My sister came round and watched a few films at mine over Xmas and was wowed by my system, I told her it was a Dolby vision and Atmos movie. Well, she went off and without asking for help bought a Sony soundbar that said "Atmos" it's 3.1 🤦🏻♂️.
I’d also add that upfiring speakers work very poorly in my experience. I used to have a couple of those on top of my tower stereo speakers and I couldn’t help but hear their sound coming f directly from them rather than from the ceiling. When I eventually decided to sell them and install speakers on the ceiling, the difference was day and night.
@@dreyn7780 Actually my "race car" (Klipsch R14M + $50 wall mounts) costed half what I paid for the "street car" (Klipsch R14SA Atmos speakers), the rest was just the hassle of cable managing. The upfiring speakers cost a lot more than normal speakers mostly because, manufacturers have to pay royalties to Dolby Labs to put the logo on them. My HT is in the living-room of my small flat, no hundred-thousands dollars basement "Home Cinema" (with treated walls and all the rest) like some lucky people have in their houses (the real sport-cars of HT). So, I'm afraid the one who wrote a dumb answer is not me. (Scary how people can be childish over 40 yrs old).
I have a Samsung soundbar. Playing an Atmos demos, I have got the overhead sound. With that said, it's not often and I find that most movies don't event use it properly
Agreed, lots of Atmos Mixes could use a better implementation of overhead channels, however keep in mind that with Atmos soundbars to function as intended the room, adequate ceiling and placement are key, especially 2020 models that came without an auto calibration feature. The distance between the listening position and the soundbar should be the same distance as the listening position and the rear surrounds, if not you might loose a lot from the overhead channels or not hear them at all. So unfortunately the experience is different for everyone, too many variables
@@Braconara1981 There's a good Dolby Atmos Tone test thing. From the front overheads, I can pretty clearly hear the noise coming from above me. However, I have a small living room and the speaking are at the side of my head and not behind. When it fires the rear up firing speakers, I don't hear it from above.
@@johnblaze8774 yeah dude i totally get you, that was my situation previously too. Since the surrounds are so close to your ears you just hear the sound directly from them not overhead, unfortunately lowering down the levels of the upper firing speakers did not solve the issue for me. Once I had 1.5 metres distance between myself and the surrounds i really started appreciating how capable the system is
My man! I fall into that category perfectly. I never really thought about my audio setup until the pandemic started and with all the terminology and product naming nomenclature I was lost. It wasn't until I found your channel that I started learning so much more. Thanks for the informative content!
@@sal6830 lots of it is wrong information. If it says SONY's version of their soundbar with added atmos, then you should realize its NOT atmos's atmos. If it's SONY's upwards firing soundbar then its not supposed to be joe wankers upwards firing speakers. GROW UP children. Its YOU who is unreasonable. It doesn't say its atmos's atmos with atmos added to atmos blowing out the atmos. We're Allowed to buy a different atmos to you. When the pyramids were first offered for sale, I heard this same rediculas gossip.
4:54 Actually, I have a HTZ9F and I swear despite lacking up firing speakers, I still feel encompassed in a sound bubble. HOWEVER I WILL ADMIT I have a small room and I bought the accompanying rear speaker kit several Sony bars DON'T have that filled in the back... EDIT: Also simulated or not, you'll get object based sound.
This has been one of the largest issues with home theater in general for 20 + years. Mis/disinformation there should be a standard on how those words are used. Same thing happened with TV's when things were going to HD there's a huge difference between accepting a full HD signal and displaying one. Yet there were all kinds of TV's that said "Full HD" but were native 720p.
I just pulled the trigger on a 5.1.2 system. I decided to try and rig up two bookshelf speakers to my ceiling (vaulted beam) for the atmos effects. I think it'll be way better than trying to bounce anything off my ceiling. I just need to figure out how to not have these klipsch speakers fall on my head. Those keyhole mounts don't leave much room for Jerry rigging
I'm hopeful as well and I agree. The dts X tracks that I've heard, particularly the last 2 Jurassic Park movies, outclass the Atmos mixes that Ive heard. Fidelity, sound object movement and overall dynamics and sound cohesion. Everything just jumped out at me after hearing many Atmos mixes and then hearing a handful of Dts X movies on the same system. It doesn't make sense. They should, overall, sound about the same, but dts sounds noticably more immersive, for most of the few movies I've watched.
DTS X won’t be on streaming anytime soon. I don’t believe there is a “lossy” version of it. It’s like streaming TrueHD Atmos. Dolby found a good way to deliver Atmos over DD+, and can be done over like 480kpbs
Perfectly said, I agree. I tried countless sound bars that are “Dolby atmos” with virtual software and nothing compared to physically having upwards firing speakers!! Example Sonos arc. Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍁
@@RC-qc2nz I agree. Having upward firing speakers, to me, is the equivalent of having 5.1 Surround Sound from a single sound bar. Dedicated height speakers are the way to go.
@@LRon-ef7ni The bar I got only had 2x10w upfiring speakers, but 180w LCR. Even the add on rears were 2x60w. So the height sound disappeared when volume was up. I'm happy with 5.1, as a lot of my discs are dvd with about 150 blurays. If you have right conditions for ceiling speakers though, I would definitely go for it 🙃
As much as I love awesome sound, I think I am getting too old for all of this new tech. I own a direct drive Turntable with a Ortofon Blue. In my youthful years (22 years ago) I did projection at an AMC Theater with 35mm film projectors and SDDS 7.1 was all the rage, and most SDDS was 5.1 5.1 or 5.2 sounds great. I am a huge DTS fan and for 20+ years it's been my digital format of choice. I think speakers play a huge roll in the quality of sound, more so than Dolby Pro Logic vs Dolby Digital vs Dolby Atmos. Crap speakers make crap sound no matter how you have them arranged. Do what I do to test speakers and use the pipe organ test with some low notes. Can you feel it? No, then it's not worth buying. I am picky about my audio but I can't tell if it's coming from the ceiling or the floor and I don't really care. Atmos is a gimmick and unless your using Atmos for VR, Stick to 5.2 or 6.2 with DTS. It's the tried and the true and my first choice for my home theater which I built 15 years ago. DLP 1080P HD with Dolby 5.1 with KLH speakers and a Polk audio Sub. Great sound, awesome sound comes from many physical speakers not a sound bar. Do the work, spend the time with plenty of research and the end result with sound amazing. My theater took 6 months to build but 15 years later it still sounds awesome!
@@andrewbarnum5040 I had a prologic TV then a Dolby digital one, and used to be in awe of being able to control the centre, rears and subwoofer on the TV remote in the mid 90s. Even though prologic was one rear channel between left and right, it felt like the world. Then having DD 5.1 TV with rears for dvds, was amazing. Look at the world now. This stuff is prehistoric 🙃
I have realised it for some time. At the beginning I was a bit upset with Dolby selling everything as Dolby Atmos when it really isn't the best experience someone could get, but afterwards I started to see the advantage in it. Having more people buying and consuming stuff under the brand "Dolby Atmos" makes it easier to convince studios, broadcasters, music producers, etc. to deliver Atmos content. Most people will not bother to only being able to access a binaural version of Atmos, they might even enjoy. At the same time, the same content it is being delivered in a fuller version for those with equipment able to decode and reproduce it. In the end everyone gets happy, people who don't care, just want an easy way to consume "cinema sound", those who do care and want every penny spent in their system count and Dolby selling their thing. I've watched a workshop in which someone who worked directly with the biggest broadcaster here in Brazil say how Atmos is better to work with than 5.1 because of the better way it is downmixed thanks to the metadata, so they don't have to care about doing two different mixes. So, thanks to that scalability we are able to see more Atmos content around than we would without it (See atmos music for example).
Up-firing speakers in a soundbar is only marginally more effective then well done virtual surround processing. Some virtual processing is a gimmick, but there are others that give a very convincing effect. Point is you can't just judge how well a product will produce atmos based on number of channels it claims, or has. Upfiring speakers just sound like they are coming from the front anyway unless they have a significant baffle to block the front audio bleed, and no sound bar really does.
One additional note / food for thought: Upward firing speakers (attempting to bounce sound off of the ceiling...) are (is) not a good height speaker solution. High-end upward firing speakers do a mediocre job at best, even with good conditions for this setup - If you want sound from a given location, install a speaker there if it is physically possible, and within your budget.
hello, although this vid is a year old it still holds true! ty. I started my home theater plunge with the first Plasma tv and at that time only had 5.1. I just recently set up my home theater up after it being in the closet for 10 years, don't ask, lol.but I've gone to a 5.1.2 my Marantz 7013 will upscale to a 9.2.4 which is my ultimate goal. ty sir for shining a BRIGHT light on marketing ploys within this industry, I'm sharing this to ALL my social platforms to inform others as well, thanks again, I throughly enjoy all your vids.
