A little over a year ago, I began experimenting with ways to expand my Dolby Atmos surround sound system to beyond the 7.1.4 limitation of current consumer hardware. My continued quest to achieve the best Atmos experience at home has recently driven me to make additional upgrades. These days, my home theater is so crazily complicated that I actually need to run three A/V receivers simultaneously to manage all my speakers.
In most home theaters, 7.1.4 channels of sound should be plenty enough. Even though the Atmos format (as well as its competitor, DTS:X) can support additional speakers, there hasn’t been much demand for that from consumers or much push from manufacturers to do it. Currently, only boutique high-end products such as the $37,000Trinnov Altitude 32will decode more than 11 channels at once.
Nonetheless, for some of us, a limit of four height channels isn’t enough to fill the top of the room with sound. My own home theater is a long room with a lot of space behind my seats. That, combined with a low ceiling, makes it difficult for just four speakers (two in the front of the room and two in the back) to image a sound above my head convincingly. This issue is compounded by the fact that the locations where I had installed speakers when I built the home theater (before immersive audio was a concern I gave any thought to) were less than ideal for Atmos. Those speakers are now fixed in place with wiring through the walls and ceiling, and I can’t move them without remodeling the room. That simply isn’t an option.
The better solution is to install additional speakers in the center between the other height channels (Top Middle position). Unfortunately, the asking price for that Trinnov processor is absurdly beyond my budget. I needed to find a way to jury-rig a similar effect for a fraction of the cost.
(Video) Dolby Atmos Beyond 7.1.4 - Where to next?
The First Attempt
Iwrote an article last yearexplaining how I had cobbled together a convoluted system (jokingly dubbed “Zatmos”) utilizing a second A/V receiver to derive extra channels on my ceiling. I advise reading that piece to understand the basic concept of how such a thing is possible.
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Even at the time, I was not the only person experimenting with this, and I knew that my Zatmos system was not as ideal as I would have liked it.Over at AVSForum, a member named Scott Simonian had gone even further to use a total ofthree A/V receiversin unison to create a 7.1.6 configuration (affectionately known as “Scatmos”) more accurate to the intentions of the original Dolby Atmos sound mixers.
For a while, I decided not to go that far. The complexity of installing, connecting and configuring three A/V receivers seemed like overkill to me. I felt that the results I had with Zatmos were good enough to get me most of the way there, and I had a certain amount of egotistical pride that I’d figured out a way to do it with just one extra receiver rather than two.
However, in recent months, my attitude changed and I grew less satisfied with the Zatmos configuration. Eventually, I knew that if I was going to do this, I needed to do it right.
(Video) LG's Brand New 770 Watt 7.1.4 Sound Bar With Dolby Atmos & DTS X - LG SoundBar SN11RG REVIEW
Going Full Scatmos
The silly Zatmos and Scatmos nicknames can be more formally grouped under the heading of “Dolby Atmos Extended.” I want to be clear here that I did not develop the Scatmos process. Credit for that goes to Scott Simonian and others at AVSForum who helped him work it out. With his permission, I’m just trying to explain it here.
For as perhaps ridiculously complicated as they may be to install, one of the saving graces of these experiments is that they can be assembled relatively inexpensively. Although your primary A/V receiver must be a Dolby Atmos (or DTS:X) model capable of decoding 7.1.4 channels of sound from a Blu-ray or UHD immersive audio soundtrack, the secondary receivers don’t need to be nearly as fancy. Any receiver that has, at a minimum, Dolby ProLogic II processing will do. (If using multiple secondary receivers, I recommend that they be identical to each other.)
With a little patience while monitoring For Sale ads on my local Craigslist, I managed to pick up a pair of used Marantz SR4400s for well below $100 each. This is a no-frills, entry-level (or close to it) Dolby Digital/DTS model from 2003. It’s so basic that it doesn’t even have an on-screen menu system. I have to set it up using only the front panel display. The receiver doesn’t have HDMI and cannot handle lossless Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio signals, but it doesn’t need to. All it needs is a pair of analog stereo inputs (which any receiver will have) and ProLogic II.
