Listening to in Dolby Atmos Streaming, via Tidal/Apple/Amazon

[Bretho72]

The main album tracks are in Atmos

 

[Bretho72]

Not sponsored or paid in anyway by IFi although I wish I was but this is a must if you listen to atmos audio through an avr.

 

[The Bright Side]

oh that's not been my experience, it's quite an active mix, their "Exotica" album in Atmos even more so!

Damn it. Not on TIDAL. Thanks anyway :-(

 

[fredblue]

I don’t think I’ve seen these before:

these are not in Atmos in the UK, somewhat annoyingly! how are the mixes?

 

[woody]

these are not in Atmos in the UK, somewhat annoyingly! how are the mixes?

Not within the land Down Under either

 

[MrSmithers]

Damn it. Not on TIDAL. Thanks anyway :-(

I think both the Purple Disco Machine albums are on Tidal in Atmos including Exotica...
https://tidal.com/album/219270012
I was actually disappointed (being Sony) as it meant they weren't in 360RA on Amazon (the bitrate is double that of the lossy streaming Atmos). But you never know maybe they'll get released properly someday anyway.

The mix is credited to David Merkl who I think is involved with the mixing at IAN Records - they did the Yello / Boris Blank releases and a few others that generally have some of the best surround mixing there is...

He's actually got some credits for some classical albums released in Atmos. Hopefully those are the same too...

 

[Bob Romano]

I don’t think I’ve seen these before:

It's funny that their first two albums are now missing. We previously heard that Alan Parsons was working on surround mixes for those.

 

[Gregoree]

It's funny that their first two albums are now missing. We previously heard that Alan Parsons was working on surround mixes for those.

For me a surround mix of the 1st album would be the dream. I just checked and neither of the Life Beyond LA tracks are showing in spatial audio in Canada right now. Just stereo for the whole album.

 

[The Bright Side]

I think both the Purple Disco Machine albums are on Tidal in Atmos including Exotica...
https://tidal.com/album/219270012
I was actually disappointed (being Sony) as it meant they weren't in 360RA on Amazon (the bitrate is double that of the lossy streaming Atmos). But you never know maybe they'll get released properly someday anyway.

The mix is credited to David Merkl who I think is involved with the mixing at IAN Records - they did the Yello / Boris Blank releases and a few others that generally have some of the best surround mixing there is...

He's actually got some credits for some classical albums released in Atmos. Hopefully those are the same too...

Crazy. I can click on your link and it shows up in my browser on my PC, but as soon as I log into TIDAL, it tells me the content is no longer available. Tried VPNing to US and UK, no dice.

 

[benfolds5]

Not sponsored or paid in anyway by IFi although I wish I was but this is a must if you listen to atmos audio through an avr.

On the surface it's sounds like another snake oil product but your review may sway me to get one for the Apple tv.
BTW, You now have one more subscriber

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I don’t think I’ve seen these before:

Original album from way back in 1978, and it's on Warner Bros. -wouldn't that be something!

https://www.discogs.com/release/1173758-Ambrosia-Life-Beyond-LA

 

[steelydave]

Original album from way back in 1978, and it's on Warner Bros. -wouldn't that be something!

https://www.discogs.com/release/1173758-Ambrosia-Life-Beyond-LA

Ambrosia were one of the artists divested from the Warners roster to RT Industries (along with Black Oak Arkansas) as part of their anti-trust compliance associated with the acquisition of the Parlophone catalog in 2018.

For me (regardless of who owns it) the possibility that Life Beyond LA might get a full-album Atmos mix is really exciting - How Much I Feel is an obvious track to do as a single, but the fact that Ready for Camarillo has been done suggests they're looking deeper than just the hits, so I hope all the multitracks can be found. I know their earlier prog albums for 20th Century are more popular here, but I love their Warners stuff, especially this one and One Eighty. For me they're kind of like an American version of Supertramp - a band with progressive origins who did their best work when they really leaned into pop songcraft, but never abandoned the idea that catchy music and ambitious music had to be mutually exclusive. I'd challenge anyone to name a band that wrote better bridges in the '70s than Ambrosia - the stacked harmonies and other musical flourishes on songs like How Much I Feel, Dancing By Myself, Biggest Part of Me, and so many others are like the Beatles for the 'me' generation.

 

[GOS]

Ambrosia were one of the artists divested from the Warners roster to RT Industries (along with Black Oak Arkansas) as part of their anti-trust compliance associated with the acquisition of the Parlophone catalog in 2018.

For me (regardless of who owns it) the possibility that Life Beyond LA might get a full-album Atmos mix is really exciting - How Much I Feel is an obvious track to do as a single, but the fact that Ready for Camarillo has been done suggests they're looking deeper than just the hits, so I hope all the multitracks can be found. I know their earlier prog albums for 20th Century are more popular here, but I love their Warners stuff, especially this one and One Eighty. For me they're kind of like an American version of Supertramp - a band with progressive origins who did their best work when they really leaned into pop songcraft, but never abandoned the idea that catchy music and ambitious music had to be mutually exclusive. I'd challenge anyone to name a band that wrote better bridges in the '70s than Ambrosia - the stacked harmonies and other musical flourishes on songs like How Much I Feel, Dancing By Myself, Biggest Part of Me, and so many others are like the Beatles for the 'me' generation.