I’ve wondered the same thing! I’ve been wanting to play around with at least 5.1 surround sound in my videos. Maybe I’ll start doing that on my Patreon as an exclusive download, since TH-cam won’t support it? 🤷♂️😄
It sucks with all the LImaxes out there. Most good ones are at museums and science centers but don't play many mainstream films. There are a few limaxs I've been to that do produce the sound well, but fall short on the screen side
I totally agree and HATE Dolbys marketing and most Atmos mixes are crap even on disk. Don't get me wrong there are some very good mixes as well but absolutely no standards.
The htx8500 does have built-in sub I've had a subwoofer that went out on my old Soundbar so I had to run the Soundbar without it and you could tell it didn't have any thump but I got the htx8500 for a small room that didn't require a dedicated subwoofer and you can tell it it definitely had some rumble to it
I completely agree! Also, Atmos music feels even worse to me. Dolby is pushing Atmos music as the future and talking about it as if it's the only way to listen, but where are the artists and producers who actually care? So many of the artists I follow will tweet about the most intricate details of their work, but never mention the atmos mix of their newest album once. If it's so good, you'd think they'd mention it. And you'd think they'd post themselves listening to it over pictures of it playing on stereo speakers. I feel that in music, atmos mixes themselves have become a marketing gimmick.
You are so right regarding the inappropriate use of marketing. Especially when the marketing implies an immersive experience that are not possible. But there is something positive to be said regarding a device's ability to render an Atmos mix to whatever speakers are available. Hopefully processing the sound into something enjoyable. I really like Atmos and think it should become standard as it has can work with for all types of sound reproduction scenarios. Dolby Atmos is not just about the theatrical experience, it's about reliable reproduction.
This sort of reminded me back in the 1960's when you could buy transistorized radios from Japan that had 9 transistors, but only a few of them were actually in the circuit, the rest of them weren't connected and simply mounted to the board to up the count so technically it was true, they had 9 (or more transistors). Sounds like somebody took a page from that playbook and just because it has the hardware to decode ATMOS for X speaker channels, it doesn't appear to have all the hardware to accurately reproduce it. Perhaps they are expecting the user to add additional hardware to fill out those remaining speaker channels? My Denon has 8 amplifier outputs but decodes 11 paths, 1 is for the powered bass amp and so those last two I will have to add my own amplifier to power those last two speakers, but I think they still advertise it as a 7.1.4 system if I am not mistaken. I'll admit without a good handle on the terminology (which I barely have at best), this can all be so confusing.
PREACH, brother! PREACH! I could not agree more. A freakin' 2.1 soundbar with Atmos is an insult to any surround sound enthusiast. Maybe Dolby (and their licensed partner manufacturers) should start charging the same price for their AV receivers and soundbars. If they're so proud of that Atmos soundbar, then let's make the receiver and speaker system equal pricing. I mean, it's all Atmos, right??
We should mention : The father of Atmos/dts-x is Dolby Prologic II x with AAC+ Decoding. That's why we can find even today AVI or MKV with AAC 5.1 audio coding. Means that the digital transmission is in 2 audio channels (L/R) and a 3rd data channel with commands to rip off specific digital audio parts and send them to rear L/R, center, and height channels. Yes, height channels 😀. I have Fidelio B5 and ii use often Dolby Prologic II and AAC 5.1 movies. Because the speakers are oriented 45' and some sensors, i have amazing sound effects of rain, city ambient, thunder s, wind , above nearby the celling...and this wihout Atmos Atmos with real speakers is more for dedicated room for as home cinema, not for living rooms... Atmos inbuild in soundbars are good for small-medium rooms, even so, hard to control the bouncing from roof...
Well said Ealan. Good for calling out the bullshit soundbar gear. These are the typical culprits who taint, mislead and even disenchant ignorant newbies taking their first steps into great home theater.
Thanks for great insight to the Dolby atmos marketing game. You mentioned that even if Soundbar has .2 upward firing speakers that could be weak, what should I be looking for in the power of those .2 upward firing speakers as a good average
Can you give me more specific details on it? I’m Googling it, but only finding things about Dolby Digital Plus which has been around for quite some time…thanks!
I've bought LG SL10Y + 2 Rear speakers and couldn't undarstand why it won't switch to Dolby Atmos mode in movies which support it. Thing is-i haven't ebabled sound path through and wondered for nearly a MONTH what am i doing wrong lol.
Having stereo ears, it's amazing our brains can even process rear channels let alone height. And when the brain is overwhelmed by trying to follow an action scene, it basically compresses our understanding of sound down to mono. Precious few content even supports Atmos, let alone the getting hardware that fully supports it. I was surprised to learn that my PS4 Pro doesn't support Atmos, but Chromecast 4K does. So I can't experience Atmos on my Hobbit trilogy BluRays which are mixed for Atmos, but I can get it (compressed) over Netflix and Disney+... and I too can confirm that even though John McClane has been re-encoded with height information for better immersion, you won't notice it at all because your brain will be too busy watching people shoot each other.
Bose Soundbar 900 is probably your best bet under $1,000. But by itself, it’s still just okay. It’s not until you add the subwoofer and rear surrounds that the experience is much better. But at that point, it’s much more than $1,000, unfortunately. 🤷♂️
Regarding those sound bars that can decode Atmos but can't actually produce it, do any of them have an audio out jack so you could add extra speakers so you could get the atmos effect
Man I'm really lucky to start out with a 5.1 HTIB Sony system from my childhood. It sounded so awesome to me that it REALLY helped me steer clear of soundbars and dive deep into learning about Dolby Atmos and DTS:X before making any upgrades!
I was wondering how soundbars can produce Dolby atmos audio.now after listening you i am convinced i am not wrong.you exposed hollowness of manufacturers' marketing comics to sell their products to customers who do not have any tech. knowledge.thank you very much sir,for en lighting customers.
Of all the guys on TH-cam that talks about dolby atmos and all that nonsense you are the only one that are not afraid to say it all those things you said about dolby atmos on 3.1 soundbar so on and so on I'll be saying that for the longest, is a fake dolby atmos, thank you for saying it the way it is. Even the soundbars that the atmos bounce on the ceiling to you there are not a real dolby atmos. That's why I have my Sony 1080 5.1.2 receiver so I can listen to real dolby atmos, thank you Mr Ealan you are the man. I knew I was right.
What are your thoughts on high-end soundbars? The Samsung Q960A paired with a QE77QN95A in Q-symphony totally blew my mind. That might not count as a soundbar anymore, since you have 13.1.4 physical speakers, but I will count it in because because it is markedet as a soundbar.
Yeah, high end “sound bars” are different because they have the hardware AND software to back up any claims of a good Atmos experience. And the more expensive it is, the more powerful it will be, which is what you need in order to truly hear any sound bouncing off your ceiling. 🤘
I got almost the same setup, only with the QN90A with S61A soundbar only no woofer,it was free with the TV in sales,I was pleasantly surprised with how the soundbar throws sounds around the room, it'll never be a surround but it's a good for the minimalist set up
It’s as bad as slapping the THX logo on tiny computer speakers. If you want the DOLBY ATMOS experience , you’ll have to bite the bullet and ditch the sound bar option completely. Biting the bullet, I mean spending $10k to $30k easily on a processor or receiver, amps, speakers, subs, tv or projector, the list goes on.
And don't forget HT room with sound treated sofa, carpet etc....its ridiculous ....and the one more thing....the media itself....majority of people now content with Netflix....surround sound for home theater just a gimmick!
@@JdMetal I’ve totally switched over to physical media, started out buying only digital, once I found out digital media is compressed, however, it’s still very good, just leagues behind physical media. Sadly, I’ve seen month after month, the big box stored physical media is slowly dwindling away 😔
@@cruzgallegos5071 yep... it's more convenient and cheaper to stream now, for majority of people...physical media will phase out eventually.....like how there's no physical media for PC games for decades....heck even new modern pc doesn't have any cd drive...
I've had several soundbars and a surround sound package but it was only when I purchased an budget AVR and a pair of budget stereo speakers that I realised what I had been missing (stereo imaging, thumping base) besides going down this route one can always add to it overtime! subwoofer, surround speakers you could even get height speakers to get the full 'non-virtual' Dolby Atmos experience. Nowadays AVRs are so simple to setup, they even walk you through the process! "Remember movies are made up of 50% visuals and 50% audio and there are occasions when the audio out does the visuals"
Agree but to bad AVRs are so fat and for me, there is no way to include one. Would need to change the complete furniture lol. I had to go with a small soundbar unfortenately
you're damn right Ealan, I'm one of those who gave up on movie theaters and steeled for home theater thanks to covid19, now I lay back at home enjoying all the Dolby Atmos, DTSx, and Auro 3D content that I can lay my hands on with a 75" Sony smart UHD TV and the Marantz RS 7013 and 7.1.4 channels, front stage hooked to 3 Channel amp.
