Do You Need Angled Speakers for Atmos?
The first time you see an Atmos system with a bunch of angled speakers hanging from the ceiling, you might have thought it looked pretty cool. Way more interesting than a bunch of in-ceiling speakers that look more like air vents than speakers. Clearly, angled speakers are the way to go? Or are they?
What Are the Best Speakers for Atmos?
If you place your speakers at the recommended angles (see Dolby’s recommendations here), you’d want speakers that fire straight down. The idea is simple. You want to sit off-axis to the speakers so you get a more diffuse sound. Atmos sounds are not supposed to be highly directional. Heck, even your main left and right speakers shouldn’t be facing directly toward your listening position for best performance.
But these recommendations are based on a couple assumptions.
The first, and most obvious, is that you can place your Atmos speakers in the ceiling within the recommended angles. It also assumes that your ceiling speakers have the proper off-axis response so that they are performing well at those angles. If your Atmos speakers are more directional, or if you can’t place them within the recommended angles, then what do you do?
Enter the Popular Angled Atmos Speakers
The reason angled speakers were created was because of compromised placement. Many people can’t (or won’t) install speakers in their ceilings. This leaves only wall placements available. For most people, a wall-mounted speaker will be well outside both Dobly’s recommended angles and the typical operating range of a speaker. An angled speaker will allow you to place the speaker high up on the wall, near the ceiling, while minimizing ceiling reflections. A perfect solution for poor placement options.
Where Did It Go Wrong?
We’ve already addressed how people got the (wrong) impression that all their speakers should be aimed at their faces. At first, they were using aimable tweeters (a terrible idea) before angled, on-wall/on-ceiling speakers started showing up. Now, they have an option that allows them to add a speaker on their ceiling (no inconvenient holes except the small ones for the mount) that can be positioned to fire directly at their seats. Clearly, this is the best option for Atmos?
Atmos Hasn’t Changed
For now, Atmos hasn’t changed. The overhead sounds are meant to be diffuse. You are supposed to be sitting off-axis from your overhead speakers. If you can place in-ceiling (or on-ceiling) speakers as recommended by Dolby, they should be firing straight down. There is no reason to get highly directional speakers simply because they match the rest of your speakers. Get good speakers for Atmos and place them properly.
If you can’t place your speakers at the recommended angles, an angled on-wall (or on-ceiling) speaker can be a reasonable compromise for Atmos.
