First, this is kind of long, so if it isn't your thing I'd just ignore my post. Just thought I'd see what some people said/thought before I go down the rabbit hole and/or pay someone to tell me what I think I already know.
We just moved into a new house and it came prewired with ceiling speakers in the main living room and the patio. This is great because I am going to set it up with two zones so we can watch TV inside but also have different audio playing outside by the pool.
The wife was excited because these in-ceiling speakers meant no more wires running around. Basically, for the main living room/kitchen area the ceiling speakers are set up like a 5.1 system, with a left-center-right speaker set up where the TV is and then a back left and back right speaker in the ceiling, along with a sub in the corner. (I have a 5.1 system with Towers, center speaker, back left and right and a sub from the old house)
I was kind of excited myself until I started reading online that with this kind of set up you often get a "voice of God" effect where the voices sound like they are coming from above. This sounds logical since the center channel, where the voice is mostly projected is above, instead of by the TV. My thought was that I could just keep my center channel speaker just below the TV and not use the center channel speaker in the ceiling to help keep that effect from happening. Basically, I would be replacing the two towers for ceiling speakers and the rear channels for ceiling speakers. I get that this is not the ideal set up for the best sound experience but I have a wife and I am not an audiophile, but I don't want a bad experience either where it makes for a bad viewing/listening experience.
To that end, I started thinking that maybe I incorporate the ceiling speakers into my previous 5.1 set up, or even use them to upgrade, but wanted some thoughts.
Here are my amateur thoughts on my options. I'd love some feedback from anyone who knows more, or you other amateurs that read this and think I am an idiot.
Option 1: Just use the ceiling speakers. Maybe the stuff I read online is really just being picky and I won't even really notice this issue. Anyone have this kind of set up and think it is fine? Any issues?
Option 2: Use my original Center channel and then just use the ceiling speakers to replace my towers and the rear channels. Might be a small step down from my original 5.1 as the towers are good but would probably still be very acceptable with the wife and I wouldn't have to say much.
Option 3: Basically just not use the front ceiling speakers (L-C-R Channels) and use my two towers and center speaker and use the back ceiling speakers.
Option 4: Somehow use my two towers and center speaker and then incorporate the other three front ceiling speakers in some kind of new configuration.
For option four I would certainly need to get a new receiver. but what kind of set up? 11.1? Then how would I run the channels? I am probably going to have to get a new receiver to make the second zone happen as my current receiver has a "zone B" option but not a second zone option. That said, the price jump between a 7.1 system and an 11.1 system is a a lot, so it might not be worth it if option 4 isn't really something I can take advantage of.
Finally, for the time being, I am confined to these options as I won't be running any more wires in the walls. Like I said, I am not a big audiofile, the old house I used a 3.1 system for a long time and was very happy. I am just really worried that the voice not matching the screen from above is going to be annoying.
Thanks for any help.
We just moved into a new house and it came prewired with ceiling speakers in the main living room and the patio. This is great because I am going to set it up with two zones so we can watch TV inside but also have different audio playing outside by the pool.
The wife was excited because these in-ceiling speakers meant no more wires running around. Basically, for the main living room/kitchen area the ceiling speakers are set up like a 5.1 system, with a left-center-right speaker set up where the TV is and then a back left and back right speaker in the ceiling, along with a sub in the corner. (I have a 5.1 system with Towers, center speaker, back left and right and a sub from the old house)
I was kind of excited myself until I started reading online that with this kind of set up you often get a "voice of God" effect where the voices sound like they are coming from above. This sounds logical since the center channel, where the voice is mostly projected is above, instead of by the TV. My thought was that I could just keep my center channel speaker just below the TV and not use the center channel speaker in the ceiling to help keep that effect from happening. Basically, I would be replacing the two towers for ceiling speakers and the rear channels for ceiling speakers. I get that this is not the ideal set up for the best sound experience but I have a wife and I am not an audiophile, but I don't want a bad experience either where it makes for a bad viewing/listening experience.
To that end, I started thinking that maybe I incorporate the ceiling speakers into my previous 5.1 set up, or even use them to upgrade, but wanted some thoughts.
Here are my amateur thoughts on my options. I'd love some feedback from anyone who knows more, or you other amateurs that read this and think I am an idiot.
Option 1: Just use the ceiling speakers. Maybe the stuff I read online is really just being picky and I won't even really notice this issue. Anyone have this kind of set up and think it is fine? Any issues?
Option 2: Use my original Center channel and then just use the ceiling speakers to replace my towers and the rear channels. Might be a small step down from my original 5.1 as the towers are good but would probably still be very acceptable with the wife and I wouldn't have to say much.
Option 3: Basically just not use the front ceiling speakers (L-C-R Channels) and use my two towers and center speaker and use the back ceiling speakers.
Option 4: Somehow use my two towers and center speaker and then incorporate the other three front ceiling speakers in some kind of new configuration.
For option four I would certainly need to get a new receiver. but what kind of set up? 11.1? Then how would I run the channels? I am probably going to have to get a new receiver to make the second zone happen as my current receiver has a "zone B" option but not a second zone option. That said, the price jump between a 7.1 system and an 11.1 system is a a lot, so it might not be worth it if option 4 isn't really something I can take advantage of.
Finally, for the time being, I am confined to these options as I won't be running any more wires in the walls. Like I said, I am not a big audiofile, the old house I used a 3.1 system for a long time and was very happy. I am just really worried that the voice not matching the screen from above is going to be annoying.
Thanks for any help.
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