Certainly good information. I recently purchased the LG SP11RA Atmos soundbar and now I’m just waiting for the LG C1 OLED before I unbox and set it up!
I've the klipsch reference theater pack My reciever is 7 channels not 9 channels . Should I use the front L And R Heights Or the rear L And R heights or just leave it as a 5.1 set up
Depends on your furniture placement, how far you are from your TV, etc. Usually you start with the front heights, but I’d experiment with rear heights too, just in case. 🤘
@@ealanosborne about 7 to 8 feet id say - my AVR Is Denon 7.2 channels - I got everything g at Costco after watching your video about klipsch reference theater pack 5.1.4 - im using g it as 5.1 setup now and it sound lime AweSomeNess PerSoNiFied - I plan to but another sub soon. As Well for a 5.2 setup
2.1-3.1 or 4.1 setup, you only get the effect on a single center listening position, I know ...because I have been experiencing 3D or surround from the old Dolby AC-3 on Aureal 3D PC positioning audio system. Conclusion: having all the effect in front of any kind of sound bar(your room acoustic are more challenging to setup for full effect...)*and advertising didn't cover that topic infact you need a good acoustic space to really enjoy the sound... Not to mention the multi speaker the Dolby atmos needs to setup for those kind of sound effect.
Up-firing is only for those specific situations where you cannot get in-ceilings in place. But even then, Dolby states in its white paper that if your ceiling isn't flat or greater than 11', don't bother.
This is all so true. I sell these things all day and I'm telling ya, it's incredibly misleading. You'd also be surprised at how many every day consumers really don't give a crap about Atmos.
True, only HT enthusiasts will adapt it and go to great lengths installing ceiling mounted Atmos speakers and calibrating and recalibrating every time someone so much as Fart loudly and move the sweet spot off by a smidgen! Or god forbid, fart loud while running Audyssey!
I want a 5.2.4 configuration with 4 in ceiling speakers. I’m considering separates. You are right, physical media is better. I wonder what it would take to able to stream an uncompressed signal.
I have a 7.4.4 setup and it really only shines with 4k blu ray disc's, streaming atmos on Netflix or Disney is definitely not as good, it's nice, but lacks alot of dynamics an the LFE effects are usually lacking
Bro..we tramsmit data over wireless speaker or system but wires system relays voltage and current ..amplifier amplify voltage not data..if receiver system will not amplify received data before supplying to speakers performance will degrade...other words, data would have to be converted in to voltage before supply to speakers as intense as wired.
i got a vizio 5.1.2 soundbar because i live in small apartment. the atmos isn't really there. it does envelope you in sound but i never hear detailed audio from above and have the height setting to the highest level. if it wasn't for my wife i'd have a 5.1.4 with receiver in our apartment lol
I cannot add a rear one so would like 3.1.2 setup, but all the soundbars are utter shite. I just want 2 speakers above, LCR soundbar not 2.0, and a sub out. But try and find that. Only the highest end ones do that (€3000 and up). Oh hell no.
Hmmm…have you tried looking into the WiSA Platin Monaco system? It’s 5.1, but can be configured as 3.1.2, and they are separate LCR speakers, so you can make the soundstage as narrow or as wide as you want. And it’s as easy to setup as a sound bar. 🤷♂️ Food for thought! 👍
Wish I could share a ss of my phone settings, but my S21+ has a Dolby Atmos section. It really bugs me they try to claim this. Maybe there is some form of processing coming from this, but certainly there's no bouncing of the audio coming out of the 2 little tweeters on this thing
As someone who owns a sound bar set up, I agree with your points. With my setup (bar, rears, and sub) , I am comfortable calling it 5.1. Even though the bar has upward firing speakers and technically makes my setup 5.1.2, I don't think the tiny speakers they put on sounders are powerful enough to create convincing Dolby Atmos in most rooms a sounder will be used in. Side note: I think it i disingenuous when a sound bar says it can do more than 3 channels on its own. I think if the sound bar box says 5.0, 7.0, 9.0 or 11.0, it's realistically 3.0. I think having the extra speakers will help with the immersion, but it all still sounds like it is coming from the front if you focus your hearing on what you are listening to.
works fine with samsung q80T 65inch tv with q950a soundbar. i also have the soundbar q950t but that one has a few problems and 1-2 times / week last year i needed to restart all sistem by unplug it to electricity. why to unplug ? because at netflix movies with dolby atmos changed to 5.1 sourround
Good stuff. Interesting take. The one and ONLY thing you forgot to mention is what happened to me. I bought a Samsung soundbar with the upfiring speakers for the exact same reason you mention (small room, had to run wires, etc.). Thinking I'm going to get a fully immersive experience. However, they failed to mention since it was new tech that the soundbars DO NOT WORK WITH A VAULTED CEILING. Nothing to "bounce" off of. The ceiling has to be squared off. The height effect just ran up it. I got Samsung R1 speakers and controlled it with their app so side and front immersion was ok but nothing height related. About 6 months later we found a new house with an unfinished basement and I dove into the actual home theater setup of 5.2.2. Having true height speakers makes all the difference in the world. IMO if you really want immersion save your money on "Atmos" until you can really do it.
No. It has no upward firing speakers like the Sonos Arc, so it’ll still be a “virtual” Atmos experience through audio processing. But I haven’t experienced it in person, so I can’t 100% say it’s not exactly as advertised. 🤷♂️ But my guess is no.
You are totally right, when I was doing my research about atmos the most I could find was that atmos is "a experience" not a product. So basically they can slap the branding on everything they "technically support". Now playing devils advocate and I know that "defending" greedy corporations is very stupid but... What about the ability to decode atmos on low end sound bars, but the ability to connect additional speakers with the upper firing drivers that would give an end product with real atmos? let's say a 3.0 sound bar that the user can later buy some addon rear speakers to get rear and height channels, making it a 5.0.2. I guess this is a just a fantasy on current market, there is not such thing now but if the main unit supports it, gives the ability for "future-proof" these devices in some pretty niche cases.
Have you heard of 'driving' experience? Only YOU experienced your driving atmosphere. I bought a whole different driving atmospheric experience. Its okay to just buy the sony soundbar atmospheric experience. You don't need to shoot atmos into the roof. I don't need to go buy the Rolls-Royce phantom ghost mark 500235.56 with the optional sports package with e waste added. You're A male perfectionist GOSSIP.
I almost bought the Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1.4 but it seems it’s only a virtual Atmos due to not having upfiring speakers. Ended up with $940 brand new Q950T from Amazon! Also how do you rate the Beam Gen 2 for its virtual atmos performance?
The only decent Atmos on a soundbar you're going to get is on the Sonos or Samsung top tier Atmos soundbars. Especially the Samsung Q950T & Q950A that to my ears offer the best Atmos bubble on the market.
It's a fair point. We all have two ears and a brain - that creates a 3d soundscape in our mind. So what Atmos let's you do then, with some clever processing and some trickery that mimics how our ears/brain interpret sound, is to create a 3d surround soundscape with as little as a beefy stereo (equivalent to a 2.1 system) or decent set of headphones. However, in practice, the more speakers you surround yourself with, in as many dimensions as you can, the less processing or trickery you need. Because the sound actually *is* coming from all around you, rather than being processed in a way that makes it like some kind of audible illusion.
Most upward firing soundbars suck as well.. lg dsn8, samsung q700a or below etc. I have spoken to so many people that think an ht a7000 is the same as a q700a just because on the box it says atmos, 7.1.2 and --watt..
Yep 100% agree. Sad to say I have a new receiver and am sort of upset about the amount of distortion on this thing. It's not a cheap one either about twice the cost of the one it replaces with less power.
So how does Dolby Atmos work in soundbars. I know there are upfirering speakers. But how does it appear that the sound is coming from different directions. I understand in surround sound system where there are actually speakers there. But with soundbars if someone has a lot of furniture wouldn't it just absorb the surround sound and you'd only hear the sound from the front.
