Tidal Adds Dolby Atmos Music

[humprof]

I did not have this problem with my Fire Stick 4K inserted directly into my AVR. My AVR states it is Atmos compatible. Is yours? This may be necessary?

A reminder, too, that it's necessary to update the Fire Stick to OS 6.2.7.1.

 

[key_wiz]

There isn't a lot of Atmos content to be sure, but this a promising development! I'm not sure whether to cancel before 30 days and come back later when they have more stuff, or if I should continue paying in order to support the cause?

I'd prefer being able to purchase my own content to keep rather than streaming, but I'll take more audio surround content any way I can get it!

 

[key_wiz]

A reminder, too, that it's necessary to update the Fire Stick to OS 6.2.7.1.

I guess I must have done that at some point. I'm usually unafraid to download whatever updates come my way on whatever devices I'm using. I'm too old and tired to fight the power any longer.

 

[skherbeck]

I had no problems with my old fashioned set up.

That's great! ... so Atmos mixes can be played through 5.1 speakers? Does it sound good? I didn't realize this was possible... so to be clear, all I need to upgrade to Atmos is an Atmos-ready receiver and Apple 4k or 4K Firestick and Tidal Hi-Fi?

 

[GOS]

That's great! ... so Atmos mixes can be played through 5.1 speakers? Does it sound good? I didn't realize this was possible... so to be clear, all I need to upgrade to Atmos is an Atmos-ready receiver and Apple 4k or 4K Firestick and Tidal Hi-Fi?

But...but....if you upgrade to Atmos receiver......ahem. Another speaker here...another there...... ATMOS!

 

[key_wiz]

That's great! ... so Atmos mixes can be played through 5.1 speakers? Does it sound good? I didn't realize this was possible... so to be clear, all I need to upgrade to Atmos is an Atmos-ready receiver and Apple 4k or 4K Firestick and Tidal Hi-Fi?

I don't want to get too far out over my skis but yes. My Firestick 4K into my Yamaha RX-A760 into 5.1 speakers is working simply and just fine. You search for Atmos on the Firestick apps and have to sign up for it online and enter a code, but other than that, it took all of maybe a minute for me to be listening to music.

I can't be 100% certain that I'm not missing content that would normally be in the other satellite speakers, but I have no reason to believe that the AVR would do anything other than downmix those other channels. The AVR says it is outputting 5.1.

In addition to being Dolby Atmos compatible the AVR says it is also "Dolby Atmos Stream" compatible. Whether that makes a difference or not? I do not know.

As far as the sound goes, it sounds fine. Nice and discreet but, of course, varies from track to track.

I may do something later like A/B one of the REM tracks to the 5.1 disc and see which I prefer/what the sound differences are, etc.

 

[key_wiz]

But...but....if you upgrade to Atmos receiver......ahem. Another speaker here...another there...... ATMOS!

There is always that possibility? Believe me---I'm scanning the living room to see how/where I can add other speakers without the wife noticing. But short of ceiling installs, I may be out of luck

I've been planning for awhile to turn one of the rarely-used downstairs bedrooms into a dedicated listening room. This might be what finally pushes me over that edge?

 

[skherbeck]

Man, I really want to put some overhead speakers up, but 1) I don't know how to do it and hide the wires and 2) my wife will kill me! Maybe I'll start with a Receiver upgrade and go from there....

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Man, I really want to put some overhead speakers up, but 1) I don't know how to do it and hide the wires and 2) my wife will kill me! Maybe I'll start with a Receiver upgrade and go from there....

+1 - Take it slow and easy... spread out the pain my Brother!

 

[key_wiz]

Man, I really want to put some overhead speakers up, but 1) I don't know how to do it and hide the wires and 2) my wife will kill me! Maybe I'll start with a Receiver upgrade and go from there....

I hear ya. I’d almost certainly have to have the others installed flush into the ceiling and the wiring through the walls. She’d kill me if there were wires visible.

 

[JediJoker]

Renegade does sound odd. I can't tell if it's a different recording or not. I think they may have just mixed Dennis DeYoung (both vocals and keyboards) so far back that it changed the sound completely. The lead vocal sounds different but not SO different that I think he recorded it again decades later. Maybe it's a different take at least in some parts?

Dennis doesn't sing lead on "Renegade." It's Tommy Shaw. Dennis' voice does feature prominently in the group vocals during the reprise of the intro, though.

 

[key_wiz]

Dennis doesn't sing lead on "Renegade." It's Tommy Shaw. Dennis' voice does feature prominently in the group vocals during the reprise of the intro, though.

I know he doesn’t sing lead. It’s that reprise of the intro where they take it up an octave that I’m talking about. The highest harmony that Dennis sang is not as prominent in this mix. Neither are the synth or organ parts. It’s almost like they did it on purpose out of spite or something.

But Tommy’s lead vocal sounds different in spots. Like maybe it’s a different take.

if this was from a recent re-recording it obviously wouldn’t include Dennis at all. He hasn’t been part of the band for decades.

 

[himey]

I wonder if this would work?

