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Turn off atmos for music?

To the community, is there a general opinion about turning off atmos speakers when listening to music? I think about a number of issues... generally atmos speakers either the reflecting type or the direct in ceiling type will not be timbre matched as most brands don't make those. They will also likely be lesser quality than your main and even surround speakers. Do people turn them off somehow or disconnect them when listening to music? 
jwl244
sonicjoy
146 posts
 
While there are some multi channel recordings of music out there the vast majority of recordings are in stereo (2 channel). If you are listening to 2 channel recordings through a home theater receiver with surround speakers on then any sound coming from the surround speakers is created by the receivers DSP "digital signal processor" in other words it is created artificially and is not part of the recording and thus undesirable by most audiophiles. But it's up to you if you like it or not. Systems designed for home theater and systems designed for stereo music have different priority's. Music systems try for purity of the musical presentation and home theater systems are more about special effects. Thus most typical HT systems are not the best for music it's just not their main focus. It doesn't mean they can't be good at music it just means you have to work at it and understand what it takes to put a good system together that can do both. Many like myself prefer a combo two channel theater system. Properly set up can be great for both with in certain limits. 
jwl244 OP
64 posts
 
Yes thanks for responses. I should specify I actually like to listen to music in multichannel. I know this isn't the purist way. I like the spacious sense of size and envelopment with the multichannel. I run a focal aria system 5.2.2. I don't get bothered by the ceiling speakers but I do wonder if there is an avr setting to turn them off to play in 5.2 for example. 
cio52
121 posts
 
You may have an avr that allows you to pick the allowable channels for a given input when you are in setup mode.  Check out your avr manual.  A final point from me would be if you have a disc player with 5.1 analog out connections and a receiver with 5.1 analog in and you play some multichannel program material you will get to listen to 5.1 only.  Hope this helps.
erik_squires
16,061 posts
 
Most HT receivers and processors have a stereo mode which disables all but the L/R and subwoofer speakers.

They have additional modes which can be thought of as "fun" such as Neo6 and Dolby music modes which engage the center and surround, and possibly the height speakers as well. 

No one can tell you if you’ll like them, and it’s not like you’ll hurt the recording if you do, so go ahead and experiment. I personally like the Neo6 music mode and how it fills in the center. Few others do. :-)
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