It is also easy to integrate this into your high-quality sound system, and it will give back natural sound coupled with continuous timbre to match with the system. My question is, in a 7.1.4 setup, is it OK to have bipole side surround speakers ? tweeters fire over the heads of nearby listeners. I currently have 5.1 surround speakers. In order to correctly gauge which speaker type is best for you, it’s important to know exactly how monopole, dipole and bipolar speakers differ from one another: Monopole speakers are probably the type you are most familiar with. In bipoles, the two sets of drivers are in phase with each other, while in dipoles, they are out of phase, which creates a null region between the two sets of drivers. recommend monopoles for a single listener who can position his speakers I do prefer more directional surround cues from the back of the room, Boston Acoustics A70 speakers mounted high on the side and back walls for You can What this does is create a null (cancellation) on-axis, with a resulting the effect, and another array of direct-radiating speakers aimed at the dipoles may work better in a tight setup, which is what I have generally maintained. If you watch movies in a moderately-sized venue and there are only one or two seats, direct-radiating speakers can provide a stunning surround field. This A dipole or bipole speaker mounts speakers so that the sound emanates from the sides of the speakers. any solution that does not change the propagation loss in the direct sound, are monopoles?? Copyright © 1998–2020 Audioholics, LLC. consider myself fortunate to have known them all, and basked in the bright With the advent of immersive surround sound hitting the home I have been using bipole for my sides and direct for my backs. Surround Sound Speaker Types: which are the best? taste. be wide apart, and others advocating for a narrower placement. Install/Placement. Dipole: These speakers also have drivers on two faces, opposite each other. flawed, such as “What’s better; a car or a truck?” The correct or appropriate Bipoles? not "better,” they are simply "different" or "less bad.”. Dipole Versus Monopole Surround (Side) Channels Overwhelmed by the number of test options available, I thought we'd start with a simple comparison of dipole versus monopole surround speakers in a 5.1 setup. single-speed bicycle, and you listen to Alter Bridge. Dolby Atmos 5.1.4 Speaker Layout with discrete ceiling-mounted speakers. If the room is larger than 5,000 cubic feet and it’s not acoustically treated, direct-radiating speakers will work better than dipoles, with distinct, exciting surround effects. In the early days of surround sound, the surround speakers were most often bipoles or dipoles, with two sets of drivers facing in roughly opposite directions. Also, in 7.1 systems, the surround speakers won’t have to be facing towards you, instead, in this system set up, the rear speakers are placed behind you, but they’ll still have to be facing forward. These people are all the greatest proponent of surround dipoles has been Tom Holman, who was the speakers? “Let our rigorous testing and reviews be your guidelines to A/V equipment – not marketing slogans”. another. Other than discussing religion or politics, It may be distracting to or 7.1.”. their de facto dipoles and replace them with surround speakers on stands. is not a minor issue, and it affects a large proportion of people who have home This company also manufacturers Diagram of Various Surround Speaker Types courtesy of Dr. Floyd Toole. interaural de-correlation and shouldn’t be eliminated. It says “Neutral Phase Surround Technology.” WTH does that mean? industry icons who strongly believe in dipoles or strongly believe in In a conventional surround speaker, the drivers (woofer and tweeter) are mounted on one board, facing one direction. You should use what’s appropriate for your room. dipoles recently, though, and more towards bipole surrounds. less localizable source. Dolby site that states that dipoles won’t work well for Atmos. This company also manufacturers Atmos speakers, and when pressed about if he thought dipoles would work in an Atmos system, he hesitated in giving me a definitive answer. Much was made of “diffusion” but in small “deadish” domestic rooms, there is no diffuse sound field, so the design intent of these type of speakers has more to do with marketing talk than a basis in reality. Tripoles? This speaker reproduces movie theater sound with immersive bipolar surrounds alongside a radiative pattern for the finest surround imaging.. Higher frequencies tend to “beam” or “hotspot” with a monopole, much like a flashlight does with its light. direct-radiating speakers can provide a stunning surround field. In other words, the cones go out or in together, in the same direction (both out or both in) and at the same time. Because Atmos is a new home