 

[atlantasteve]

? I don't really have the room to set up other speakers comfortably, unless I want to go the "upfiring" route

There are inexpensive upfiring speakers out there. It is worth trying them out. Plus Dolby Surround is Atmos now.

 

[GOS]

So I was hesitant to even give this a try seeing as my system is only 5.2 and reading so many stories here about people getting errors, having to download updates, etc. But my Yamaha receiver has an Atmos logo and I have a Firestick so....

Well it seems to have worked really easily. App downloaded easily on the Firestick and I searched for Atmos and started playing "Automatic for the People" and voila! Getting it in full surround. I presume the amp is downmixing the other Atmos speakers to the 5 I have? I don't really have the room to set up other speakers comfortably, unless I want to go the "upfiring" route. But as long as I'm not missing any actual musical bits, I'm ok with 5.1.

Sounds pretty good! $20 a month might be a little steep but I'll play with the app for a month. If it has enough other content and flexibility that I can ditch the Pandora Plus I pay $5 a month for now, then it might be worth it. At least until they get a lot more content.

Upfiring is what I have...not necessarily what I want. But....if the Atmos mix is active, the upfiring method is enjoyable and different for sure than 5.1 I have 5.1.4. Of course, I suspect if my 4 upfiring Klipsch were mounted in the corners, it would be night and day as the bits would be focused towards my seat. I just don't have the ambition to route wires, etc. up the walls.

 

[SMS]

I see Tidal claims Atmos works on an Nvidia Shield TV (2019 version). Has anyone tried it?

I have an older Shield TV and was thinking of upgrading to the 2019 pro. This might give my the push I needed.

 

[raml]

I see Tidal claims Atmos works on an Nvidia Shield TV (2019 version). Has anyone tried it?

I have an older Shield TV and was thinking of upgrading to the 2019 pro. This might give my the push I needed.

It works with my 2017er model, too!

 

[himey]

Upfiring is what I have...not necessarily what I want. But....if the Atmos mix is active, the upfiring method is enjoyable and different for sure than 5.1 I have 5.1.4. Of course, I suspect if my 4 upfiring Klipsch were mounted in the corners, it would be night and day as the bits would be focused towards my seat. I just don't have the ambition to route wires, etc. up the walls.

Have you made comparisons with the upward firing Atmos speakers and setting the Atmos to 5.1 and comparing the same Atmos recording without them? Do you feel like some of the music is missing or just the space?

Has anyone else made this comparison?

 

[himey]

I wonder if this would work?

Here is the response I got when I emailed the owner of the company. He responded in less than 12 hours. I don't think he has tested this but it is still interesting. I can't say I 100% agree with everything he says but I do agree with some of it.

"
Hi Van,

Thanks for your interest in Essence. You ask an important question, I did some research and found lots of people having difficulty as well, you are not alone.

Lets start with telling me the brand and model #s of your two multi-channel preamps, I need to know their HDMI version. Also the rated version of your HDMI cables.

I don't think there's such a thing as an HDMI Atmos handshake, however HDMI v2.0 includes Atmos transmission as part of its standard specs for HDMI v2.0. The handshake is for EDID and authentication of a secure downstream AVR, PrePro, or DAC like ours.

Further, the standard spec for multi-channel operation is 5.1, Atmos is not a new channel or channels, its merely meta-data riding on the front left and right channels that an Atmos processor in the AVR or PrePro uses to manufacture "height" channels. It's a bit of a gimmick the audio industry is famous for IMHO to sell more speakers and amplifiers, raise new royalty streams for Dolby and DTS. In my mind, its the same thing as matrix surround, which as you may have noticed is back in vogue. Suddenly we have 9.2, 11.2, 13.2 and 16.2 AVRs and PrePros turning 5.1 channels into more immersive soundfields.

Another factor is the Firestick4K, it receives its signal via WiFi and converts it to audio and video signals for input via HDMI into your TV. I know the Evolve II-4K works well with Apple TV4K because its a separate component with an HDMI output to feed the Evolve II-4K, which passes the video via HDMI v2.0 output to the TV and converts the digital audio to analog. You might try using the TVs Optical Audio output to feed the streamed audio back to your multi-channel preamps when using the Firestick4K, thats what I would do. Or try one of the more modular streaming options like Apple TV4K, Fire Cube, Nvidia Shield.

Yes, the Evolve II-4K can handle the standard 5.1 channel output of any source but it's strictly a PCM decoder, the exclusive universal language of all digital components. It will not process an Atmos signals but if you feed it to an AVR or PrePro with Atmos processing, that should work, the meta-data will be there in the signal.

If your goal is to upgrade from HDMI v1.4 to HDMI v2.0 for 4K sources and TVs, the Evolve II-4K is the solution for you. You'll be able to keep your preamps using their 7.1 channel analog inputs and route the 4K video to the TV.

Hope this helps, it's a complicated subject.


Ciao,
Bob
"

 

[himey]

Reading over his response again, he obviously doesn't have any idea how a Firestick 4K works sadly.

Also, he didn't understand what my analog multichannel preamps are.

I will follow up with him. I don't think it is going to work. I think when the product mentions Atmos in the literature, it just means pass through.