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The simple act of finding a place to put another A/V receiver in my system proved to be far more of an ordeal than I wanted. Because I didn’t have enough space for it on my main equipment shelf, I had to remove all my components, take the shelf apart, rearrange the levels, put most of the equipment back, and hook it up again. Then I had to do the same thing with the second shelf in order to add a level. My Blu-ray and HD DVD players, which had previously been on the main shelf, moved over to the second so that I could keep all the audio equipment together where the speaker wire will reach it. This, in itself, was a tremendous pain to do.
(Video) 4K Home Theater Tour! 7.1.4 ATMOS PLEX UNRAID!
With that finished, here’s the basic idea behind Scatmos: You want to mount six ceiling speakers – in the Top Front, Top Middle and Top Rear positions. (The following sketch does not represent my personal speaker layout, but I’ve drawn it this way to show how itshouldbe done.) Your primary A/V receiver will be set to decode its maximum of 7.1.4 channels, configured as Top Front and Top Rear.
All four of the height channels should be routed to the analog pre-out connections on the primary AVR. You should not attach any speaker wire to those channels on the primary AVR. For all of the height channels, speaker wire will be attached only to the secondary AVRs.
The pre-outs for the Top Front Left and Top Rear Left channels will go into the Right and Left stereo inputs on AVR 2.
(Video) Trinnov Altitude Processors: Breaking the 7.1.4 Surround Barrier
The pre-outs for the Top Front Right and Top Rear Right channels will go into the Left and Right (reversed from AVR 2) stereo inputs on AVR 3.
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If that sounds confusing already, trying to keep it straight while actually connecting the cables and wires can be truly daunting. I strongly recommend drawing a chart that shows what should go where.
When working properly, each of the secondary downstream AVRs should take a stereo signal consisting of part Front and part Rear, and matrix a Middle channel between them using any mono information in common to both (much as ProLogic II would extract a center channel for dialogue in the front of your room between your left and right speakers under normal circumstances). Thus you get six channels of height information from an original four.
(Video) My 2021 7.1.4 Home Theater & Audiophile Stereo System!
That’s the theory, simplified to its most basic elements. Actually getting it to work properly after your connections are made has some added levels of difficulty that I’ll cover soon in Part 2.
Read Part 2
1. Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1.4 on Amazon|Raalmak
2. 747 DOLBY ATMOS DEMO 7.1.4
3. Dolby Atmos Object Demo on 7.1.4 Speakers - 360 Spatial Audio
4. The 5 best Dolby Atmos Movie Scenes to Test your System
5. Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1.4 Channel 600W Dolby Atmos Soundbar with 8 Wireless Subwoofer
6. New Heights in my Atmos Studio (Thanks Billie)
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FAQs
Are Atmos modules worth it? ›
The short answer, yes Atmos add on modules work, and they are a viable and convenient, though compromised alternative, to mounting discrete ceiling speakers.
How do I pass Dolby Atmos? ›If you want to transmit Dolby Atmos from your TV to your AV receiver or soundbar, your TV must be equipped with at least HDMI ARC. As we mentioned above, HDMI ARC works with Dolby Atmos/Dolby Digital Plus, but if your TV is equipped with the newer HDMI eARC standard, it will also work with Dolby Atmos/Dolby TrueHD.
How many speakers do you need to mix in Dolby Atmos? ›While two Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers, modules, or overhead speakers will deliver a compelling experience, we recommend using four if possible. This will deliver more precisely located and realistic overhead sounds.
Which is better Dolby 7.1 or Atmos enabled? ›The sound is deeper and more precise with Dolby Atmos than with conventional Surround 7.1 systems due to the addition of overhead sound and superior calibration software. Developed by Dolby Laboratories, Dolby Atmos is a surround sound system.
