[gbaby]

Now you know why I started this thread, the SP4 is the potential upgrade I need. 

I wish you well. But, drummermitchell made some very good observations on  your system. You may want to pursue quality of sound over ATMOS and numerous speakers. It looks like you are building a system and you are starting with quality speakers which is the same way I started, with quality speakers. It took several processors before I became sonically satisfied. I had a couple of Sony ES processors, an Arcam and stopped with the SP3. I heard Atmos, but was not impressed as I am more into sound accuracy. I want instruments and voices to sound musically accurate with no distortion. I would not need an expensive processor for game sound effects.

[witchdoctor]

For anyone who has NOT implemented an immersive setup yet here are some things to consider.

1) Towers are not necessary. I would recommend speakers like the Mini T's or Mini A's for bed channels and the Mini A's for height channels. If you go active speakers like I did you can greatly reduce clutter and cost of additonal amps and speaker cables.
2) I would recommend height channels consisting of book shelves mounted high on the wall as first choice, speakers cut into your ceiling as second choice, and those bouncy speakers as last choice.
3) Auro 3D works best for upmixing music and actually sound better than a lot of (most?) native Atmos mixes. Native Atmos mixes are a crap shoot depending on who mixed the blue ray. auro let's you dial in preceisely how much you enage the height channels, the size of your roon, the type of content you are playing. None of the other upmixers do that.
4) Wide channels are amazing and I would actually choose them before adding heights. The reason I would NOT buy a lot of the processors on the market is they don't offer wide channel connections. Wide channels are not engaged for Auro 3D but can be engaged for both Atmos and DTS-X with the SP4.

Here is an article on speaker layouts:

https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/immersive-audio-loudspeaker-layouts

[witchdoctor]

The most surprising thing I learned is how much better a system is with a CENTER HEIGHT CHANNEL. You can see the one I have mounted above my screen. To give you an analogy in a really good two channel setup you get a great sound stage and the vocals seem to emanate magically from between the center of the two speakers, even though there is no speaker there.

Once I tried adding an additional center channel above the screen it was a similar experience. The center height channel is waht Auro 3D refers to as an 11.1 system, not 10.1. i didn't know what I was missing until I tried it, now it would never leave my system.
Remember, I am using a 120 inch screen. With a 40 inch screen I don't know that the impact would be as dramatic.

See page 2.2.3 in this Auro 3D Theater setup guide. If you are just starting your immersive journey I would read the whole guide:

https://www.stormaudio.com/media/auro3d_home_theater_setup_guidelines_v8_20170531__049790400_1458_13062017.pdf

[witchdoctor]

I wish you well. But, drummermitchell made some very good observations on  your system. You may want to pursue quality of sound over ATMOS and numerous speakers. It looks like you are building a system and you are starting with quality speakers which is the same way I started, with quality speakers. It took several processors before I became sonically satisfied. I had a couple of Sony ES processors, an Arcam and stopped with the SP3. I heard Atmos, but was not impressed as I am more into sound accuracy. I want instruments and voices to sound musically accurate with no distortion. I would not need an expensive processor for game sound effects.

Gbaby you seem to be VERY happy, that's great. Sometimes you reach a point of arrival in this hobby, all good.
You seem to be confusing "atmos" with immersive audio. I don't know that I can help because you will NEVER own an SP4 right?
If you DID own an SP4 you would find out that it isn't the processor or speakers or setups fault that a lot of atmos content sucks. It's the mixers fault. Since you will never buy, rent, or borrow an immersive setup the following comments are for people who are reading this who have immersive aspirations. This is why I prefer Auro 3D but can switch to atmos if I want to because of how I chose my speaker layout. This is from a review of the Storm Audio processor that is the foundation of the SP4:

