Anyone searching for the best TVs and best soundbars has likely come across rave comments on Dolby Atmos, a technology that has the potential to make movies, TV, and music more immersive than conventional surround sound.
Created in 2012 by Dolby Labs, Dolby Atmos takes audio beyond the standard of positioning speakers in front of and behind the viewer – the core concept behind a 5.1- or 7.1-channel surround sound setup – by also rendering sound above. The first movie to use the technology was Disney-Pixar's Brave, to much acclaim.
To achieve this effect, Dolby Atmos breaks down sound into individual elements, known as "objects", as opposed to channels, as would happen with stereo (two channels) and 5.1 surround (five channels) mixes. This enables an unlimited 3D soundscape, into which sound mixers and engineers can then build their movies.
It's sort of hard to describe the effect of Dolby Atmos without experiencing it, and there are an increasing number of theaters screening movies in the format, and even venues that provide live Atmos sound mixes for music performances.
After its initial success in cinemas, Dolby Atmos has exploded as an audio technology and is now regularly available in everything from TVs to soundbars and the best wireless speakers, along with Apple earbuds and headphones like the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max.
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Where is Dolby Atmos available at home?
We've just talked a lot about the technology that makes Dolby Atmos possible, but how can you experience it in your own home?
The answer, in 2024 at least, is a lot of ways, most notably via Blu-ray discs, which have been one of the fastest adopters of the technology as they seek to blend incredible visuals with equally incredible sound. The best 4K Blu-ray players support Dolby Atmos out of the box.
On top of Blu-rays, the best streaming services have rushed to build Dolby Atmos into their offers, although it is usually only available on the more expensive plans. Netflix, for example, offers Dolby Atmos support on its Ultra HD plans, while Disney+ supports it on its Disney+ Premium plan.
Music streaming services have also got in on Dolby Atmos. Apple Music is the most notable example, having built Dolby Atmos into the core of the experience for content that supports it. Tidal and Amazon Music also support the tech. Sadly, Spotify, the biggest service, is yet to add Dolby Atmos support, but there are rumours of a Premium+ tier that might.
Some gaming consoles, like the Xbox Series X, have added Dolby Atmos support for games, which brings a new dimension to the audio experience for some AAA titles.
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Lossy Dolby Atmos vs lossless Dolby Atmos
Things are about to get a bit technical, so hold on to your hat.
Dolby Atmos comes in two varieties: lossy and lossless. The former is used by streaming platforms to compress the audio for lower bandwidth transmission over home networks and offers the same spatial setup but at a reduced audio quality overall. For an average home cinema system, this probably won't make too much difference.
Lossless, as the name sort of implies, is the high-def version of Dolby Atmos found in Blu-ray discs and systems such as the Kaleidescape Movie Player that are not constrained by bandwidth or storage capacity. Higher audio fidelity takes up more space.
The flip side is that getting the most out of a lossless setup requires a top-end AV receiver and a speaker system capable of reproducing the height effects in Atmos soundtracks, all of which can be quite pricey when added together.
There are pros and cons to each, of course, and even the more low-end lossy version still sounds incredible in most home theatres, given that the alternative is either stereo or 5.1 (or 7.1) surround sound, which doesn't carry the Atmos height effects for enhanced immersion.
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How to experience Dolby Atmos at home
If you've got your streaming service of choice loaded, the next step for getting to a basic Dolby Atmos setup is to choose a compatible soundbar.
In our extensive testing, we've found that the Samsung HW-Q800C is the best option for most, featuring phenomenal power and projection, the ability to upgrade to full surround, and aggressive pricing for what it offers.
For anyone looking to not break the bank, the Sony HT-S2000 does the job well, including extremely effective dialogue clarity and many other features. There's also the Bose Smart Soundbar 600, which has up-firing speakers for height effects and adds Wi-Fi and AirPlay support.
On top of soundbars, there are other audio options, namely regular speakers and AV receiver systems that support the standard.
Something like the Sony STR-AN1000 supports Dolby Atmos and, as an AV receiver, can bring it to your satellite speaker setup. Meanwhile, the Definitive Technology BP9080x stereo speakers, while expensive, support Dolby Atmos, and the results in our testing were superb.
Finally, headphones. We recently reviewed the new Sonos Ace headphones and found them to be amazing for watching movies with Dolby Atmos, alongside the ability to sync with your Sonos Arc or Sonos Beam soundbar, and other products.
For anyone who prefers earbuds, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 supports the audio standard, and as we mentioned above, there is a lot of Dolby Atmos-capable music on Apple Music, alongside the usual TV shows and movies.
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