Is anything better than Dolby Atmos? ›The higher the bit rate, the better. You'd think that Dolby Atmos, being the more widely known brand name, would be the one with the higher bit rate. However, it's DTS:X has the higher bit rate. Dolby Atmos delivers a slower bit rate.
Does Dolby Atmos actually sound better? ›Does Dolby Atmos Really Make a Difference? Dolby Atmos really makes a difference as it brings a higher sound quality and makes it seem like the sound is coming from all directions. It is the benchmark for theaters, so it makes a huge difference to your home setup.
What is the best way to test Dolby Atmos sound? ›But of course, the one sure fire way to confirm Dolby Atmos is working on your soundbar is to use the best tools you have — your ears. From a surround sound perspective, if you're getting Atmos you should be able to detect sounds as they appear to move from one area of the room to another.
Is eARC necessary for Dolby Atmos? ›Most Dolby Atmos audio can be played through HDMI-ARC using the Dolby Digital Plus codec. HDMI-eARC is required to play lossless Dolby Atmos audio using the Dolby TrueHD codec.
Should I use PCM or passthrough? ›In the discussion PCM vs Passthrough, we can determine that Passthrough technology is better than PCM regarding sound quality and ease of use and is preferred in home theater landscape arrangements. Nevertheless, PCM technology is better at handling multiple audio channels and converting analog sound to digital.
How far away should Atmos enabled speakers be? ›Avoid placing the Dolby Atmos enabled speakers higher than one-half the height of your wall. To avoid an unwanted proximity effect, make sure the speakers are at least 3 feet (0.9 meter) away from listening positions, ideally 5 feet (1.5 meters) or more.
Can I use regular speakers for Dolby Atmos? ›
You can use any speaker in a Dolby Atmos setup. However, you need to consider speaker placement carefully. Dolby recommends the overhead speakers be placed at a height of 7.8 feet (2.4 meters) to 11.7 feet (3.5 meters). Most theater installers mount specially-designed overhead speakers directly into the ceiling.
Should subwoofer be in front or back of room? ›If you're in doubt, put the subwoofer in front of the room. Some audiophiles feel, if a subwoofer is a few feet away from the wall you'll have improved sound quality. It reduces the risk for standing waves and nulls helping to ensure great quality bass.
Which sound is best Dolby Digital or Dolby Atmos? ›Dolby Digital is the name for what has become a family of audio compression technologies. Dolby Atmos, on the other hand, has a superior listening experience in the way it creates a superior illusion.
Is there a Dolby Atmos app? ›Enable Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos by downloading the Dolby Access app and connecting an enabled TV, soundbar, home theater, or monitor to your platform device via HDMI.
Is there a big difference between Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos? ›Dolby Atmos is a surround sound technology built on the codec of Dolby Digital Plus (Dolby Digital Plus is also known as Enhanced AC-3). In addition to the multi-channel surround sound capabilities of Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos adds additional height-based audio channels.
Why DTS is better than Dolby Atmos? ›DTS is encoded at a higher bit rate and therefore is considered by some experts to be better quality. Others argue that Dolby Digital's technology is more advanced and produces better sound quality at a lower bit rate.
Does Netflix support Dolby Atmos? ›You can watch Netflix in Dolby Atmos audio on select TV shows and movies. You need: A Netflix plan that supports streaming in Ultra HD. A Netflix-capable device that can play Dolby Atmos.
Which Dolby Atmos mode is best for music? ›As far as precise location-based game listening goes, the best choice is probably Dolby Atmos with its "performance mode" turned on. That limits the amount of room simulation and EQ applied to the signal, allowing the game's original sound design to come through while still giving a good sense of positional audio.
What is Dolby Atmos supposed to sound like? ›Dolby Atmos takes surround sound to the next level by delivering a true 3D audio experience. Think of it as 4K for your ears. Available in the best soundbars, game consoles, TVs, as well as smaller devices like laptops, phones and headphones, Dolby Atmos is becoming a must-have feature for serious movie fans.