" With the I in ISP standing for “Immersive,” it’s no real surprise that the  Storm Audio I.ISP supports DTS:X, Dolby Atmos, and Auro-3D along with their respective upconverters to convert stereo, 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 sources to put some ambience in the height channels, if you have height channels installed. As has been usual in every review, AuroMatic is the best-sounding upconverter by a wide margin over DTS Neural:X or Dolby Surround. Also as usual,

 AuroMatic made music sound so great, I stopped listening to stereo music in stereo mode, preferring (witchdoctor concurs)

the AuroMatic option for every type of music I tried. Movies with poor DTS:X or Dolby Atmos soundtracks, where there’s little or no ambience in the height channels, sound better if you do not use DTS:X decoding or Dolby Atmos decoding and use the post-processing
AuroMatic option to upconvert the original 5.1 or 7.1 DTS-HD MA or Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. Since the majority of 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc titles have such bad Immersive Sound in the height channels, I get a lot of use from AuroMatic."

Doug Blackburn, Wide Screen Review:
https://www.stormaudio.com/media/wsr_stormaudio_iisp_3d1612_review_december2017lowres__067250400_0949_22122017.pdf

[gbaby]

Gbaby you seem to be VERY happy, that's great. Sometimes you reach a point of arrival in this hobby, all good.
You seem to be confusing "atmos" with immersive audio. I don't know that I can help because you will NEVER own an SP4 right?
If you DID own an SP4 you would find out that it isn't the processor or speakers or setups fault that a lot of atmos content sucks. It's the mixers fault. Since you will never buy, rent, or borrow an immersive setup the following comments are for people who are reading this who have immersive aspirations. This is why I prefer Auro 3D but can switch to atmos if I want to because of how I chose my speaker layout. This is from a review of the Storm Audio processor that is the foundation of the SP4:

" With the I in ISP standing for “Immersive,” it’s no real surprise that the  Storm Audio I.ISP supports DTS:X, Dolby Atmos, and Auro-3D along with their respective upconverters to convert stereo, 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 sources to put some ambience in the height channels, if you have height channels installed. As has been usual in every review, AuroMatic is the best-sounding upconverter by a wide margin over DTS Neural:X or Dolby Surround. Also as usual,

 AuroMatic made music sound so great, I stopped listening to stereo music in stereo mode, preferring (witchdoctor concurs)

the AuroMatic option for every type of music I tried. Movies with poor DTS:X or Dolby Atmos soundtracks, where there’s little or no ambience in the height channels, sound better if you do not use DTS:X decoding or Dolby Atmos decoding and use the post-processing
AuroMatic option to upconvert the original 5.1 or 7.1 DTS-HD MA or Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. Since the majority of 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc titles have such bad Immersive Sound in the height channels, I get a lot of use from AuroMatic."

Doug Blackburn, Wide Screen Review:
https://www.stormaudio.com/media/wsr_stormaudio_iisp_3d1612_review_december2017lowres__067250400_0949_22122017.pdf

Witchdoctor, immersive audio is just another name applied to object based Atmos and DTS-X. These are just codecs designed for movies. I have heard them for hours in a high end audio/video store and the immersive audio made me laugh. I don't like sound coming from the ceiling as I'don't hear like that in real life. It doesn't fascinate me, but rather it I'm more of a music man with home theater being an incidental benefit. If I wanted immersive audio, I'd buy the SP4 because I know Bryston makes superior electronics and has superior customer service. I encourage you to get the Bryston SP4, but be careful. It is such a hugh jump from that Marantz it may run you crazy. This is what happened to me with my SP3. Bryston pruducts are special and they will make you customer for life.