For sure, I agree with you. I have been dying for Ambrosia in multi-channel. It's a match in heaven.

 

[beerking]

Not sponsored or paid in anyway by IFi although I wish I was but this is a must if you listen to atmos audio through an avr.

Now this little device is very interesting.
I think this needs looking into.
Might buy it off Amazon, then I can return it, if it don't do what it says on the tin.

 

[DuncanS]

Not sponsored or paid in anyway by IFi although I wish I was but this is a must if you listen to atmos audio through an avr.

On the surface it's sounds like another snake oil product but your review may sway me to get one for the Apple tv.
BTW, You now have one more subscriber

Now this little device is very interesting.
I think this needs looking into.
Might buy it off Amazon, then I can return it, if it don't do what it says on the tin.

If it works, about the only thing it would do is improve the eye-diagram of the all digital signal. Their website has no plots, diagrams, pictures to show its effectiveness.

Having worked with a team on active cancellation techniques for RF (using FPGAs - expensive and power hungry) which is essentially what is claiming to do by stating Active Nosie Cancellation I cannot see how they can fit it into the space provided nor considering the data rate of an HDMI video/audio signal (48Gb/s for 8k/60Hz). The reason I'm extremely sceptical is how do you tell the noise from signal - its not as simple as it first appears. My suspicion is that its effectively a retimer which can improve a digital signal, and you only need those if your equipment was badly designed in the first place. At the price and size I would place it in the snake oil category.

 

[beerking]

If it works, about the only thing it would do is improve the eye-diagram of the all digital signal. Their website has no plots, diagrams, pictures to show its effectiveness.

Having worked with a team on active cancellation techniques for RF (using FPGAs - expensive and power hungry) which is essentially what is claiming to do by stating Active Nosie Cancellation I cannot see how they can fit it into the space provided nor considering the data rate of an HDMI video/audio signal (48Gb/s for 8k/60Hz). The reason I'm extremely sceptical is how do you tell the noise from signal - its not as simple as it first appears. My suspicion is that its effectively a retimer which can improve a digital signal, and you only need those if your equipment was badly designed in the first place. At the price and size I would place it in the snake oil category.

Then based on your extensive knowledge. I will put this on a back burner Duncan.
Let's see what happens eh.
Thank you for your detailed explanation.

 

[benfolds5]

If it works, about the only thing it would do is improve the eye-diagram of the all digital signal. Their website has no plots, diagrams, pictures to show its effectiveness.

Having worked with a team on active cancellation techniques for RF (using FPGAs - expensive and power hungry) which is essentially what is claiming to do by stating Active Nosie Cancellation I cannot see how they can fit it into the space provided nor considering the data rate of an HDMI video/audio signal (48Gb/s for 8k/60Hz). The reason I'm extremely sceptical is how do you tell the noise from signal - its not as simple as it first appears. My suspicion is that its effectively a retimer which can improve a digital signal, and you only need those if your equipment was badly designed in the first place. At the price and size I would place it in the snake oil category.

I went through the rabbit hole of their other dongles (LAN, USB) and for every one who says that he can hear an improvement in sound there are does who debunk it with science and placebo.
Our hobby can sometimes be quite a headache, but that's why we love it

 

[cdheer]

Speaking of snake oil LOL: https://trackingangle.com/equipment/would-you-buy-a-usd3899-ethernet-switch

(I'm a Network Engineer, and I can assure you everything said there is utter nonsense/confirmation bias.)

 

[chescowx]

View attachment 110294

Always one of my favorites - with this being the 1st album with his "new" band. Some nice surprises on the Atmos mixes - really enjoy Downeaster Alexa!!

 

[Bretho72]

If it works, about the only thing it would do is improve the eye-diagram of the all digital signal. Their website has no plots, diagrams, pictures to show its effectiveness.

Having worked with a team on active cancellation techniques for RF (using FPGAs - expensive and power hungry) which is essentially what is claiming to do by stating Active Nosie Cancellation I cannot see how they can fit it into the space provided nor considering the data rate of an HDMI video/audio signal (48Gb/s for 8k/60Hz). The reason I'm extremely sceptical is how do you tell the noise from signal - its not as simple as it first appears. My suspicion is that its effectively a retimer which can improve a digital signal, and you only need those if your equipment was badly designed in the first place. At the price and size I would place it in the snake oil category.

I don't have an issue with any of this and probably explains why it had no effect on a dedicated media palyer like Zapitti but there is a difference on Atmos music on Apple TV, I tried stereo tracks on Apple TV and did not hear any difference.
Best example of a difference was Frank Zappa Aprostrophe album, the surrounds are even more prounaced and clear.