How noticeable is Dolby Atmos? ›Anyone can hear the diffenrence between tradition 5.1/7.1 and Atmos. If you know anyone who has a Dolby Atmos surround set at their place, go there and listen to it. To my ears, Atmos delivers the most complete surround sound today. The added height speakers will make you feel like you're in the movie.
How loud should Atmos speakers be? ›
In a properly calibrated room at 5.1/7.1, the surrounds are down 3dB, so they should be 82dB, not 85dB. When you're calibrating an Atmos room, everything is at 85dB, so you're already hearing the surround speakers 3dB louder than they should be (when listening to 5.1/7.1 content).
Which Netflix Dolby Atmos? ›The Right Subscription Plan
Netflix hosts a few different subscription plans for its users. You'll need the Premium subscription plan which gives you access to Dolby Atmos and Ultra HD (4K) content.
You do not need to have a Dolby Atmos TV to experience Dolby Atmos. It works on almost any TV as long as you have the correct speakers. In fact, most surround sound systems can be used with Dolby Atmos by adding a few extra pieces. Let's talk more about Dolby Atmos requirements and how you can get it in your home.
Can you hear the difference between ARC and eARC? ›Is eARC backwards compatible with ARC? If your TV is HDMI eARC enabled, but your AV amp or soundbar is only compatible with HDMI ARC, you'll likely get a sound – but the bandwidth restrictions of ARC will mean you won't be able to experience the high bitrate audio that eARC can provide.
What type of HDMI cable do I need for Dolby Atmos? ›You're in luck — all you need is a single HDMI cable to connect your TV and soundbar enabled with Dolby Atmos (HDMI 2.0 for ARC should do the trick while HDMI 2.1 is necessary for eARC setups). This is the simplest option and will send audio directly from your TV to your soundbar.
Should I use passthrough with my soundbar? ›So, it's clear that 4k pass-through can give you both stunning audio and video with fewer and more simplified cable connections since it allows “daisy-chaining” of your hardware. You can connect a video source or gaming console to the soundbar first, and then connected the soundbar to your Television.
Why does PCM sound better than Dolby? ›Additionally, Dolby Digital is not compatible with all devices, so it may not be suitable for certain applications. PCM audio is a digital audio format that is uncompressed and lossless. This means that no audio data is lost during the compression process, resulting in a higher quality audio file.
Does PCM pass Dolby Atmos? ›PCM will decode the 7.1 or 5.1 core only and bypass the Atmos encoding. Dolby Atmos is metadata that rides on top of Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby TrueHD which provides the codes for height channels in a Dolby Atmos-compatible surround sound setup.
What are the limitations of Dolby Atmos? ›| Dolby Atmos Pros | Dolby Atmos Cons |
|---|---|
| Expands surround sound to include overhead effects. | Overhead sound cues need to be encoded in the content. |
| More precise placement of sound objects around the room. | Not all content benefits from overhead sound effects. |
You must have at least two height channels for a Dolby Atmos system. Therefore, the minimum number of channels for Dolby Atmos is 2.0. 2, which is a stereo speaker system with two overhead/height speakers. However, Dolby recommends four height speakers for the best 3D experience.
Do I need a new receiver for Dolby Atmos? ›
Just add a Dolby Atmos receiver. So, yes, if you want to take advantage of true Atmos surround you'll need new hardware. But Dolby Digital is still the default for everything, so this isn't a required upgrade. If you're not interested in Atmos, your gear will still work.
Can you get Dolby Atmos with just a soundbar? ›soundbars with height virtualization. Generally speaking, there are two different types of soundbars enabled with Dolby Atmos: those with upward-firing speakers and those that use height virtualization.
What is needed to mix in Dolby Atmos? ›Mixing in Dolby Atmos is processor intensive and requires a higher sample rate and large I/O buffer size. As such, recording audio or performing live with software instruments while mixing in Dolby Atmos is not recommended.