Honestly the only sound bars that can give a pretty decent Atmos experience are the more expensive kind - $1,000+. They have the power to drive those upward firing speakers more. And some have room calibration software installed. That’s a huge factor, taking into account the layout of your room, etc. Sonos Arc and some Samsung sound bars have room calibration in them. Jonah Matthes just posted a 2021 Atmos sound bar video you should check out. 👍
Heck yea i adore DTX NEUTRAL X sound i have the Nakamichi 9ss ultra sound bar and is so amazing how dtx sounds on it so I can't wait for the IMAX enhanced audio from Disney+ and Paramount + ,great Intel keep up the good work
I can understand your point Ealan, but what is the sense of Dolby Atmos for headphones? Headphones have no "height channel", so why Dolby Atmos exists on headphones?
Exactly…I’ve listened to Atmos for Headphones, and I wasn’t sure why I should’ve been blown away. Didn’t make much of a difference. There are headphones out there that supposedly create a realistic 3D Atmos experience, but they cost as much as a car, so… 🤷♂️
Great enlighten Video but You mentioned Nothing about the Requirement that Your TV must be eARC (Dolby Atoms Compatible). What is the whole story here PLZ. A follow up Video is needed SOON Bro.
Great video!! I'm glad you are shining the light on this topic. DA and dts:x must have upward firing speakers at minimum to be considered the experience. I prefer dts x as well.
no one has play midrange on a 15 inch subwoofer before but everyone automatically believes midrange is good to play on the 15 inch subwoofer but when I try playing midrange on my 15 inch subwoofer I learned that the midrange can only be good on my 15 inch subwoofer and I have the most flattest frequency response since I started playing the midrange on my 15 inch subwoofer
Great video as usual Ealan. I'm thinking of going from soundbar to a Atmos receiver 7.2 channel setup. Is the Sony 790 receiver still the best Atmos budget receiver in 2021? I'm also looking at the Jamo s 803's with the Atmos module on top. Thanks.
Yes, the Sony is the best for the price. Although I'm not sure if you have a Costco membership, but their exclusive Denon S760H is better, but I'm not sure if it's in stock right now. It's very popular, and it's 8K, HDMI 2.1 so it's future proof. 👍
Good video.. Was talking abt this with a friend last week. It doesn't make sense that a system that has no satellite speakers can give a decent enough atmos experience. Even if we are talking abt up firing speakers, logically you will hear the sound from the front first (unless it really fires sound in one direction) before it bounces of the ceiling and you still need to take account of the ceiling height and the room size and your position. Unfortunately, we can't test soundbars at retail shop in a proper environment to make a good judgement before purchasing
To me Atmos is not synonyms with height, but rather with "objects + spatially-info" instead of than discrete channels... but for most people the notable difference is speaker above. This could potentially revolutionize the home cinama setups if the actual speaker locations were used for decoding rather than some pre-imposed speaker locations. I haven't upgraded to Atmos but i suspect the home theater variants do not take advantage of this.
"To me Atmos is not synonyms with height, but rather with "objects + spatially-info" instead of than discrete channels". This is correct and it's the problem I have with this video. The video is saying that if you don't have overhead channels with overhead/upfiring speakers then you don't have ATMOS. That's not true. ATMOS uses the spatial information about each object to assign them to the consumer's available channels during playback instead of having the audio pre-assigned to the channels when the movie is being mixed by the studio like in a regular 5.1 or 7.1 mix. The technology ALLOWS the use of overhead channels if present but they are not required in order to have ATMOS.
THANK YOU 🙏.... I've been saying for ages that the audio from a disc is far better then any streaming service!..... With a crappy Internet anyway I enjoy pure physical media far better 👍
Why buy sound bars for home theater ? sound bars just to compliment the yucky sound from every thin panel modern TVs...that's it! It removes the clutter of the traditional bookshelf and floorstanding speakers.....and also to save space in your living area where majority of people put their TV. How the sound bars can even replaced the home theater setup even they can't even properly project a good at least stereo sound with the bar itself that sits below your tv at the center?
I think this opens the doors for WiSA systems to come into play, if the sound bar can decode atmos, then the WiSA pick for focus on lowering latency, improving sound quality, or reducing price. And if your sound bar is WISA ready, you may not even need a pick and can just wireless add more physical speakers while keeping the sound bar as your center channel!
I was thinking, what about to "upgrade" old good AV 7.1 (For example Denon A1SE/SR) with external Dolby Atmos process and reconnect it with 8 analogue cables, then FX channels used as ceiling, this should work, if AV will be in Direct mode. Question is how much separate processor can cost? :-)
A thought... some of the soundbars push sound through holes in the top of the device to get that sound to reflect upwards. My theory as a novice is that would increase the soundstage at best, but they say this can be calibrated by software and/or a wire rear speakers mic to determine effective surround sound. I am sure once you add computer software you are entering virtual territory. They need to add or be forced to state Virtual Dolby Atmos. For example the Samsung devices have expansions. So it can become more than 3.0 and more like 3.x.x. Meaning potential vs real. Again they need to add a statement with expansion.
I beefed up mine this year. A treat of a denon x3700h and a 100w amp to power the last set of height channels. A buddy of mine wants to beef his up by buying my onkyo tx-nr575 off if me but doesnt understand that he can't use 7.1 in his living room. He has his 5.1 system set up terribly to where nothing is lined up well and panning objects don't follow whats on screen well. He would benefit from Sony's new wireless system even though it costs a pretty penny but because his living room is so weird it needs it.
Yeah, exactly. Weird living rooms are in desperate need of signal processing and room calibration more than anything. And apparently that Sony can handle anything. 🤘
My sister came round and watched a few films at mine over Xmas and was wowed by my system, I told her it was a Dolby vision and Atmos movie. Well, she went off and without asking for help bought a Sony soundbar that said "Atmos" it's 3.1 🤦🏻♂️.
Lol that’s awesome
@@rossharper1983 Does it go to 11?🙃
I’d also add that upfiring speakers work very poorly in my experience. I used to have a couple of those on top of my tower stereo speakers and I couldn’t help but hear their sound coming f directly from them rather than from the ceiling. When I eventually decided to sell them and install speakers on the ceiling, the difference was day and night.
So a race car experience IS different to a street car experience.
Thanks for that dumbo.
What I experienced from my setup wasn't What you experienced.
@@dreyn7780 damn why do you have to be bitter and mean about it lol. Salty and unloved probably
What soundbar do you have ? Maybe it's specifically the model you have that's not behaving correctly?
@@cornpop2630 true.
@@dreyn7780 Actually my "race car" (Klipsch R14M + $50 wall mounts) costed half what I paid for the "street car" (Klipsch R14SA Atmos speakers), the rest was just the hassle of cable managing. The upfiring speakers cost a lot more than normal speakers mostly because, manufacturers have to pay royalties to Dolby Labs to put the logo on them.
My HT is in the living-room of my small flat, no hundred-thousands dollars basement "Home Cinema" (with treated walls and all the rest) like some lucky people have in their houses (the real sport-cars of HT).
So, I'm afraid the one who wrote a dumb answer is not me. (Scary how people can be childish over 40 yrs old).
I have a Samsung soundbar. Playing an Atmos demos, I have got the overhead sound. With that said, it's not often and I find that most movies don't event use it properly
Agreed, lots of Atmos Mixes could use a better implementation of overhead channels, however keep in mind that with Atmos soundbars to function as intended the room, adequate ceiling and placement are key, especially 2020 models that came without an auto calibration feature. The distance between the listening position and the soundbar should be the same distance as the listening position and the rear surrounds, if not you might loose a lot from the overhead channels or not hear them at all. So unfortunately the experience is different for everyone, too many variables
@@Braconara1981 There's a good Dolby Atmos Tone test thing. From the front overheads, I can pretty clearly hear the noise coming from above me. However, I have a small living room and the speaking are at the side of my head and not behind. When it fires the rear up firing speakers, I don't hear it from above.
@@johnblaze8774 yeah dude i totally get you, that was my situation previously too. Since the surrounds are so close to your ears you just hear the sound directly from them not overhead, unfortunately lowering down the levels of the upper firing speakers did not solve the issue for me. Once I had 1.5 metres distance between myself and the surrounds i really started appreciating how capable the system is
My man! I fall into that category perfectly. I never really thought about my audio setup until the pandemic started and with all the terminology and product naming nomenclature I was lost. It wasn't until I found your channel that I started learning so much more. Thanks for the informative content!
Aw man, what great compliments. I truly appreciate your kind words. 😊🤘
Exactly the same thing happened to me and huge fan of Ealan's channel.
Lots of people are living in the past.
Learning never stops.
@@sal6830 lots of it is wrong information.
If it says SONY's version of their soundbar with added atmos, then you should realize its NOT atmos's atmos.
If it's SONY's upwards firing soundbar then its not supposed to be joe wankers upwards firing speakers.
GROW UP children.
Its YOU who is unreasonable.
It doesn't say its atmos's atmos with atmos added to atmos blowing out the atmos.