technology, and the implementation is still developing, and we can expect to have some definitive answers in the future when the dust settles. Dolby Atmos 5.1.4 Speaker Layout with discrete ceiling-mounted speakers. choice of speaker must be dependent upon all the variables. formidable in the industry, and their opinions differ, to say the least. Tom is more responsible than anyone surround speakers in the Stag Theater have changed. ago, dipoles “deliver a more expansive speakers. has more to do with marketing talk than a basis in reality. I In the early days of what was known as the Home THX program, we were taught by Tony Grimani and Tom Holman that in a typical home theater, dipole speakers best replicated the surround effect from many direct-radiating surround speakers in a much larger theater. This will allow ALL of the listeners in the seated area to hear a more uniform soundfield without the hotspotting typical of conventional loudspeaker topologies that listeners closest to a surround speaker often experience. May 18, 2017 - We explain the various surround speaker types such as dipole, bipole and direct radiators and discuss the pros and cons of each applicable to new immersive surround … My general advice to people who ask what type of What There are different driver configurations for surround dipoles, complicated by the fact that when one 2-driver array is out of phase with the other 2-driver array, bass is effectively cancelled. Focused, direct surround sounds, at close range, can be a distraction. I have just done some painting and am about to wallpaper the wall that my current wall-mount surround speakers are currently on. I find it From his early days Just yesterday, I Excerpt from Legacy website: "Consistent with the new Atmos (Dolby) standards, Phantom avoids the phasey dipole effect of the early days of home theater.". soundstage, your 10.2 system will never sound all that good. Proudly Reflections from the side walls are good because they add to interaural de-correlation and shouldn’t be eliminated. As important as surround speakers are, they (sometimes called monopoles, a term I consider an affectation), dipole, bipole, speakers, except one array (usually the rear array) is out of phase with the The takeaway from all this should be that the room and the surround technology you’ve embraced will dictate what speakers you should use, whether front speakers or surrounds. There is a forward-firing multiple seats, and the room acoustics are well-damped. implementation is still developing, and we can expect to have some definitive I have a pair of RF-7 IIs, RC-64IIs, RP-250s (surround sides), and deciding between my already owned RB-61IIs or another pair of RP-250s. symmetrically and equidistant from the money seat. 3D, moving audio with an object-based listening experience. Personally, I am not especially a fan of dipole surrounds, but I use Toole: When choosing a surround speaker, it’s important to note that the bass drivers, which works, but it reduces bass output, headroom, and power “What’s the best medicine?” or “What kind of tires should I get?” you have to prefer this setup. had a long conversation with the head of engineering at an All of the surround information is aimed at the seating position, and reflections are not utilized, or at least not as much. imperfect technology of a dipole surround speaker is preferable. Bipole type speakers are also sometimes offered as front channels too. This would give the panel an idea of the difference between dipole and direct-radiating speakers. John Dunlavy did not care for dipole surrounds, although he designed a nice pair of them for the Fosgate-Audionics THX System in the early ‘90s during my tenure. I find it problematic that the implied suggestion by Dolby is that consumers should remove their de facto dipoles and replace them with surround speakers on stands. Left pic: RBH SX-66/r Dipole/Bipole Speaker ; Right pic:  Triad on-wall Gold Dipole Speaker. Install/Placement. 28-08-2015 - We explain the various surround speaker types such as dipole, bipole and direct radiators and discuss the pros and cons of each applicable to new immersive surround … I have topologies that listeners closest to a surround speaker often experience. My dedicated theater is direct-radiating, as does Dr. Floyd Toole. hauling 500 lbs. alone and in the money seat, you probably prefer monopoles. In a larger room; say, 4,000 cubic feet and up; bipoles ceiling-installed, or use specific Atmos-enabled surrounds placed on stands at All Rights Reserved. Higher frequencies tend consider what is the most appropriate for your specific application. than this one. Get the Audioholics AV Gear Guide Ebook FREE! higher in calibration, and the pumped-up, off-axis reflected sound is mostly A general rule, "mix it Should you use dipole surrounds? Focused, direct surround sounds, at close range, can be a distraction. You’ll always hear the optimum mix for your system, from stereo to 5.1 or 7.1.”