theater in a...

hometheaterhifi.com

 

[i_max2k2]

Referring to overhead speakers as "atmos" is a misnomer as the term does not pertain to any particular speaker location. Rather, the Dolby Atmos codec is just one of the immersive surround-sound formats (in addition to DTS:X and Auro-3D). Nonetheless, those overhead speakers in your setup will most likely be used for a lot more than just audio objects; in fact, at this point in time the selection of content authored in Dolby Atmos or DTS:X is minimal compared to the non-immersive sound tracks (and you can all but forget the misbegotten Auro-3D, which never took off here in the U.S.). Therefore, if your usage is typical, you will more frequently be sending upmixed channel signals to those speakers.

HST, Dolby themselves recommend the use of full-range speakers for the overheads (see below). While you may take their recommendations with a grain of salt, I myself would not treat the overheads any differently from the rest of my surround speakers regarding their capabilities.

"Dolby Atmos audio is mixed using discrete, full-range audio objects that may move around anywhere in three-dimensional space. With this in mind, overhead speakers should complement the frequency response, output, and power-handling capabilities of the listener-level speakers. Choose overhead speakers that are timbre matched as closely as possible to the primary listener-level speakers. Overhead speakers with a wide dispersion pattern are desirable for use in a Dolby Atmos system. This will ensure the closest replication of the cinematic environment, where overhead speakers are placed high above the listeners."

Dolby Atmos® Home Theater Installation Guidelines




One major reason why in-ceiling speakers are preferred is that effective three-dimensional imaging requires the overhead speakers to be mounted at a certain minimal elevation that is difficult to achieve with the low ceilings in most home environments that lack a custom-built theater. If your ceiling height is eight feet or less, mounting the overhead speakers on the ceiling (or on the walls) is apt to result in too low an elevation angle due to the depth of the speaker assembly in addition to that of the mounts. The elevation of the overhead speakers relative to that of the listener- (ear-)level speakers creates that dome of sound, as you called it. The less the separation between the two levels, the more the dome collapses into a mere two-dimensional effect.

Thank you. I think I’ll go with the Polk 80 f/x LS pairs, they are timbre matched to the other speakers I have and as I understand of decent quality. They also have a diffuse and solid sound mode, and solid is supposed to be for local effect.
My ceiling is also 7.5’ restricting me as you said. I did have mirage nano satellites, and I have seen them used upside down and pointed towards mlp, but I did want to find out more. This is useful!

 

[chi_guy50]

Thank you. I think I’ll go with the Polk 80 f/x LS pairs, they are timbre matched to the other speakers I have and as I understand of decent quality. They also have a diffuse and solid sound mode, and solid is supposed to be for local effect.
My ceiling is also 7.5’ restricting me as you said. I did have mirage nano satellites, and I have seen them used upside down and pointed towards mlp, but I did want to find out more. This is useful!

You certainly won't be disappointed with the performance of the 80F/X-LS as long as your budget allows for it. I went a similar route in my RT-line setup as you can see in my signature.

 

[oceanz]

Just completed my DIY setup 265LS + 255c ls up front 80 fx/ls for atmos and sadly rc55i for the surrounds because I only have 2.75" in the wall behind me.

View attachment 3073376

View attachment 3073378

how do you find the front/rear speaker quality? I am thinking of using the inwalls from Polk to finish off my setup but worried about sound quality. I have the below and trying to pick some rear speakers

Front L/R: Polk RTiA9
Center: Polk CSI A6
Sub: Polk HTS 12"
Ceiling: Polk MC60

 

[Huai]

how do you find the front/rear speaker quality? I am thinking of using the inwalls from Polk to finish off my setup but worried about sound quality. I have the below and trying to pick some rear speakers

Front L/R: Polk RTiA9
Center: Polk CSI A6
Sub: Polk HTS 12"
Ceiling: Polk MC60

This is my first real HT so nothing to compare it to. The setup blows my prior Vizio 5.1.4 sound bar out of the water and to the moon

 

[i_max2k2]

You certainly won't be disappointed with the performance of the 80F/X-LS as long as your budget allows for it. I went a similar route in my RT-line setup as you can see in my signature.

I'm looking forward to them, I figured after spending on the other speakers, lets round it off so the 4 won't let down the other ones

Now I need to figure out placement. I was reading somewhere the 702 f/x can be placed in front of the MLP instead of the traditional behind the MLP positioning for side surround positions. I'm limited to put them near the back because of the location of a door on the left hand side as below:

Has anyone done this i.e. place in front of MLP for Sides, and how were the results? what angles could be used etc?