[drummermitchell]

If u can’t get STEREO Right in any room,why fill it with more audio confusion,does not computer or make any sense.
Amazingly enough my towers sound superb in my Treated room,funny how treating your room makes a Huge difference
All your reflections you might as well be in a tiled bathroom
Install high end gear in a tiled room ,what do you get or a verrry reflective room...Garble..........
Perhaps I’ll mount my center speaker as high as my tower tweeters only after I buy a transparent screen
You should know my vocal and instrument separation are excellent,pin point imaging yada..yada
The Picts ...well over 10 hrs ago...
I’ll take my two channnel vac audio over your reflective busy reflective confused room
U haven’t a clue until you hear.......I mean really hear audio
If your two channel sucks,do u think adding more will improve it,doesn’t work that way
Good room average gear can be Superb,shit room great gear harrumph sucks the big one
Mights well put it ina garage
End of story
Good you enjoy your Room

[witchdoctor]

If u can’t get STEREO Right in any room,why fill it with more audio confusion,does not computer or make any sense.
Amazingly enough my towers sound superb in my Treated room,funny how treating your room makes a Huge difference
All your reflections you might as well be in a tiled bathroom
Install high end gear in a tiled room ,what do you get or a verrry reflective room...Garble..........
Perhaps I’ll mount my center speaker as high as my tower tweeters only after I buy a transparent screen
You should know my vocal and instrument separation are excellent,pin point imaging yada..yada
The Picts ...well over 10 hrs ago...
I’ll take my two channnel vac audio over your reflective busy reflective confused room
U haven’t a clue until you hear.......I mean really hear audio
If your two channel sucks,do u think adding more will improve it,doesn’t work that way
Good room average gear can be Superb,shit room great gear harrumph sucks the big one
Mights well put it ina garage
End of story
Good you enjoy your Room

There are plenty of threads here for getting stereo right.. but why go backward? The world of audio has changed, you just read Doug Blackburn telling you that Auromatic upmixing is superior in every kind of music. Don't get mad at the witchdoctor for talking about IMMERSIVE audio from the vantage point of EXPERIENCE in thread on the SP4. The train has moved on guys and left stereo behind (even in headphines can you imagine). Check this out:

http://www.aes.org/conferences/2019/immersive/

[CanadianMaestro]

If u can’t get STEREO Right in any room,why fill it with more audio confusion,does not computer or make any sense.
Amazingly enough my towers sound superb in my Treated room,funny how treating your room makes a Huge difference
All your reflections you might as well be in a tiled bathroom
Install high end gear in a tiled room ,what do you get or a verrry reflective room...Garble..........
Perhaps I’ll mount my center speaker as high as my tower tweeters only after I buy a transparent screen
You should know my vocal and instrument separation are excellent,pin point imaging yada..yada
The Picts ...well over 10 hrs ago...
I’ll take my two channnel vac audio over your reflective busy reflective confused room
U haven’t a clue until you hear.......I mean really hear audio
If your two channel sucks,do u think adding more will improve it,doesn’t work that way
Good room average gear can be Superb,shit room great gear harrumph sucks the big one
Mights well put it ina garage
End of story
Good you enjoy your Room

Great post.
Frank, blunt, no b.s.

[I think lunatic asylums have tiled walls as well....or are they cushioned? ]
keep on listenin'!

[witchdoctor]

Great post.
Frank, blunt, no b.s.

[I think lunatic asylums have tiled walls as well....or are they cushioned? ]
keep on listenin'!

I agree, there are some lunatic members in an SP4 thread who have never tried immersive audio in their own listening room and have no interest but just keep posting...crazy right? (uh uh uh, but I heard it in a store  )

[witchdoctor]

If u can’t get STEREO Right in any room,why fill it with more audio confusion,does not computer or make any sense.
Amazingly enough my towers sound superb in my Treated room,funny how treating your room makes a Huge difference
All your reflections you might as well be in a tiled bathroom
Install high end gear in a tiled room ,what do you get or a verrry reflective room...Garble..........
Perhaps I’ll mount my center speaker as high as my tower tweeters only after I buy a transparent screen
You should know my vocal and instrument separation are excellent,pin point imaging yada..yada
The Picts ...well over 10 hrs ago...
I’ll take my two channnel vac audio over your reflective busy reflective confused room
U haven’t a clue until you hear.......I mean really hear audio
If your two channel sucks,do u think adding more will improve it,doesn’t work that way
Good room average gear can be Superb,shit room great gear harrumph sucks the big one
Mights well put it ina garage
End of story
Good you enjoy your Room

