Audio Video News

Poll Results: Surround Height Channels Make a Respectable Showing

SV Staff  |  Aug 31, 2014

With the new Dolby Atmos surround format on the immediate horizon we wondered how many Sound & Vision readers’ are using special surround processing to derive height channels in their current home theater setups. Turns out that nearly a quarter of respondents have setups with height channels—a respectable showing considering the effort involved in installing extra speakers.

Here’s the complete breakdown of answers to the question we posed: Is Your Home Theater Configured with Height Channels?

78% No, I have a conventional 5.1/7.1/etc. surround-sound configuration.

7% Yes, I use them with Dolby Pro Logic IIz.

6% Yes, my Yamaha receiver is set up with “presence” channels for Cinema DSP HD3.

5% Yes, I use them with DTS Neo:X.

4% Yes, I use them with Audyssey DSX.

1% Yes, I use them with surround processing not listed above.

COMMENTS
K.Reid's picture
Submitted by K.Reid on September 1, 2014 - 8:39pm

S&V staff, are the Dolby Atmos ceiling channels (i.e. .4 or .2) full range 20hz-20,000khz? What ceiling speakers would give near full range dynamics? Most I have seen are smaller ceiling speakers and would not have the cabinet volume to support strong bass that is not necessarily routed to a subwoofer. I understand that most people will route all bass to a subwoofer but not everyone...especially those with floorstanding speakers capable of full range sound with separate outboard multichannel amp (McIntosh MC303). Your thoughts....

prerich45's picture
Submitted by prerich45 on September 2, 2014 - 6:32am

That should read that more than 1/5th rather than almost 1/4th. 78% puts it at an estimated 80% and 22% is closer to 1/5th than 1/4th. Now if it had been 23% - round up. Just sayin ;)

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