Timbre - Klipsch HT w/ceiling Atmos - need thoughts, please

[pdalton]

My previous home had a Klipsch 7.2 system w/projector/125" screen, which I enjoyed greatly.  But I recently sold that home to a  Buyer who wanted the surround system.  So I left 7.1 of those speakers, but I KEPT one of my 2 R12SWs.  Now, I've bought a new home & I'll be using a wall mounted 75"/85" TV this time, plus I want Atmos, as well.

 

This new home's room is smaller (~11.5' x26.5' x8') with serious side wall "challenges" that preclude having actual "side surrounds", so my system here will be 5.1.4, instead of 7.1.4.  Plus, those same side challenges (& possibly a ceiling fan) create issues for "bounce" Atmos, so those 4 must be "in ceiling" units. 

 

I've pretty well decided on buying a pair of RP-8000F units (98dba, 32Hz-25KHz) and an RP-404C unit (97dba, 57Hz-25KHz) for the system's LRC speakers.  All 3 of these have Klipsch's titanium tweeters &  cerametallic woofers (dual 8"/quad 4").  

 

I'm a bit less sure about what to use for the 4 Atmos ceiling units and I'm even more uncertain about what to use for the 2 Rear Surround units, in part because the Rears must be "in wall" units.

 

Worse, I don't know whether mixing Klipsch units with different tweeter/woofer compositions will present a "timbre" mis-match problem or, if there are "timbre" differences, does it create less of a problem if just the Atmos units are different from the LCRs?  What if the LCRs are one way and all surrounds (Atmos & Rear units) are another?   

 

What occasions this is that the CDT-3800-CII ceiling units (92dba, 56Hz-23KHz) I'm hoping to use have Klipsch's aluminum tweeters & 8" IMG woofers (different from the LCR units).  

 

(I did see that the CDT-5800-CII units use Klipsch's  titanium & cerametallic components, but each costs more than twice the price I'd pay for each CDT-3800-CII; times 4, that would make a really BIG price difference!)

 

So my first question is whether there IS a discernable "timbre" difference to consider here and, if so, the extent to which that might be enough to adversely impact the overall system if I use those CDT-3800-CII  only used for the Atmos sound?  

 

NOW turning to the Rear Surrounds.  If those CDT-3800-CII units are OK for the  Atmos units, is it possible that a 3rd pair of those CDT-3800-CII units (installed @ about 5'-6' high on that back wall) could be used as my Rear Surrounds? 

 

Because of their sale price, using 6 of the CDT-3800-CI units for Atmos AND the Rears would be my most cost effective approach. 

 

However, I also don't know enough about the design of "ceiling speakers" to know whether they're capable of performing well as "Rear Surrounds".  On top of that concern is that same issue of "timbre matching" in the system.  Is that an issue if ALL of the "surround speakers" (4 Atmos, plus 2 Rears) are identical & the LCR units have those component composition differences?  

 

Or should the Rear Surrounds perhaps be true "in wall" units, in which event I can get a pair of the PRO-RP25W units (93dba, 56Hz-23KHz; but aluminum/IMG components) for far less than I'd have to pay to buy a pair of the R-5800-WII units (94dba, 40KHz-23KHz) that also have those titanium & cerametallic components to better "match" with the LCR units I've already chosen?  

 

Thoughts, . . . Please.  

Edited July 26, 2022 by pdalton
Spelling & spelling (thanks Autocorrect!)

[wuzzzer]

I know most rooms aren't perfect so sometimes there are compromises to be made.  But, I would suggest looking up Dolby's website and check out their recommendations for an Atmos setup.

Just one example is, your LCR and surrounds should be ear level when seated.  So, putting your surrounds 5-6 feet up the wall places them way too high.

For Atmos and/or surround duty, most any Klipsch will blend well in terms of sound.

 

BTW, it's timbre and it rhymes with camber.  🙂

[pdalton]

Thanks!  Good suggestion about the height of the Rear Surrounds.  When I wrote that, I was trying mostly to make it clear they wouldn't be up at or next to the ceiling.  

 

I just checked the spec sheet on the RP-8000F (L & R Fronts), which says they are  43" tall overall. Though not listed on the spec sheet, based on that overall height (& "eyeballing" the photo), I'm guessing the center of thr RP-8000F's tweeter is about 38" from the floor & the centers of its (two) 8" woofers are probably about 28" & 18" from the floor, respectively.  Plus, it's feet tilt it up slightly (I think read 7° somewhere, but I'm not certain). 

 

So it does seem like ~4' from the floor would be a much better height estimate for the Rear Surrounds.

 

And thanks for catching my spelling "errors".  I did know the difference, but unfortunately "Autocorrect" was "fixing it" for me & I didn't catch them all.  I'm goIng back to edit those others now.