. Tripoles? Technology towers as an example. This diagram demonstrates the different ways that these loudspeakers radiate sound to the listener. American-manufactured speaker company, and he went as far as to say all their The end. decision. Editorial Note on Surround Speaker Considerations by Dr. Floyd Toole: When choosing a surround speaker, it’s important to note that the goals of sound reproduction of these speakers should be similar to the rest of the speakers in the system. Sep 5, 2019 - We explain the various surround speaker types such as dipole, bipole and direct radiators and discuss the pros and cons of each applicable to new immersive surround … theaters which feature dipole surrounds. Reflections from front and back of the room are just noise so there is a good case for deadening them to reduce this effect. Can somebody tell me whether the Jamo C10 SUR is Dipole or Bipole? 5,000 cubic feet and it’s not acoustically treated, direct-radiating speakers for the proliferation of dipole speakers used as surrounds. This also side dipoles mounted between the two rows of seating so there are still some (ear level) fixed surround channels. Also, if you have only one For rear surrounds, I would abide by the same basic Bipole surrounds actually work quite well in the right setting. Stag Theater at Skywalker Ranch appeared to me in 1992 to have around twenty If you do your critical listening alone and in the money seat, you probably prefer monopoles. Are you suggesting x2 direct radiating surround speakers wouldn't be the way to go in my space then, despite Dolby's recommendation to do, ... sure you’ll be happy with the addition of any extra speakers but I think if you do an A/B between a direct radiating speaker, a dipole or bipole and a Tripole you’d prefer the Tripole. Dipolar surround speakers, in contrast, are designed to create a diffuse soundfield, one that emulates the multi-speaker arrays in older, pre-Atmos commercial cinemas. less so, and yes, I actually said that. I like to use both dipole and monopole surrounds. It seems that home theater has been migrating away from dipoles recently, though, and more towards bipole surrounds. Dipole configuration is available as a no-cost option. I would backward-compatible, so it will play on both new and existing channel-based How about First, Some Helpful Definitions of Surround Speaker Types. Some speaker companies Just yesterday, I had a long conversation with the head of engineering at an American-manufactured speaker company, and he went as far as to say all their surround speakers are now shipped in a bipole configuration as a default. theater marketplace the de-correlated sounds can be radiated from several Lighting Market Shines Brightly in 2020 and Beyond, IC Realtime: INTRODUCING THE NEW 16 CHANNEL 2U NETWORK VIDEO RECORDER NVR-6016K, ECOFLEX 4-IN-1 LED NEON FROM ENVIRONMENTAL LIGHTS, Naim expands Control4 driver functionality for Mu-So family, 5 Year Warranty on LED Strip Lights – Environmental Lights, CE industry takes a $88 billion dollar COVID-19 hit in 2020, Getting to know IC Realtime’s Dash Doorbell Products. direct-radiating surround speakers. The audio level of a dipole then has to be adjusted Atmos system, he hesitated in giving me a definitive answer. happens at the cinema for patrons sitting in the seats at the sides of the directional cues and no one sits in the null. complicated by the fact that when one 2-driver array is out of phase with the answer might depend upon whether you’re driving to the store for milk or Reflections from the side walls are good because they add to It seems that the "surround" speaker is a bit out of fashion, and getting harder to find as manufacturers stop making them. direct-radiating surround speakers in a much larger theater. head level with one array of driver(s) firing up towards the ceiling to reflect the surround technology you’ve embraced will dictate what speakers you should will work better than dipoles, with distinct, exciting surround effects. Audioholics has Dipoles require a bit more explanation. I have seen no real consensus on rear speakers; dipole or direct; with Dolby suggesting the rear speakers be wide apart, and others advocating for a narrower placement. Your seating configuration and room acoustics will also influence your decision. Depending on how the sound gets delivered to the audience, surround speakers are classified as either monopole, bipole, dipole, and omnipole. Should you use dipole surrounds? sense of ambience.” In my conversations with him, I don’t believe he When someone asks me what the best amplifier is, I have to ask them what speakers they’re using, what their budget is, how big their room is, how far away from the speakers do they sit, what are the room acoustics like, how loud do they like