We're Allowed to buy a different atmos to you.
When the pyramids were first offered for sale, I heard this same rediculas gossip.
4:54 Actually, I have a HTZ9F and I swear despite lacking up firing speakers, I still feel encompassed in a sound bubble.
HOWEVER I WILL ADMIT I have a small room and I bought the accompanying rear speaker kit several Sony bars DON'T have that filled in the back...
EDIT: Also simulated or not, you'll get object based sound.
This has been one of the largest issues with home theater in general for 20 + years. Mis/disinformation there should be a standard on how those words are used.
Same thing happened with TV's when things were going to HD there's a huge difference between accepting a full HD signal and displaying one. Yet there were all kinds of TV's that said "Full HD" but were native 720p.
Or worse yet "HD Ready", meaning it could accept a high def signal... and proceed to display it at 640x480.
I just pulled the trigger on a 5.1.2 system. I decided to try and rig up two bookshelf speakers to my ceiling (vaulted beam) for the atmos effects. I think it'll be way better than trying to bounce anything off my ceiling. I just need to figure out how to not have these klipsch speakers fall on my head. Those keyhole mounts don't leave much room for Jerry rigging
I hope DTS X starts being used on other streaming apps, I feel they have better immersive sound in their movie soundtracks
Wishful thinking but it won't happen. I don't even think Disney+ will ever get it
I'm hopeful as well and I agree. The dts X tracks that I've heard, particularly the last 2 Jurassic Park movies, outclass the Atmos mixes that Ive heard. Fidelity, sound object movement and overall dynamics and sound cohesion. Everything just jumped out at me after hearing many Atmos mixes and then hearing a handful of Dts X movies on the same system. It doesn't make sense. They should, overall, sound about the same, but dts sounds noticably more immersive, for most of the few movies I've watched.
@@JGisMe2013 Dolby Atmos will be coming to Disney+ within the next 6 months.
@@MovieUniversity nice
DTS X won’t be on streaming anytime soon. I don’t believe there is a “lossy” version of it. It’s like streaming TrueHD Atmos. Dolby found a good way to deliver Atmos over DD+, and can be done over like 480kpbs
Perfectly said, I agree. I tried countless sound bars that are “Dolby atmos” with virtual software and nothing compared to physically having upwards firing speakers!! Example Sonos arc. Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍁
Wrong.
So driving the henry ford model A is different to the 2020 ford mustang.
No. Speakers from the ceiling are way better than upfiring speakers. That is real atmos
@@RC-qc2nz I agree. Having upward firing speakers, to me, is the equivalent of having 5.1 Surround Sound from a single sound bar. Dedicated height speakers are the way to go.
@@LRon-ef7ni The bar I got only had 2x10w upfiring speakers, but 180w LCR. Even the add on rears were 2x60w. So the height sound disappeared when volume was up. I'm happy with 5.1, as a lot of my discs are dvd with about 150 blurays. If you have right conditions for ceiling speakers though, I would definitely go for it 🙃
As much as I love awesome sound, I think I am getting too old for all of this new tech. I own a direct drive Turntable with a Ortofon Blue. In my youthful years (22 years ago) I did projection at an AMC Theater with 35mm film projectors and SDDS 7.1 was all the rage, and most SDDS was 5.1
5.1 or 5.2 sounds great.
I am a huge DTS fan and for 20+ years it's been my digital format of choice.
I think speakers play a huge roll in the quality of sound, more so than Dolby Pro Logic vs Dolby Digital vs Dolby Atmos.
Crap speakers make crap sound no matter how you have them arranged. Do what I do to test speakers and use the pipe organ test with some low notes. Can you feel it? No, then it's not worth buying. I am picky about my audio but I can't tell if it's coming from the ceiling or the floor and I don't really care. Atmos is a gimmick and unless your using Atmos for VR, Stick to 5.2 or 6.2 with DTS. It's the tried and the true and my first choice for my home theater which I built 15 years ago. DLP 1080P HD with Dolby 5.1 with KLH speakers and a Polk audio Sub. Great sound, awesome sound comes from many physical speakers not a sound bar. Do the work, spend the time with plenty of research and the end result with sound amazing. My theater took 6 months to build but 15 years later it still sounds awesome!
@@andrewbarnum5040 I had a prologic TV then a Dolby digital one, and used to be in awe of being able to control the centre, rears and subwoofer on the TV remote in the mid 90s. Even though prologic was one rear channel between left and right, it felt like the world. Then having DD 5.1 TV with rears for dvds, was amazing. Look at the world now. This stuff is prehistoric 🙃
I have realised it for some time. At the beginning I was a bit upset with Dolby selling everything as Dolby Atmos when it really isn't the best experience someone could get, but afterwards I started to see the advantage in it. Having more people buying and consuming stuff under the brand "Dolby Atmos" makes it easier to convince studios, broadcasters, music producers, etc. to deliver Atmos content.
Most people will not bother to only being able to access a binaural version of Atmos, they might even enjoy. At the same time, the same content it is being delivered in a fuller version for those with equipment able to decode and reproduce it. In the end everyone gets happy, people who don't care, just want an easy way to consume "cinema sound", those who do care and want every penny spent in their system count and Dolby selling their thing.
I've watched a workshop in which someone who worked directly with the biggest broadcaster here in Brazil say how Atmos is better to work with than 5.1 because of the better way it is downmixed thanks to the metadata, so they don't have to care about doing two different mixes. So, thanks to that scalability we are able to see more Atmos content around than we would without it (See atmos music for example).
Up-firing speakers in a soundbar is only marginally more effective then well done virtual surround processing. Some virtual processing is a gimmick, but there are others that give a very convincing effect. Point is you can't just judge how well a product will produce atmos based on number of channels it claims, or has. Upfiring speakers just sound like they are coming from the front anyway unless they have a significant baffle to block the front audio bleed, and no sound bar really does.
Thank goodness you're not in charge.
Firing up into the neighbours floor isn't a good idea.
One additional note / food for thought: Upward firing speakers (attempting to bounce sound off of the ceiling...) are (is) not a good height speaker solution. High-end upward firing speakers do a mediocre job at best, even with good conditions for this setup - If you want sound from a given location, install a speaker there if it is physically possible, and within your budget.
Correct. Nothing beats direct sound vs reflections of sound. 🤘
@RiCHeeGee And they’re KEF speakers, soooo… 🤘💯🔥
@@ealanosborne wrong again! !
That's twice you're wrong in a row.
You'd better retire.
Thanks .7.2.4 Yamaha /q acoustic/ Dali on a marantz. looking to up grade soon
hello, although this vid is a year old it still holds true! ty.
I started my home theater plunge with the first Plasma tv and at that time only had 5.1.
I just recently set up my home theater up after it being in the closet for 10 years, don't ask, lol.but I've gone to a 5.1.2 my Marantz 7013 will upscale to a 9.2.4 which is my ultimate goal. ty sir for shining a BRIGHT light on marketing ploys within this industry, I'm sharing this to ALL my social platforms to inform others as well, thanks again, I throughly enjoy all your vids.
Thank you for your kind words! 🤘
Here's a question for you. Why hasn't TH-cam started adding the option to play audio in either or both of DTS:X and Dolby Atmos audio?
I’ve wondered the same thing! I’ve been wanting to play around with at least 5.1 surround sound in my videos. Maybe I’ll start doing that on my Patreon as an exclusive download, since TH-cam won’t support it? 🤷♂️😄
Reminds me of “IMAX” theaters where it’s just a moderate large but normal sized room, but it’s technically IMAX cause they got the projector.
Oh but they were more than happy to charge $30 for access to it
It sucks with all the LImaxes out there. Most good ones are at museums and science centers but don't play many mainstream films. There are a few limaxs I've been to that do produce the sound well, but fall short on the screen side
you just sawed many people falling into the marketing trap. you are the best Bro. Thank you for the honest videos.
I totally agree and HATE Dolbys marketing and most Atmos mixes are crap even on disk. Don't get me wrong there are some very good mixes as well but absolutely no standards.
The htx8500 does have built-in sub I've had a subwoofer that went out on my old Soundbar so I had to run the Soundbar without it and you could tell it didn't have any thump but I got the htx8500 for a small room that didn't require a dedicated subwoofer and you can tell it it definitely had some rumble to it
I completely agree!
Also, Atmos music feels even worse to me. Dolby is pushing Atmos music as the future and talking about it as if it's the only way to listen, but where are the artists and producers who actually care? So many of the artists I follow will tweet about the most intricate details of their work, but never mention the atmos mix of their newest album once. If it's so good, you'd think they'd mention it. And you'd think they'd post themselves listening to it over pictures of it playing on stereo speakers. I feel that in music, atmos mixes themselves have become a marketing gimmick.
