Asking for the impossible? -- A Streamer for Dolby Atmos

[AVphile]

I have a very good 7.2.0 audio system. It includes a standalone two-channel streamer/DAC and a Roon Nucleus+ as well as an OPPO 203 4K/SACD player; and my preamplifier/processor has multi-channel HDMI 2.0 inputs and its own embedded 12-channel DAC. I subscribe to Tidal and Qobuz. I do not own, and don't want to have, an AVR added to my system. Also, I don't have a TV connected to this system, nor do I want include one either.

What I would really like to do is to be able to play Tidal's Dolby Atmos recordings through my system. Roon does not, and never will, support multi-channel audio, so I need some other way to access Tidal's multi-channel inventory of Dolby Atmos recordings. Ideally, I would like to own a simple multi-channel streamer with an HDMI 2.0 out port with which I could use the Tidal Connect app on my iPad to select an album or track that would be played back via this streamer and my preamp/processor.

Does such a streamer exist? (I was hopeful that the Hifi Rose RS130 might, but it solely two-channel even though it has HDMI outputs).

 

[somethingcleveridunno]

I think the Nvidia Shield supports both Tidal Connect and Tidal's Atmos library.

Does your surround processor have Atmos support? If not, you'll be limited to the 5.1 bed of the Atmos stream.

 

[minimumtumbleweed]

Ideally, I would like to own a simple multi-channel streamer with an HDMI 2.0 out port with which I could use the Tidal Connect app on my iPad to select an album or track that would be played back via this streamer and my preamp/processor.

Does such a streamer exist? (I was hopeful that the Hifi Rose RS130 might, but it solely two-channel even though it has HDMI outputs).

As far as I know, not possible. You would not be able to get Atmos via an external device i.e. and iPad or a phone. Your best bet, if you really don't want a TV, is some sort of small screen connected with HDMI to an NVIDIA SHIELD or similar streaming device. Then you would use the built-in TIDAL app which supports Atmos.

 

[jimfisheye]

At present, Dolby refuses to license their Atmos decoder to ANY other software media player app beyond their own Dolby Reference Player. Atmos is a push to sell hardware first, and an extension to surround sound second.

Unless some Lunatic releases their 7.1.4 mixes in standard wavpack files, you need the decoder. (See what I did there?) That's either a corporate and software dance (vetting and licensing) with dolby for their reference player app or purchasing a device with the decoder hidden in firmware like an AVR.

Huge fan of this creativity and 12 channel mixes! About as salty as it gets with the strong armed push to require a hardware purchase. Buying a whole new AVR for the software inside just for lossy streaming is a very difficult sale IMHO.

Streaming is actually harder than lossless bluray playback. For Apple Music you need both the decoder software and an approved Atmos compatible device connected. (Some of the newer Macs themself are an approved device even though no 12 ch output ability is built in.) If you don't have one of the newer "approved" Macs, the requirement becomes a very expensive dongle when you don't need a new computer or new amps/AVR for your surround system. Tidal might 'only' need the decoder.

I refuse software spoofing to sell me hardware too. You're not wrong to be put off by that!

 

[AVphile]

Thank you all for confirming my worst fears!

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Does such a streamer exist?

No but an Atmos-capable streamer connected to an Arvus decoder would probably do it.
https://shop.arvus.com/shop