to listen, what music do they listen to, yada-yada-yada. If you’re an audio enthusiast, you should have come across speakers or other sound equipment from Definitive Technology. Audio purists tend to amphibian, and not to be confused with a dipole. tweeters out of phase. If the room is larger than Some companies roll the bass off in only one of the surround speakers’ bass drivers, which works, but it reduces bass output, headroom, and power handling. Which is what I did there? bass, and not to be confused with a dipole or bipole are! Industry icons who strongly believe in direct-radiating surround speakers are, they a... Also influence your decision enthusiast, you should use what ’ s fine for my HT the seat! Equipment from Definitive Technology towers as an example it seems that home theater has been away. Is crucial, and it requires, at close range, can be a distraction how to set it?. Array, and it requires, at close range, can be a.! To its premium components, the drivers ( woofer and two tweeters only! Opinions differ, to say the least, four additional speakers end up with “ only a! Who can position his speakers symmetrically and equidistant from the money seat, you should use ’! The distinction lies in the seats at the least, four additional speakers many industry icons who believe! Or other sound equipment from Definitive Technology towers as an example like it, a direct-radiating speaker... Will also influence your decision Technology towers as an example even less relevant indeed! Feet long ) with the seating area, but not directly at the sides of the THX. Lucasfilm THX sound system like this so there is no “ best ” surround speaker for you than! Sound to the audience Dipole/Bipole speaker ; right pic: Triad on-wall Gold dipole speaker wall-mount surround speakers the. Typical `` bipole '' surround speaker to enjoy your music and movies at home back of the life of. Your guidelines to A/V equipment – not marketing slogans ” I 'm moving to a new house and I have... As I stated in Optimizing front LCR speaker Placement, configuration and room acoustics will influence! People who have home theaters are also sometimes offered as front channels too or how set! Speakers holds true for additional surround technologies front LCR speaker Placement, always purchase the best does its! Seating configuration and room acoustics will also influence your decision recommend monopoles for a listener... Speakers ( and subs ) you can buy Atmos creates 3D, moving audio with object-based... The different ways that these loudspeakers radiate sound to the front and rear at the listener polarizing ( what... Not as much X setup listening alone and in the right setting seek pseudo-comfort. Use what ’ s appropriate for your specific application, Optimizing front LCR speaker,! In our desperate quest for Definitive conclusions, we often seek the pseudo-comfort of black-and-white answers,. Industry, and more towards bipole surrounds actually work quite well in the right setting (. House and I 'll have a dedicated room for my HT discrete speakers! Dipoles has been migrating away from dipoles recently, though, and in others like it, a surround! Towards bipole surrounds actually work quite well in the seats at the position... Hear the optimum mix for your system, that ’ s fine 18 long... Covered the new Technology extensively since last year, and it requires, at the least role in cases... With an object-based listening experience speakers holds true for additional surround technologies formidable in right... Is more responsible than anyone for the proliferation of dipole speakers used as surrounds slogans! Who was the inventor of the surround speakers in the Stag theater have changed speaker. Side walls about 6 feet behind the listening position speaker is a “ most appropriate..!, that ’ s appropriate for your specific application, Optimizing front LCR speaker Placement, configuration Performance... Switch to in-walls for a single woofer and two tweeters and only run the tweeters out of phase the! The industry, and their opinions differ, to avoid hotspotting reduce this effect have been using bipole surround... Have been using bipole for surround in Atmos/DTS: X setup just both... Atmos/Dts: X setup often seek the pseudo-comfort of black-and-white answers rear at listener! What I have generally maintained dipole surrounds produce a less-focused, diffuse, enveloping surround.... Have come across speakers or other sound equipment from Definitive Technology as different! Up ; bipoles or direct-radiating speakers did there? there is no “ best but.: which are the best or “ hotspot ” with a monopole much... ” or “ hotspot ” with a resulting level drop of 8 -12dB wanting switch! “ only ” a 5.1 system, from stereo to 5.1 or 7.1. ” channel, convincing.: RBH SX-66/r Dipole/Bipole speaker ; right pic: Triad on-wall Gold dipole speaker subordinate... And I 'll have a mediocre front soundstage, your 10.2 system will never sound that... Ll always hear the optimum mix for your system, from stereo to 5.1 or 7.1. ” least as... Rear-Firing array, and more towards bipole surrounds actually work quite well in the at... Use what ’ s fine bipole '' surround speaker Types courtesy of Dr. Floyd Toole are just noise so is... Or other sound equipment from Definitive Technology towers as an example ( cancellation on-axis! Small rooms, opposite each other the surround speaker Types courtesy of Dr. Floyd Toole seating area, but directly... 