You are so right regarding the inappropriate use of marketing. Especially when the marketing implies an immersive experience that are not possible.
But there is something positive to be said regarding a device's ability to render an Atmos mix to whatever speakers are available. Hopefully processing the sound into something enjoyable. I really like Atmos and think it should become standard as it has can work with for all types of sound reproduction scenarios. Dolby Atmos is not just about the theatrical experience, it's about reliable reproduction.
This sort of reminded me back in the 1960's when you could buy transistorized radios from Japan that had 9 transistors, but only a few of them were actually in the circuit, the rest of them weren't connected and simply mounted to the board to up the count so technically it was true, they had 9 (or more transistors). Sounds like somebody took a page from that playbook and just because it has the hardware to decode ATMOS for X speaker channels, it doesn't appear to have all the hardware to accurately reproduce it. Perhaps they are expecting the user to add additional hardware to fill out those remaining speaker channels? My Denon has 8 amplifier outputs but decodes 11 paths, 1 is for the powered bass amp and so those last two I will have to add my own amplifier to power those last two speakers, but I think they still advertise it as a 7.1.4 system if I am not mistaken. I'll admit without a good handle on the terminology (which I barely have at best), this can all be so confusing.
Damn Jim. You are old !
Also talk about the 3D scam.
???
Nakamichi shokwafe here ,9.2.4 with an LG C9 OLED. Under 4k $ great picture, and beautiful sound. Sony ES 1100 4K Player n pani 820.
PREACH, brother! PREACH!
I could not agree more.
A freakin' 2.1 soundbar with Atmos is an insult to any surround sound enthusiast. Maybe Dolby (and their licensed partner manufacturers) should start charging the same price for their AV receivers and soundbars. If they're so proud of that Atmos soundbar, then let's make the receiver and speaker system equal pricing. I mean, it's all Atmos, right??
We should mention :
The father of Atmos/dts-x is Dolby Prologic II x with AAC+ Decoding.
That's why we can find even today AVI or MKV with AAC 5.1 audio coding.
Means that the digital transmission is in 2 audio channels (L/R) and a 3rd data channel with commands to rip off specific digital audio parts and send them to rear L/R, center, and height channels. Yes, height channels 😀.
I have Fidelio B5 and ii use often Dolby Prologic II and AAC 5.1 movies. Because the speakers are oriented 45' and some sensors, i have amazing sound effects of rain, city ambient, thunder s, wind , above nearby the celling...and this wihout Atmos
Atmos with real speakers is more for dedicated room for as home cinema, not for living rooms...
Atmos inbuild in soundbars are good for small-medium rooms, even so, hard to control the bouncing from roof...
Well said Ealan. Good for calling out the bullshit soundbar gear. These are the typical culprits who taint, mislead and even disenchant ignorant newbies taking their first steps into great home theater.
Thanks for great insight to the Dolby atmos marketing game. You mentioned that even if Soundbar has .2 upward firing speakers that could be weak, what should I be looking for in the power of those .2 upward firing speakers as a good average
Unfortunately, if you want a decent Atmos experience with a aound bar, you’ll need to spend about $1,500 or more. 😬
Hello, what's the next thing from Dolby? Floor Speaker(s), dolby would call it True Atmos!!
Well said! Fully agree. If you want true Atmos then rear speakers are a must! Don’t trust ‘Virtual Atmos’! Nice one Ealan
Atmos is also speakers working in tandem to create object based sound
A 3.0 system technically can all symbiotically create object based sound
I just purchased the new Dolby Atmos "Plus" technology. It's an all-in-one single channel system. Absolutely incredible.
Can you give me more specific details on it? I’m Googling it, but only finding things about Dolby Digital Plus which has been around for quite some time…thanks!
@@ealanosborne I was actually making a joke. Did you notice I typed "Single Channel" 🙂
I've bought LG SL10Y + 2 Rear speakers and couldn't undarstand why it won't switch to Dolby Atmos mode in movies which support it. Thing is-i haven't ebabled sound path through and wondered for nearly a MONTH what am i doing wrong lol.
I have the Sony X9000F soundbar which supports Atmos, but I can confirm that any movie using Atmos provides little to no improvement.
Having stereo ears, it's amazing our brains can even process rear channels let alone height. And when the brain is overwhelmed by trying to follow an action scene, it basically compresses our understanding of sound down to mono.
Precious few content even supports Atmos, let alone the getting hardware that fully supports it. I was surprised to learn that my PS4 Pro doesn't support Atmos, but Chromecast 4K does. So I can't experience Atmos on my Hobbit trilogy BluRays which are mixed for Atmos, but I can get it (compressed) over Netflix and Disney+... and I too can confirm that even though John McClane has been re-encoded with height information for better immersion, you won't notice it at all because your brain will be too busy watching people shoot each other.
Please recommend a reasonably priced Atmosphere sound bar. $1,000 is out of my budget range. Thanks!
Bose Soundbar 900 is probably your best bet under $1,000. But by itself, it’s still just okay. It’s not until you add the subwoofer and rear surrounds that the experience is much better. But at that point, it’s much more than $1,000, unfortunately. 🤷♂️
Would like to see you reviewing Klipsch Cinema 1200
Me too! I hear it’s pretty polarizing. Lots of pros and cons. 😬
i have a dolby atmos and dtsx soundbar my biggest reason for this was uncompressed audio its 5.1 so still true surround sound
Cant wait getting my Denon amp in the new year true Dolby atoms Denon AVR-X2700H (Black)
Regarding those sound bars that can decode Atmos but can't actually produce it, do any of them have an audio out jack so you could add extra speakers so you could get the atmos effect
Not that I’m aware of. That’d be nice, but that would be like a sound bar/receiver hybrid. Pretty interesting if it existed! 😄
Man I'm really lucky to start out with a 5.1 HTIB Sony system from my childhood. It sounded so awesome to me that it REALLY helped me steer clear of soundbars and dive deep into learning about Dolby Atmos and DTS:X before making any upgrades!
I was wondering how soundbars can produce Dolby atmos audio.now after listening you i am convinced i am not wrong.you exposed hollowness of manufacturers' marketing comics to sell their products to customers who do not have any tech. knowledge.thank you very much sir,for en lighting customers.
Of all the guys on TH-cam that talks about dolby atmos and all that nonsense you are the only one that are not afraid to say it all those things you said about dolby atmos on 3.1 soundbar so on and so on I'll be saying that for the longest, is a fake dolby atmos, thank you for saying it the way it is. Even the soundbars that the atmos bounce on the ceiling to you there are not a real dolby atmos. That's why I have my Sony 1080 5.1.2 receiver so I can listen to real dolby atmos, thank you Mr Ealan you are the man. I knew I was right.
What are your thoughts on high-end soundbars? The Samsung Q960A paired with a QE77QN95A in Q-symphony totally blew my mind. That might not count as a soundbar anymore, since you have 13.1.4 physical speakers, but I will count it in because because it is markedet as a soundbar.
Yeah, high end “sound bars” are different because they have the hardware AND software to back up any claims of a good Atmos experience. And the more expensive it is, the more powerful it will be, which is what you need in order to truly hear any sound bouncing off your ceiling. 🤘
I got almost the same setup, only with the QN90A with S61A soundbar only no woofer,it was free with the TV in sales,I was pleasantly surprised with how the soundbar throws sounds around the room, it'll never be a surround but it's a good for the minimalist set up
I think you didn’t heard the Sony HT A9. It’s great for atmos/ dtx
It’s on my 2022 list of hopeful products to review! 🤞
It’s as bad as slapping the THX logo on tiny computer speakers. If you want the DOLBY ATMOS experience , you’ll have to bite the bullet and ditch the sound bar option completely. Biting the bullet, I mean spending $10k to $30k easily on a processor or receiver, amps, speakers, subs, tv or projector, the list goes on.
And don't forget HT room with sound treated sofa, carpet etc....its ridiculous ....and the one more thing....the media itself....majority of people now content with Netflix....surround sound for home theater just a gimmick!
@@JdMetal I’ve totally switched over to physical media, started out buying only digital, once I found out digital media is compressed, however, it’s still very good, just leagues behind physical media. Sadly, I’ve seen month after month, the big box stored physical media is slowly dwindling away 😔
@@cruzgallegos5071 yep... it's more convenient and cheaper to stream now, for majority of people...physical media will phase out eventually.....like how there's no physical media for PC games for decades....heck even new modern pc doesn't have any cd drive...
