Front Height/Wide speakers

[JimAckley]

Does anybody use them in their setup? I've never seen/heard any before, but was a little curious about them.

[decal]

use what?

[JimAckley]

Subject line... front height or front wide speakers.

[mhardy6647]

I don't know what that means, but maybe that's because I am old.
My speakers are both high and wide, though.

[txcoastal1]

http://www.audyssey.com/technology/dsx.html

He is talking about the LH/RH and the LW/RW

[mhardy6647]

oh, I see. I'm sorry.

[Face]

This topic comes up at least once a week, and almost every time there's confusion. :D

[JimAckley]

This topic comes up at least once a week, and almost every time there's confusion. :D

Isn't it great?


I remembered reading something about them when the first HTRs came out with them, but have never heard anyone's firsthand experience with them.

[ROHfan]

Isn't it great?


I remembered reading something about them when the first HTRs came out with them, but have never heard anyone's firsthand experience with them.

I'm no expert but I'll give it a shot. I am using a Denon avr running 7.1 channels with two "front height" speakers. These are speakers, I use bookshelfs, placed above the front main speakers close to the ceiling. When used they create a bigger vertical soundstage. I'm not sure how the receiver converts the 5.1 to 7.1 but where it really is most effective is where there are movie scenes with rain, wind, etc., or any "atmospheric" audio. The two extra channels kind of "paint in" the holes in the vertical soundstage and the movie watching experience is much more submersive. It's kind of hard to describe, it just sounds more lush and full. I no longer watch movies in native 5.1. It's that good. Some avrs have the option of adding front width channels which widen the soundstage left to right.

[JimAckley]

I'm no expert but I'll give it a shot. I am using a Denon avr running 7.1 channels with two "front height" speakers. These are speakers, I use bookshelfs, placed above the front main speakers close to the ceiling. When used they create a bigger vertical soundstage. I'm not sure how the receiver converts the 5.1 to 7.1 but where it really is most effective is where there are movie scenes with rain, wind, etc., or any "atmospheric" audio. The two extra channels kind of "paint in" the holes in the vertical soundstage and the movie watching experience is much more submersive. It's kind of hard to describe, it just sounds more lush and full. I no longer watch movies in native 5.1. It's that good. Some avrs have the option of adding front width channels which widen the soundstage left to right.

Wow it's cool to finally get someone's testemonial about it. I don't have the room for a "wide" setup, but I thought it would be cool to install a set of ceiling speakers or something and run them on the front height channel. That's gotta be pretty sweet to have your front stage setup like that.

[pdxfj]

I have messed with the "Width" channels, but not height. They did help broaden the sound stage, but I always had the feeling they were trying to cancel out my surrounds (di-poles). I didn't have them hooked up for too long.

Over the weekend I took the bookshelf speakers I used for "width" and put them as my back surrounds. The only movie I currently have that is 7.1 is "Shrek Forever After" and to quote another member here "it has a crazy 7.1 mix". I was quite surprised at how much the back surrounds added.

There are several options to matrix 5.1 into a 7.1 with my AVR. Dolby EX, THX Select 2 Cinema, etc. I've played scenes from a number of different movies and with the sound stage the Monitor 70's create on their own, paired with the di-pole surrounds and the surround back speakers created a very encompassing sound stage.

Very interesting to close your eyes, turn up the volume and just listen. Now all I have to do is convert one of the rooms in the basement to a dedicated theater. :)

For width or height you don't need much in the way of speakers at all. If your AVR supports it and you have a couple of extra speakers, hook them up and see what you think. You have nothing to lose.

[kuntasensei]

I run a 9.1 setup with DSX Height channels, and I love the way it sounds. I was pretty happy with 7.1 and didn't think the heights would add much... but man, do they fill in the sound! Over the weekend, I threw in We Were Soldiers... and the helicopter sounds in that movie were so eerily realistic and well-placed in 3-D space that it put a big grin on my face.

I actually had my heights mounted with the keyhole brackets, which sounded okay, but over the weekend, I mounted them on B-tech brackets and aimed them down at the listening area like they're supposed to be. BIG difference. And for the record, I'm running dipole side surrounds and direct-radiating speakers for height and rear surround, and it sounds amazing.

[tommasini]

I'm trying to decide to go rear surround versus front and wide. My ceilings are really high 16' max so I was wondering if I should go front wide on the wall instead of 14' for the rear surround in the ceiling.

[JimAckley]

Get your rears first. IMO, I'd go with something lower if you have the option, but in-ceiling speakers aren't a bad way to go. What gear do you have as of right now?

[carwashguy]

Am going to undertake this soon. Was planning on putting the speakers about five feet higher and about three feet to the side of my mains. I have a pair of LSi7's and a pair of LSiFX's I can interchange for this undertaking. The FX's are currently my surrounds. Would I be better served putting the FX's up front and high, and using the 7's as the rear surrounds? Kind of a pain to put up, would like to get it right the first time.

[dorokusai]

I've done it with two Surround Bar 50's and thought it sounded pretty good. The front stage is very movie theatre like, which is probably a given since you're adding speakers. I wouldn't do it again nor spend the money to put a bunch of loudspeakers on my front wall.

[kuntasensei]

Am going to undertake this soon. Was planning on putting the speakers about five feet higher and about three feet to the side of my mains. I have a pair of LSi7's and a pair of LSiFX's I can interchange for this undertaking. The FX's are currently my surrounds. Would I be better served putting the FX's up front and high, and using the 7's as the rear surrounds? Kind of a pain to put up, would like to get it right the first time.

Height channels should be direct radiators, not dipoles, per Audyssey. Keep the FX's in side/rear surround duty.

[carwashguy]

Height channels should be direct radiators, not dipoles, per Audyssey. Keep the FX's in side/rear surround duty.

Good info, thank you.