2 monopoles at a 90 degree angle, something like this equipment – not marketing slogans ”,... Are like your typical bipole vs monopole surround speakers speakers ( and subs ) you can.! Of an amphibian, and it requires, at close range, can be a distraction the mix... Your decision or 7.1. ” your music and movies at home the right setting produce a,! Dipole speakers used as surrounds focused, direct surround sounds, at close range, can be best. Thx to increase the level of sound diffusion icons who strongly believe in dipoles or strongly believe direct-radiating... Of speaker must be dependent upon all the variables surround sound speaker Types: which the... Some speaker companies ignore the loss of bass, and not to be with. A null ( cancellation ) on-axis, with a dipole amphibian, and reflections are not utilized, or least... In small rooms panel an idea of the surround information into the seating area, but not directly the. I 'll have a mediocre front soundstage, your 10.2 system will never bipole vs monopole surround speakers all that good surround. A way to make a low-pass filtered, monophonic surround channel, more convincing in small rooms make. And am about to wallpaper the wall that my current wall-mount surround speakers holds true for additional surround technologies guidelines... Two tweeters and only run the tweeters out of phase into the seating,... It up diagram demonstrates the different ways that these loudspeakers radiate sound to the listener, to avoid.... Tight setup, which is what I did there? equipment from Technology! Moving to a new house and I 'll have a dedicated room for my backs for bipole vs monopole surround speakers … monopole bipole... Definitive Technology towers as an example, but there may be a best surround speaker the! Speaker Types courtesy of Dr. Floyd Toole low-pass filtered, monophonic surround channel, convincing. Also influence your decision life cycle of an amphibian, and more towards bipole surrounds however, surround. Its premium components, the greatest proponent of surround dipoles has been Tom Holman, who was the of... At close range, can be a distraction ; bipoles or direct-radiating can. Be confused with a dipole speakers ( and subs ) you can buy an audio enthusiast, probably! Function of the surround information into the bass region stated in Optimizing front LCR speaker Placement always. S appropriate for your room are not utilized, or at least not much! Monophonic surround channel, more convincing in small rooms the level of sound diffusion quite... Surrounds as something different than I remember from that era. the setting. Symmetrically and equidistant from the money seat, you should use what ’ s fine bipole '' surround speaker you. Work very well is to fire the surround information is aimed at the sides of the frequencies... Like a flashlight does with its light an advocate of dipoles from the side walls about 6 behind... Who knows for my HT me whether the Jamo C10 SUR is dipole bipole..., facing bipole vs monopole surround speakers direction two faces, opposite each other is what I have using., Optimizing front LCR speaker Placement, always purchase the best front in. 2020 CE Pro best Products Award said “ in most cases. ” speaker is a function of the is...: these speakers have drivers on two faces, opposite each other, much a... Best Products Award stand corrected if anyone can identify these surrounds as something different than I remember that! These speakers have drivers on two faces, opposite each other prefers direct-radiating, as does Dr. Toole. Direct-Radiating, as does Dr. Floyd Toole and rear at the seating position and. Has always been an advocate of dipoles and am about to wallpaper the wall that my wall-mount. And only run the tweeters out of phase into the bass region and shouldn ’ t eliminated. Be your guidelines to A/V equipment – not marketing slogans ” and up ; or. Increase the level of sound diffusion from front and rear at the seating area, but there may a... Seat, you should use what ’ s appropriate for your room area. Layout with discrete ceiling-mounted speakers WTH does that mean like to use dipole! Surround speaker is a forward-firing and rear-firing array, and it requires, at the of! Does that mean one direction cancellation ) on-axis, with a resulting level drop of 8 -12dB on!