I've had several soundbars and a surround sound package but it was only when I purchased an budget AVR and a pair of budget stereo speakers that I realised what I had been missing (stereo imaging, thumping base) besides going down this route one can always add to it overtime! subwoofer, surround speakers you could even get height speakers to get the full 'non-virtual' Dolby Atmos experience. Nowadays AVRs are so simple to setup, they even walk you through the process!
"Remember movies are made up of 50% visuals and 50% audio and there are occasions when the audio out does the visuals"
Hell yeah! I get the convenience and size and ease of setup of sound bars, but I will always be Team AVR because of everything you mentioned. 🤘
Agree but to bad AVRs are so fat and for me, there is no way to include one. Would need to change the complete furniture lol. I had to go with a small soundbar unfortenately
you're damn right Ealan, I'm one of those who gave up on movie theaters and steeled for home theater thanks to covid19, now I lay back at home enjoying all the Dolby Atmos, DTSx, and Auro 3D content that I can lay my hands on with a 75" Sony smart UHD TV and the Marantz RS 7013 and 7.1.4 channels, front stage hooked to 3 Channel amp.
Hell yeah, dude! 🤘
Certainly good information. I recently purchased the LG SP11RA Atmos soundbar and now I’m just waiting for the LG C1 OLED before I unbox and set it up!
I've the klipsch reference theater pack My reciever is 7 channels not 9 channels . Should I use the front L And R Heights Or the rear L And R heights or just leave it as a 5.1 set up
Depends on your furniture placement, how far you are from your TV, etc. Usually you start with the front heights, but I’d experiment with rear heights too, just in case. 🤘
@@ealanosborne about 7 to 8 feet id say - my AVR Is Denon 7.2 channels - I got everything g at Costco after watching your video about klipsch reference theater pack 5.1.4 - im using g it as 5.1 setup now and it sound lime AweSomeNess PerSoNiFied - I plan to but another sub soon. As Well for a 5.2 setup
2.1-3.1 or 4.1 setup, you only get the effect on a single center listening position, I know ...because I have been experiencing 3D or surround from the old Dolby AC-3 on Aureal 3D PC positioning audio system. Conclusion: having all the effect in front of any kind of sound bar(your room acoustic are more challenging to setup for full effect...)*and advertising didn't cover that topic infact you need a good acoustic space to really enjoy the sound... Not to mention the multi speaker the Dolby atmos needs to setup for those kind of sound effect.
Up-firing is only for those specific situations where you cannot get in-ceilings in place. But even then, Dolby states in its white paper that if your ceiling isn't flat or greater than 11', don't bother.
What if you've got neighbours living above you?
This is all so true. I sell these things all day and I'm telling ya, it's incredibly misleading. You'd also be surprised at how many every day consumers really don't give a crap about Atmos.
True, only HT enthusiasts will adapt it and go to great lengths installing ceiling mounted Atmos speakers and calibrating and recalibrating every time someone so much as Fart loudly and move the sweet spot off by a smidgen! Or god forbid, fart loud while running Audyssey!
It's not in the dictionary. I had no idea what it was until I got my first AV receiver with Atmos.
I want a 5.2.4 configuration with 4 in ceiling speakers. I’m considering separates. You are right, physical media is better. I wonder what it would take to able to stream an uncompressed signal.
Lots of bandwidth, which means lots of money that neither streaming services nor ISPs wanna fork over anytime soon. 👍
I have a 7.4.4 setup and it really only shines with 4k blu ray disc's, streaming atmos on Netflix or Disney is definitely not as good, it's nice, but lacks alot of dynamics an the LFE effects are usually lacking
Get a 9.1 JBL and sync another sub to it
Bro..we tramsmit data over wireless speaker or system but wires system relays voltage and current ..amplifier amplify voltage not data..if receiver system will not amplify received data before supplying to speakers performance will degrade...other words, data would have to be converted in to voltage before supply to speakers as intense as wired.
i got a vizio 5.1.2 soundbar because i live in small apartment. the atmos isn't really there. it does envelope you in sound but i never hear detailed audio from above and have the height setting to the highest level. if it wasn't for my wife i'd have a 5.1.4 with receiver in our apartment lol
Let’s face it. The only reason we are even think about soundbars is because of the wives and their hate of cables. 🤦🏾♂️
@@Hdagoat_ 😂. and the space of towers, bass receivers etc...
What about Dolby atmos for video games? What is it like now and what do you think it’ll be In the future?
What do you think about Denon DHT-S716H ?
🤷♂️ Never heard it yet. Looks good on paper, though… 🤔
I cannot add a rear one so would like 3.1.2 setup, but all the soundbars are utter shite. I just want 2 speakers above, LCR soundbar not 2.0, and a sub out. But try and find that. Only the highest end ones do that (€3000 and up). Oh hell no.
Hmmm…have you tried looking into the WiSA Platin Monaco system? It’s 5.1, but can be configured as 3.1.2, and they are separate LCR speakers, so you can make the soundstage as narrow or as wide as you want. And it’s as easy to setup as a sound bar. 🤷♂️ Food for thought! 👍
Thanks for the video. I wondered how or why they could label them as such. Mystery solved!
What If ... we connect a 7.1 through HDMI and select the atmos compatibility...we maybe able to use 7.1 as a 5.1.2?
Wish I could share a ss of my phone settings, but my S21+ has a Dolby Atmos section. It really bugs me they try to claim this. Maybe there is some form of processing coming from this, but certainly there's no bouncing of the audio coming out of the 2 little tweeters on this thing
As someone who owns a sound bar set up, I agree with your points. With my setup (bar, rears, and sub) , I am comfortable calling it 5.1. Even though the bar has upward firing speakers and technically makes my setup 5.1.2, I don't think the tiny speakers they put on sounders are powerful enough to create convincing Dolby Atmos in most rooms a sounder will be used in.
Side note: I think it i disingenuous when a sound bar says it can do more than 3 channels on its own. I think if the sound bar box says 5.0, 7.0, 9.0 or 11.0, it's realistically 3.0. I think having the extra speakers will help with the immersion, but it all still sounds like it is coming from the front if you focus your hearing on what you are listening to.
Exactly. Like when the flagship Samsung Q990B (while it sounds incredible, yes) claims it’s an 11.1.4? Come on…
Nice vid, opened my eyes. Thanks.
works fine with samsung q80T 65inch tv with q950a soundbar. i also have the soundbar q950t but that one has a few problems and 1-2 times / week last year i needed to restart all sistem by unplug it to electricity. why to unplug ? because at netflix movies with dolby atmos changed to 5.1 sourround
Good stuff. Interesting take. The one and ONLY thing you forgot to mention is what happened to me. I bought a Samsung soundbar with the upfiring speakers for the exact same reason you mention (small room, had to run wires, etc.). Thinking I'm going to get a fully immersive experience. However, they failed to mention since it was new tech that the soundbars DO NOT WORK WITH A VAULTED CEILING. Nothing to "bounce" off of. The ceiling has to be squared off. The height effect just ran up it. I got Samsung R1 speakers and controlled it with their app so side and front immersion was ok but nothing height related. About 6 months later we found a new house with an unfinished basement and I dove into the actual home theater setup of 5.2.2. Having true height speakers makes all the difference in the world. IMO if you really want immersion save your money on "Atmos" until you can really do it.
Very informative, I can't believe no one mentioned the great Blockbuster t-shirt!
Omg I ordered the ht-g700 last night . Do I cancel the order?
I mean it sounds fine, it’s just not a true Atmos experience, since there are no speakers shooting audio off the ceiling. 🤷♂️
So true. Even laptops and phones are advertising Dolby Atmos.
Like back in the day with THX certified equipment!
What about the new Sonos Beam 2 ? Will it be able to provide a real Dolby Atmos Experience ?
No. It has no upward firing speakers like the Sonos Arc, so it’ll still be a “virtual” Atmos experience through audio processing. But I haven’t experienced it in person, so I can’t 100% say it’s not exactly as advertised. 🤷♂️ But my guess is no.
Is the SONY HTST5000 Good enough for a soundbar? Atmos?. have buy that 2017.
You are totally right, when I was doing my research about atmos the most I could find was that atmos is "a experience" not a product. So basically they can slap the branding on everything they "technically support".
Now playing devils advocate and I know that "defending" greedy corporations is very stupid but...
What about the ability to decode atmos on low end sound bars, but the ability to connect additional speakers with the upper firing drivers that would give an end product with real atmos? let's say a 3.0 sound bar that the user can later buy some addon rear speakers to get rear and height channels, making it a 5.0.2. I guess this is a just a fantasy on current market, there is not such thing now but if the main unit supports it, gives the ability for "future-proof" these devices in some pretty niche cases.
Have you heard of 'driving' experience?