Where should you not put a subwoofer? ›Corners and walls
Try placing your subwoofer in a corner and see how it sounds. However, depending on your floor space, a corner might not be a viable option for your subwoofer if it's too far from your listening area. Additionally, a sub's close proximity to a flat wall can cause a harsh, rumbling, unpleasant sound.
Subwoofer placement in the front of the room is the most common and usually results in the best blending with the main speakers and center channel and minimizes localization effects. Bass is omni-directional.
Where is the best place to put a wireless subwoofer? ›More often than not, subwoofers are placed in the front of the room and facing the room. The front of the room is an ideal location in many rooms so that your subwoofer sounds in sync with your front channel speakers. Even if that doesn't end up being the best spot for you, it's a good place to start.
Does Amazon Prime support Dolby Atmos? ›Amazon Prime Video offers Dolby Atmos as part of its standard subscription. To fully experience Dolby Atmos, you need to first make sure you are watching a series created in the audio format. Be sure to look for the Dolby Atmos badge on the title pages of your favourite series.
Which Dolby version is best? ›Dolby TrueHD
True to the artist's vision, Dolby True HD delivers the best sound possible for movies, music, and TV shows with lossless audio.
7.1.
4 surround format starts with the same configuration as 7.1, but adds four overhead channels (left top, right top, left top surround, and right top surround), placed left and right, both in the front and rear above the listening position.
Dolby Atmos captures the director's intent and brings it intact to any theatre of any size and configuration, from 5.1 and 7.1 up to 64 channels. It ensures that the audience experience is always the best possible for your specific playback environment.
How do I get Dolby Atmos for free? ›
You can also use Dolby Atmos for Home Theater for free. To connect your soundbar or home theater with Dolby Atmos support, go to the Products page in the Dolby Access app. Select the Dolby Atmos for home theater option and click on Setup.
Is Dolby Atmos worth the extra money? ›When asking yourself “Is Dolby Atmos worth it?” you need to think about what you want to use your home theater for. If you want to make your theater as similar to a professional theater as possible and you have the time and means to set the system up, then Dolby is worth it.
Which is better Dolby 7.1 or 4k Atmos? ›The sound is deeper and more precise with Dolby Atmos than with conventional Surround 7.1 systems due to the addition of overhead sound and superior calibration software.
Is Dolby Atmos license worth it? ›Does Dolby Atmos make a difference on headphones? Yes, Dolby Atmos for Headphones makes a difference, even with only two speakers at its disposal. You get a more expansive soundstage that makes your audio sound dynamic and alive.
Is Atmos worth it for gaming? ›Dolby Atmos allows sound to be projected precisely into a three-dimensional space, which means, in theory, you get a better experience when it comes to positional audio. This is great for games where audio makes all the difference, like first-person shooters for example.
Is Arc Atmos worth it? ›TechRadar Verdict. The Sonos Arc is an impressive and premium Dolby Atmos experience even without a subwoofer or extra speakers. New soundbars offer even better positional sound effects, but when it comes to dynamic audio that's perfectly clear from a single-box package, it's as good as you can get for the price.
Is Atmos worth it in a soundbar? ›Yes, Atmos Soundbars are worth the higher price because they give you a more immersive and three-dimensional sound compared to regular soundbars. Thanks to the innovations of object-based sound and vertical audio, you don't just hear sounds from around you but also from above, making the experience more life-like.
Is Dolby Atmos a 1 time purchase? ›You can also activate Dolby Atmos for Headphones with a one-time purchase in the Dolby Access app, or purchase select partner headsets that include Dolby Atmos for Headphones activation.
Why pay for Dolby Atmos? ›Advantages of Dolby Atmos for Headphones
This is mainly attributed to the increased height to spatial sounds which provides a more realistic sound experience. Can also work for Home Theaters: This software isn't only exclusive for headphones. It works on any other sound system like your home theater setup.
Dolby Atmos averages around 6,000 kbps when a 48kHz sampling rate is used. But Atmos can be encoded losslessly at up to 24-bit/192kHz, which results in bit rates that can soar as high as 18,000 kbps.