Dolby atmos speaker replacement/upgrade

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Hi all, I am currently looking to replace just the speakers in my upfiring modules. I bought the Onkyo SKH-410 knowing they are not the best but mainly to check the effects work in my room, which surprisingly they do very, very well.

So although the effects are really good and sound appears to come from my ceiling, I can tell the sound quality is not that great. So what I am looking to do, is just replace the actual speaker, leaving in the cabinet the circuit board that deals with the special frequency response. I have taken the grill off and the speaker is just screwed in so nice and easy to change.

Having done some research, I am looking to replace them with some Faital audio pro speakers

I would like to keep the cabinets as they fit nicely where they are. Can anyone see any reason why this would not work?
 
So what I am looking to do, is just replace the actual speaker, leaving in the cabinet the circuit board that deals with the special frequency response.
If you are replacing the original speakers (drivers) with new ones, you must redesign the crossover to accommodate new drivers. It requires measurement microphone and software and sim software... and a lot of knowledge.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I didn't mention these would be running off my Denon 2400 using Audyssey. Would what I am proposing not work then by using Audyssey and still using the circuitry within the Onkyo cabinets?

Crossover at present was set at 200hz by the avr.
 

GM

Member
Joined 2003
You're welcome!

This was my assumption, i.e. any onboard DSP doesn't do much [if any] frequency shaping EQ except globally via room EQ same as my Marantz 7010, hence my trepidation of using such a high Fs/low Xmax driver.

If it should boost it around/at the THX reference 100 Hz XO point, then could be a real 'kaboom' moment, but if it's preset to 200 Hz, then should be fine.

GM
 
Ok, so if I understand this correctly, the speakers I am considering are not designed to have much excursion/xmax?

I thought changing one full range speaker for another/better one would simply work but this is where my knowledge is not so good.

Just to be clear, do you think it's best to keep them as they are then or is there any other 3" speaker that would work and have abetter sound quality than the Onkyo ones?
 
Inside Onkyo SKH-410 there is only one fullrange 3" driver, without crossover, but with some frequency shaping "circuit board" inside it. So, you may replace it with any other fullrange 3" driver with better sound quality, but the frequency shaping circuitry may not react in a good way with the new driver, destroying the height illusion. Higher Xmax and lower Fs (resonant frequency) than the original driver should be used (higer efficiency won't hurt either), but the problem is that we don't know parameters of the original driver. If there is a option for specifying the lower cut-off frequency for ATMOS speaker in the AV receiver, than make sure to make it not lower than 200 Hz.
Several options for a new 3" driver: HiVi C3N-III, Dayton DS90, Tymphany TC8FD00-04, HiVi BN3.
 
Ok, so if I understand this correctly, the speakers I am considering are not designed to have much excursion/xmax?

I thought changing one full range speaker for another/better one would simply work but this is where my knowledge is not so good.

Just to be clear, do you think it's best to keep them as they are then or is there any other 3" speaker that would work and have abetter sound quality than the Onkyo ones?

Correct.

As me n' Sonce have pointed out, 'better' in this case is first and foremost having at least as high a power handling to a lower frequency, assuming of course that the speaker system's design adheres to the THX reference 100 Hz XO point, which would normally require a ~70-81 Hz Fs depending on its DSP's XO, frequency shaping [if any] programming.

Again, if the current 200 Hz XO point is kept, then the Faital should in theory work fine IF there's little/no boost EQ at/below this point and its measured Fs isn't a lot higher than its published 110 Hz.

Sorry, with rare exception I don't keep up enough with driver offerings nowadays to make recommendations.

GM
 
After reading about Fs that makes sense so as long as the crossover was above this then in theory it should be ok. I would crossover at least 200hz or no lower than 150hz if Audyssey returned that value. I have also come across pearless 830986 which look like another option too.

If I decide to go ahead and try changing the speakers, I will post up the results on here. Thanks for your help.
 
I’ve attached pictures of the standard speaker and frequency shaping board.
 

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