Dolby Atmos® FAQ

[mandrix]

It is, always, a matter of resources: budget and possibility of good speaker placement.

If you want to optimize your system for 'all' formats, then you need a different 'optimum' layout for each format:

- Quad
- 5.1
- Dolby Atmos
- Auro-3D

For all this four formats I have it clear. Not yet clear for 360RA, unless it is delivered 'as Atmos', without its weird layout of Low Frontal Speakers, and that.

I hear what you're saying. But that's unrealistic.

 

[mandrix]

I'm honestly not sure if I can do Atmos when the room my speakers are in has a ceiling 20 feet high. Can anyone advise? I don't think I can realistically do speakers from the ceiling. Do upfiring speakers get close or should I not even bother?

Do live in the Louvre? J/K. Nothing wrong with mounting on the walls, facing the MLP as Sal says, if it's possible. Upfiring speakers, I honestly don't think you would be happy with them anyway.

 

[mandrix]

BTW, I believe Dolby says have the heights at least 3 ft above the base speakers. Maybe get creative and make some speaker mounts/ bookshelves? IDK.

 

[Mr. Afternoon]

I see...side-mounted downward-firing speakers would work...but wiring would be so PAINFUL. I have a very weird room for the speakers. Luckily I'm probably not upgrading my AVR any time soon. Or, er, unluckily. On a side note, anybody interested in a revival of 6.1 DTS-ES Discrete tracks on DVD?

 

[mandrix]

Wires, schmires. What's more important, esthetics or sound? I use rectangular "cable concealer" tracks for all my wiring. May not be purty but looks better than bare wires. Can be painted to match walls if necessary.

 

[par4ken]

IMO, your missing out on the best music and movie listening experience yet devised, so I have no understanding of why you "don't really want to be that immersed in a movie!" ? Your deduction of having no interest leaves me completely confused. Have you actually heard some of the best sources played on a high quality system?

I often watch movies with just the TV speakers, so the stereo but might as well be mono. I only care about surround on movies that are mostly music, and maybe the occasional sci-fi flick. I am in no real way a videophile! Watching movies at night I don't want to keep everyone else awake. The best movies (the old ones) were mono anyway.

With music I'm already completely immersed and with just four full range speakers! I also bi-amp my two main systems, try that with Atmos! Adding more speakers/channels is a very impractical idea unless you have a dedicated room.

 

[Mr. Afternoon]

Wires, schmires. What's more important, esthetics or sound?

I believe both have equal play! I've currently (painstakingly) wired everything in-wall. Looks nice. Speaker angles are a bit off but unfortunately I don't have the room to correct them.

 

[Mr. Afternoon]

I often watch movies with just the TV speakers, so the stereo but might as well be mono. I only care about surround on movies that are mostly music, and maybe the occasional sci-fi flick. I am in no real way a videophile! Watching movies at night I don't want to keep everyone else awake. The best movies (the old ones) were mono anyway.

Wow I'm the complete opposite! These days I've become a bit salty and have been refusing to watch anything NOT on Blu-ray.

 

[par4ken]

Questioning from experience, or just pondering the possibility?

I have installed speakers either in the ceiling or mounted them up high quite a few times when floor space was limited. I did not find the sound they produced to be all that pleasing. It is also my belief that all speaker should be matched, totally impractical with a full Atmos setup!

Speakers sound best at ear level.

 

[Sal1950]

With music I'm already completely immersed and with just four full range speakers! I also bi-amp my two main systems, try that with Atmos! Adding more speakers/channels is a very impractical idea unless you have a dedicated room.

These days I've become a bit salty and have been refusing to watch anything NOT on Blu-ray.

LOLOL, Well anyway, the reason we're all here is that we're different from Joe Sixpack and not satisfied with our music coming out of a clock radio and our video from a 35" TV with "maybe" a $69 soundbar.
We all have different levels of quality we desire our systems to deliver and won't settle for less.
I really love the soundfield and sound quality a good Atmos system is capable of delivering and the enjoyment I get from my current rig brings a large portion of joy into my life.
Don't fall off the ladder.
YMMV

 

[Mr. Afternoon]

LOLOL, Well anyway, the reason we're all here is that we're different from Joe Sixpack and not satisfied with our music coming out of a clock radio and our video from a 35" TV with "maybe" a $69 soundbar.
We all have different levels of quality we desire our systems to deliver and won't settle for less.
I really love the soundfield and sound quality a good Atmos system is capable of delivering and the enjoyment I get from my current rig brings a large portion of joy into my life.
Don't fall off the ladder.
YMMV

Also consider costs! I probably should NOT be prioritizing audio equipment when there are more pressing matters at hand...like food...or a beanbag chair...or imported cheese...or uh...nah who am I kidding. We can live without food for a couple days, right? Our speakers will fill our souls with sound! (And hopefully our stomachs too).

 

[mandrix]

I have installed speakers either in the ceiling or mounted them up high quite a few times when floor space was limited. I did not find the sound they produced to be all that pleasing. It is also my belief that all speaker should be matched, totally impractical with a full Atmos setup!

Speakers sound best at ear level.

Wow. OK. All speakers do not have to be matched, IMO. That's right out of the audiophile BS book IMO.
I see no need for ceiling speakers to be good down to 40Hz as my corners are.
But we like what we like, and if you're happy with your setup that is all that counts.

 

[par4ken]

Also consider costs! I probably should NOT be prioritizing audio equipment when there are more pressing matters at hand...like food...or a beanbag chair...or imported cheese...or uh...nah who am I kidding. We can live without food for a couple days, right? Our speakers will fill our souls with sound! (And hopefully our stomachs too).

I totally agree with you there! Audio always comes first!

 

[par4ken]

Wow. OK. All speakers do not have to be matched, IMO. That's right out of the audiophile BS book IMO.

Right out of the Bible! Thou must not mix speaker types! You wouldn't do that with stereo so why with multichannel? Anything other is a compromise. Therefore Atmos (done in that fashion) is a compromise.

 

[mandrix]

I'm not singling anyone out. But too much BS is around about what it takes for acceptable sound. You have a budget, probably, and you get the best you can afford. If you think you need 20K$ worth of equipment to make you happy, go for it. Many of us can't even imagine spending that sort of cash.
You need a symmetrical room with equidistant speakers. You need at least this or that...all the "audiophiles" tell us so. Right?
A lot of us have learned to live within our budget and be happy.
Or... just go to stereophile mag and stick with stereo? Surely that's the best, why bother?

 

[mandrix]

Right out of the Bible! Thou must not mix speaker types! You wouldn't do that with stereo so why with multichannel? Anything other is a compromise. Therefore Atmos is a compromise.

Agree to disagree. Whatever makes you happy is fine by me.

 

[humprof]

I'm honestly not sure if I can do Atmos when the room my speakers are in has a ceiling 20 feet high. Can anyone advise? I don't think I can realistically do speakers from the ceiling. Do upfiring speakers get close or should I not even bother?

Use commercial- (or consumer-) grade pendant speakers to get them down to 10 or 12 feet? I've certainly seen installations like that in high- or open-ceilinged mixing studios.

 

[Mr. Afternoon]

Use commercial- (or consumer-) grade pendant speakers to get them down to 10 or 12 feet? I've certainly seen installations like that in high- or open-ceilinged mixing studios.

There's a ceiling fan...so I don't know about that.

 

[mandrix]

There's a ceiling fan...so I don't know about that.

But think of the fun you'll have for those few short seconds the speaker wires are spinning madly about overhead!

 

[mandrix]

wait! Actually that could be a brand new paradym! Speakers in the ceiling twirling about, give Dolby a run for their money!
/s