I also realized studs in the room are more than a feet apart, so I'm thinking about using french cleats, anyone has any experience using those for such speakers?

 

[m0j0]

I'm looking forward to them, I figured after spending on the other speakers, lets round it off so the 4 won't let down the other ones

Now I need to figure out placement. I was reading somewhere the 702 f/x can be placed in front of the MLP instead of the traditional behind the MLP positioning for side surround positions. I'm limited to put them near the back because of the location of a door on the left hand side as below:

View attachment 3074204

Has anyone done this i.e. place in front of MLP for Sides, and how were the results? what angles could be used etc?

I also realized studs in the room are more than a feet apart, so I'm thinking about using french cleats, anyone has any experience using those for such speakers?

Take a look at the pictures of a 702 FX. The tweeter and mid are on one side and angled. So, they can be positioned forward of the seating pointing back or behind the seating pointing forward.

Polk Audio LSiM702F/X Surround Speakers review and test

www.hifi-review.com

 

[Dig Doug]

I am strongly considering Polk speakers for my home. I am new to home theater and just picked up a Denon S750H (super excited).

Question: I have bookshelf constraints on either side of my tv and I am simply wondering if the Polk S30 center speaker would work as a good Left Right speaker as they don't stand as tall as the S15's. Otherwise I am considering the S10's.

Any advice is much appreciated, thanks!!

 

[i_max2k2]

Take a look at the pictures of a 702 FX. The tweeter and mid are on one side and angled. So, they can be positioned forward of the seating pointing back or behind the seating pointing forward.

Polk Audio LSiM702F/X Surround Speakers review and test

www.hifi-review.com

I have seen this, but it’s made me curious. Once I know the placement for the 2 row seating, I was going to determine which speakers (703 or 702) to use for sides and then the other for rears.
Now as I understand it‘s a non issue to use 702 as surround placed in front of MLP, can the same be done with the 703s turning them towards the mlp, so facing the MLP similar angle like the fronts but in front of mlp as surrounds. Knowing this that both combinations will work fine. I won’t have to think about this later once the mlp is finalized, maybe I’m over thinking this.

 

[shs1234]

Placing the 702 side surrounds slightly in front of the MLP in a 7.1.x system not only helps fill the gap between the rear surrounds and the front speakers, it also does a better job of aiming or covering a 2nd row of seats, if you have one, since the 702 will fire back towards both rows. If you put the 702s behind the 1st row firing forward, they would not cover the back row very well as their tweeters and midranges would be pointing in the wrong direction. If 703s were placed behind aiming straight out from the wall, they would likely cover both rows fairly well. They would however stick out from the wall much farther than the 702s which may or not be a problem for you.

 

[i_max2k2]

Placing the 702 side surrounds slightly in front of the MLP in a 7.1.x system not only helps fill the gap between the rear surrounds and the front speakers, it also does a better job of aiming or covering a 2nd row of seats, if you have one, since the 702 will fire back towards both rows. If you put the 702s behind the 1st row firing forward, they would not cover the back row very well as their tweeters and midranges would be pointing in the wrong direction. If 703s were placed behind aiming straight out from the wall, they would likely cover both rows fairly well. They would however stick out from the wall much farther than the 702s which may or not be a problem for you.

In my situation the room’s width will not help placing the 703s on side next to the sitting position. The 702 when in front will help as people walking around won’t need to come close to them. Also the 703s on the corners will be less obtrusive.

Good discussion, thank you guys, horizontal positions finalized!

I will have the 32” stands for the 703s delivered tomorrow. Now I’ve read in the manual Polk recommends 6ft of height when mounting the 702s that sounds a little too high from the ear level, should I plan to have them at ear level wrt to the 703s and 707’s tweeters? Which height are you all using them at?


I had the media bridge 12 awg roll sitting, I’ll start cutting the cables. Before I finally mount the 702s I’ll do some dry runs with them on boxes.

 

[shs1234]

When I had a 7.1 system, I had them high on the walls, probably 7 or 8' from the floor. When I installed height speakers as part of my 7.1.4 Atmos system I dropped them down to ear height. Ideally in an Atmos setup, they would be at the same height as the fronts, but to avoid having chair backs potentially interfere, I placed them slightly above the height of the fronts. That put the midrange at 4' and the tweeters just below that. You can see pictures of both set ups in the link I posted earlier and the earlier parts of the 3-part series.