Speaking of rooms why did you spend $$$ on revel speakers and then place that center channel so low? Check out Isoacoustic stands to tilt them up or even to raise the center channel:

[witchdoctor]

BTW, anyone who is actually thinking about buying an SP4, just ignore the posters who DON'T have an immersive setup but somehow are content about criticizing it. It is there sad way of compensating in an industry that is passing them by. DON'T believe a witchdoctor, believe the Audio Engineering Society.

http://www.aes.org/conferences/2019/immersive/

Once upon a time Atmos was only for movies, now its for music and will be streaming via Amazon this year:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/what-is-dolby-atmos-music-and-how-to-get-it/

You can get immersive audio on your headphones TODAY via Sony 360 on Tidal:

https://www.sony.com/electronics/360-reality-audio

Of course movies are a no brainer IF the SP4 updates their HDMI board, if not 2021 might be a problem.

That brings to 2 channel legacy content, with an SP4 you can:

1) leave it in stereo
2) upmix it to 7.1 surround via auro 2 D
3) or try full on immersive upmixing:

https://www.highdefdigest.com/blog/dolby-dts-auro-surround-sound-upmixer-comparison/

Finally if you want you can just join the flat earthers in this thread and complain, but then you will miss out on that glorious immersive experience as the rest of us move on. 

[gbaby]

Ignorance is bliss.

[CanadianMaestro]

Orwell was right. 

[witchdoctor]

" Dolby Atmos Music is slowly making its way into the mainstream music business, and it makes good ol’ stereo sound like mono AM radio."
https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/what-is-dolby-atmos-music-and-how-to-get-it/

I would say that's fairly accurate in my experience, check out the Abbey Road Atmos mix (oh that's right, you can't )

"The Atmos is just the icing on the cake, for anyone with an Atmos set up this is an absolute must have set.
Atmos just allows the music to breathe, and without doubt you hear things that you have never heard before, Incredible.

Giles has done a great job with the Atmos he hasn't just put sounds anywhere just because he can."

https://hdmoviesourcebluray.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-beatles-abbey-road-dolby-atmos-review.html

[CanadianMaestro]

All market hype (as with much of "novel" audio). And very subjective.
But what else is new?

[witchdoctor]

You really need to watch this:

Deadmaus:

https://youtu.be/pp8RPrBWYEo

and this, Coldplay:

https://youtu.be/dINNh9Dh5Ug

and this, Lizzo:

https://youtu.be/ybwQy7D275M

[CanadianMaestro]

Deadmaus? LOL. Noise. 
If that's what you listen to all day, on your souped up system, I pity you.

[gbaby]

Deadmaus? LOL. Noise. 
If that's what you listen to all day, on your souped up system, I pity you.

 

[witchdoctor]

Deadmaus? LOL. Noise. 
If that's what you listen to all day, on your souped up system, I pity you.

I liked the video of him at the mixing desk, describing the atmos creative process.
The fact that you can't hear Abbey Road Atmos mix in your own space? Now THAT's a pity

Remember, you are the guy with the "AM Radio" 

" Dolby Atmos Music is slowly making its way into the mainstream music business, and it makes good ol’ stereo sound like mono AM radio."

[witchdoctor]

Go back to the store Gbaby, I am sure they are hoping you'll buy something next time instead of wasting there time sitting in the listening room "Can I hear it again please?" 

If they get tired of you, you can always use Amazon, start slowly and get ready to be AMAZED:

https://www.amazon.com/Xbox-One-1TB-Console-Fallen-Bundle/dp/B07YD67145/ref=sr_1_3?crid=28NOK8VTGPR32&keywords=xbox+one+s&qid=1579721327&sprefix=xbox%2Caps%2C180&sr=8-3