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Klipsch RP-140SA Dolby Atmos Speakers US $471.35 (~AU $613) Delivered @ Amazon

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Ever since getting the Marantz NR1607 thanks to this deal, I've been looking to source some Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers.

The main contenders seem to be PSB and Klipsch, and Amazon is selling the Klipsch RP-140SA speakers delivered to Australia for less than half of local prices ($1300!).

Beware you may be denied local warranty.

You may or not get a shipping discount if you ask nicely on Amazon Live Chat ;)

Price History at C CamelCamelCamel.

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closed Comments

  • -5

    How can you have an Atmos speaker? Isn't atmos just another BS marketing term from Dolby an upgrade of surround sound? Atmos would be entirely enabled by the source woukdn't it?

    • +3

      "Dolby Atmos enabled" speakers are designed to face upwards and bounce sound off the ceiling instead of ceiling mounted speakers in a 7.1.4 setup.

      • +1

        So they are charging a premium for a speaker that directs sound away from me? Nice.

        • Atoms actually requires ceiling speakers, but for people who for whatever reason can't or won't install ceiling speakers they have these speakers that will reflect the sound from your ceiling. Personally I just installed ceiling speakers for my 7.1.4 setup and have been very happy with atmos (and dts:x).

        • This is how "upward firing" Dolby ATMOS speakers work
          And obviously, how the proper, real ceiling installation speakers direct sound

    • +2

      Some info for you..
      https://www.dolby.com/us/en/technologies/home/dolby-atmos.ht…

      While the overhead speakers (or upwards firing units) are not utilised as much as side/rear surrounds, it does add an extra dimension having sound coming from above your head.

      Traditional 5.1 or 7.1 systems are designed to offer sound from a flat plane at approx the height of your ears when seated.
      Having rear surrounds mounted up high over your head does not count.. those sounds are supposed to come from beside/behind you, not over your head.

      The rainy club-ally scene in the middle of Deadpool is a good example - the rain really does sound like its coming down from on high - tricked my brain into thinking it was really raining outside instead of just hearing rain out of speakers.

      I just wish the audio engineers used Atmos more heavily.

      • -2

        So from that it sounds like these speakers will make scenes with rain in absolutely amazing. Apart from that they will make for really good door stops.

      • Why couldn't you just get normal ceiling mounted speakers (facing in/down) rather than these massive things cluttering up the floor and trying to bounce sound off the ceiling?

      • The question still remains… How can you have an "atmos enabled speaker"? If I buy a speaker and lay it on it's back does it become an atmos speaker?

        Forgive me if I don't believe marketing bile on Dolby's website.

        • +1

          Standard Audio tracks have designate channels that feed to particular speakers. As far as I'm aware Atmos recorded to enable sound to fill any spaces you desire to put a speaker. Imagine it like a 360 spectrum. Sound everywhere.

          In simple terms. The difference is with regular surround it doesn't matter how many extra speakers you add there is limited channels the speakers can output. This is not the case with atmos becuase sound is literally everywhere

          It's quite technical and I'm not defending it as a home cinema choice but it's not a marketing scam by any means.

        • +1

          @hzac:

          https://www.dolby.com/us/en/guide/dolby-atmos-speaker-setup/…

          Their official site begs to differ. Can use any ceiling speakers, says it right there.

        • @PavlouH:
          Like I said. No defending it as a home cinema choice. But the channel dependancy from an audio engineering stand point is gone.

          Home atmos is a bastardisation of the potential unless you spend a million dollars to do it
          Properly

        • Technically you could probably use any speaker as a ATMOS speaker, but you would need to place it at an angle which would reflect off of the roof and down to the listeners position. (if you are configuring a upward firing setup)
          You would also need to make sure your roof is a flat/smooth surface, and what not….

          You then need an ATMOS enabled AV Receiver and setup the 'normal' speakers which are tilted, as a ATMOS presence channel.

  • +1

    Atmos enabled is nothing more than a marketing term.

    Atmos requires a 5.1.2 setup at minimum that consists of 5 speakers around the room, a sub and 2 speakers either ceiling mounted or 2 floor speakers facing up.

    "atmos enabled" term could be slapped on anyone selling ceiling speakers… After you add in loyalty costs of using the logo of course.

    • Atmos requires a 5.1.2 setup at minimum

      Source?

    • "Atmos Enabled" speakers are pure marketing crap, I'm right with you there. As bad as those "digital" speakers we used to see.

      The Atmos encoding scheme, OTOH, is pretty awesome. The whole point of it is that it can decode optimally to pretty much any speaker arrangement, from 60-speaker cinema setups down to 2-speaker earbuds. There is no minimum, and certainly no requirement for ceiling channels, though clearly their marketing dept is pushing that aspect pretty hard as a distinguishing factor.

      • Smart encoding can only go so far… if all your (traditional) speakers are in a flat plane around you, do they a great job of making objects sound like they moving around beside/behind you.

        But they cant "throw" the sound to make it sound like its up in the sky, roaring towards you and zooming over your head. If you close your eyes the audio will still sound like its coming from in front/side/behind you.

        Add in overhead speakers (.2) and the audio really does sound like its coming from up above, because IT IS. Add front height speakers too (.4) and it does a good job of showing an object moving towards you while overhead.

        Who knows, maybe the next thing will be under-floor speakers.. although normally in life there are more objects making sound over our heads than under our feet.

  • +3

    For some, ceiling speakers are not a viable option. (e.g. missus, rental accommodation)

    These speakers are labelled Atmos to denote upward firing, as opposed to traditional speakers.

    • +2

      This. No idea why the petty Ozbargain brigade are going on and on. It's obvious what this is designed for.

      I myself just used Kef egg speakers mounted on Kef towers, and angled in the same fashion. Done :)

    • thankfully my missus didn't mind me cutting 6" holes in the ceiling of our new house with a plaster knife…

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