Only YOU experienced your driving atmosphere.
I bought a whole different driving atmospheric experience.
Its okay to just buy the sony soundbar atmospheric experience.
You don't need to shoot atmos into the roof.
I don't need to go buy the Rolls-Royce phantom ghost mark 500235.56 with the optional sports package with e waste added.
You're A male perfectionist GOSSIP.
I almost bought the Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1.4 but it seems it’s only a virtual Atmos due to not having upfiring speakers. Ended up with $940 brand new Q950T from Amazon! Also how do you rate the Beam Gen 2 for its virtual atmos performance?
I’m trying to get my hands on the Gen 2 Sonos. Once I do I’ll definitely do a review!
I have the Samsung Q950T sound system. I love it.
+1 for DTS:X even though I got only 5.1.2 setup, for now.
The only decent Atmos on a soundbar you're going to get is on the Sonos or Samsung top tier Atmos soundbars. Especially the Samsung Q950T & Q950A that to my ears offer the best Atmos bubble on the market.
I always thought Dolby Atmos was about changing from channel based to object based sound models. If it can decode Atmos it can decode Atmos.
It's a fair point. We all have two ears and a brain - that creates a 3d soundscape in our mind. So what Atmos let's you do then, with some clever processing and some trickery that mimics how our ears/brain interpret sound, is to create a 3d surround soundscape with as little as a beefy stereo (equivalent to a 2.1 system) or decent set of headphones.
However, in practice, the more speakers you surround yourself with, in as many dimensions as you can, the less processing or trickery you need. Because the sound actually *is* coming from all around you, rather than being processed in a way that makes it like some kind of audible illusion.
Most upward firing soundbars suck as well.. lg dsn8, samsung q700a or below etc. I have spoken to so many people that think an ht a7000 is the same as a q700a just because on the box it says atmos, 7.1.2 and --watt..
Wonderfully helpful, thank you,
Warmest regards,
Chris
Yep 100% agree. Sad to say I have a new receiver and am sort of upset about the amount of distortion on this thing. It's not a cheap one either about twice the cost of the one it replaces with less power.
I use the speakers in my TV and turn the volume almost all the way down and turn on captions.
So how does Dolby Atmos work in soundbars. I know there are upfirering speakers. But how does it appear that the sound is coming from different directions. I understand in surround sound system where there are actually speakers there. But with soundbars if someone has a lot of furniture wouldn't it just absorb the surround sound and you'd only hear the sound from the front.
Honestly the only sound bars that can give a pretty decent Atmos experience are the more expensive kind - $1,000+. They have the power to drive those upward firing speakers more. And some have room calibration software installed. That’s a huge factor, taking into account the layout of your room, etc. Sonos Arc and some Samsung sound bars have room calibration in them. Jonah Matthes just posted a 2021 Atmos sound bar video you should check out. 👍
@@ealanosborne dont forget about klipsch cinema 1200
Just the LG C1and the Denon 4700h looking at close to 4 grand
Heck yea i adore DTX NEUTRAL X sound i have the Nakamichi 9ss ultra sound bar and is so amazing how dtx sounds on it so I can't wait for the IMAX enhanced audio from Disney+ and Paramount + ,great Intel keep up the good work
@@admstudios7 I agree, even on a Samsung q600b soundbar with rears and sub, the dtsX soundstage is far more immersive than Atmos 🙃
I can understand your point Ealan, but what is the sense of Dolby Atmos for headphones? Headphones have no "height channel", so why Dolby Atmos exists on headphones?
Exactly…I’ve listened to Atmos for Headphones, and I wasn’t sure why I should’ve been blown away. Didn’t make much of a difference.
There are headphones out there that supposedly create a realistic 3D Atmos experience, but they cost as much as a car, so… 🤷♂️
Great enlighten Video but You mentioned Nothing about the Requirement that Your TV must be eARC (Dolby Atoms Compatible). What is the whole story here PLZ. A follow up Video is needed SOON Bro.
Great video!! I'm glad you are shining the light on this topic. DA and dts:x must have upward firing speakers at minimum to be considered the experience. I prefer dts x as well.
Way to set the record straight man! Everybody needs to see this who is about to get into home theater.
no one has play midrange on a 15 inch subwoofer before but everyone automatically believes midrange is good to play on the 15 inch subwoofer but when I try playing midrange on my 15 inch subwoofer I learned that the midrange can only be good on my 15 inch subwoofer and I have the most flattest frequency response since I started playing the midrange on my 15 inch subwoofer
I’m waiting for the Sony HT-A9 to become available in my country. The initial batch was sold out within 3 days 😉 (for 1.499€)
Great video as usual Ealan. I'm thinking of going from soundbar to a Atmos receiver 7.2 channel setup. Is the Sony 790 receiver still the best Atmos budget receiver in 2021? I'm also looking at the Jamo s 803's with the Atmos module on top. Thanks.
Yes, the Sony is the best for the price. Although I'm not sure if you have a Costco membership, but their exclusive Denon S760H is better, but I'm not sure if it's in stock right now. It's very popular, and it's 8K, HDMI 2.1 so it's future proof. 👍
Good video.. Was talking abt this with a friend last week. It doesn't make sense that a system that has no satellite speakers can give a decent enough atmos experience. Even if we are talking abt up firing speakers, logically you will hear the sound from the front first (unless it really fires sound in one direction) before it bounces of the ceiling and you still need to take account of the ceiling height and the room size and your position.
Unfortunately, we can't test soundbars at retail shop in a proper environment to make a good judgement before purchasing
To me Atmos is not synonyms with height, but rather with "objects + spatially-info" instead of than discrete channels... but for most people the notable difference is speaker above.
This could potentially revolutionize the home cinama setups if the actual speaker locations were used for decoding rather than some pre-imposed speaker locations.
I haven't upgraded to Atmos but i suspect the home theater variants do not take advantage of this.
"To me Atmos is not synonyms with height, but rather with "objects + spatially-info" instead of than discrete channels". This is correct and it's the problem I have with this video.
The video is saying that if you don't have overhead channels with overhead/upfiring speakers then you don't have ATMOS. That's not true. ATMOS uses the spatial information about each object to assign them to the consumer's available channels during playback instead of having the audio pre-assigned to the channels when the movie is being mixed by the studio like in a regular 5.1 or 7.1 mix. The technology ALLOWS the use of overhead channels if present but they are not required in order to have ATMOS.
THANK YOU 🙏.... I've been saying for ages that the audio from a disc is far better then any streaming service!..... With a crappy Internet anyway I enjoy pure physical media far better 👍
Why buy sound bars for home theater ? sound bars just to compliment the yucky sound from every thin panel modern TVs...that's it! It removes the clutter of the traditional bookshelf and floorstanding speakers.....and also to save space in your living area where majority of people put their TV. How the sound bars can even replaced the home theater setup even they can't even properly project a good at least stereo sound with the bar itself that sits below your tv at the center?
I think this opens the doors for WiSA systems to come into play, if the sound bar can decode atmos, then the WiSA pick for focus on lowering latency, improving sound quality, or reducing price. And if your sound bar is WISA ready, you may not even need a pick and can just wireless add more physical speakers while keeping the sound bar as your center channel!
I was thinking, what about to "upgrade" old good AV 7.1 (For example Denon A1SE/SR) with external Dolby Atmos process and reconnect it with 8 analogue cables, then FX channels used as ceiling, this should work, if AV will be in Direct mode. Question is how much separate processor can cost? :-)
A thought... some of the soundbars push sound through holes in the top of the device to get that sound to reflect upwards. My theory as a novice is that would increase the soundstage at best, but they say this can be calibrated by software and/or a wire rear speakers mic to determine effective surround sound. I am sure once you add computer software you are entering virtual territory. They need to add or be forced to state Virtual Dolby Atmos. For example the Samsung devices have expansions. So it can become more than 3.0 and more like 3.x.x. Meaning potential vs real. Again they need to add a statement with expansion.
True. We need less marketing gimmicks and more transparency. 👍
How do we know if the upper speakers are powerful enough for full atomos experience? Are there things to look for to determine that?
Yeah, you look for male gossip.
I beefed up mine this year. A treat of a denon x3700h and a 100w amp to power the last set of height channels.
A buddy of mine wants to beef his up by buying my onkyo tx-nr575 off if me but doesnt understand that he can't use 7.1 in his living room. He has his 5.1 system set up terribly to where nothing is lined up well and panning objects don't follow whats on screen well. He would benefit from Sony's new wireless system even though it costs a pretty penny but because his living room is so weird it needs it.
Yeah, exactly. Weird living rooms are in desperate need of signal processing and room calibration more than anything. And apparently that Sony can handle anything. 🤘