Is It Worth Paying Extra for Dolby Atmos Hardware and Software? Requirements Are Pretty Onerous

Ly2k on 05/01/2020 - 19:22

I've been researching this latest wizz-bang version of surround sound, where you get immersed in sound not only next to and behind you, but from above. However, I'm curious to know how many people think it's worthwhile paying for the very latest soundbars and TVs required to get the most from Dolby Atmos - or whether the "almost as good" approach is essentially the same anyway.

To get Dolby Atmos you need:
- Dolby Atmos hardware eg soundbar with upward firing speakers, or actual ceiling mounted speakers (I'm in an apartment - pass) and ideally actual rear speakers (I've found the bounce-of-walls doesn't work well unless your walls and doors are close enough to your sofa for you to hear the bounced sound)
- if you want it on Netflix, a Premium subscription AND a TV that can natively do Dolby Atmos (admittedly most from 2018 should)

To get the very best Dolby Atmos, you need
- a source eg TV AND output eg soundbar/receiver that have "eARC", not just regular ARC. ie you needthe new HDMI 2.1 protocol that allows a lot more data to pass through. Only some 2019 devices have this, which means even if you buy, say, a new eARC soundbar next year, your 2018 LG B8 OLED doesn't have eARC so you won't get full Atmos anyway.

This suggests to me that you can get an older Dolby Atmos hardware solution (say, older Atmos soundbars or TVs without eARC) and you'll get some overhead sound that won't be wildly worse than if you splurged on Netflix premium and the very latest eARC compatible soundbars and TV. Am I wrong?

Electrical & Electronics Dolby Atmos

Comments

  • pinchies on 05/01/2020 - 20:14
    +1

    Firstly, I doubt it would be worth it for a soundbar. I am yet to see a soundbar that comes close to offering even a moderately convincing surround sound.
    But, if you enjoy action movies, and don't already have a surround sound setup, then may be worth making sure to get supporting gear.

    • pformag on 06/01/2020 - 11:59
      +1

      Samsung Q90R is pretty good. I was surprised. A bit, its not just a sound bar, it does come with 2 rears, but the spacial separation was convincing. If they improved the Sub, it would be a great setup if you have restrictions, ie wife.

  • elcheapodeniro on 05/01/2020 - 20:28

    Tottaly worth it. I've setup mine and a few friends with below and they love it.

    Get a seperate media player ie Nvidia Shield 2019, Apple 4k tv, xbox1s $250-$300

    Yamaha 7.2 Channel Atmos amp $700

    Then get seperate speakers 2nd hand on EBay, Facebook etc. $500

    Cables and wire $50-100

    Biggest difference is with proper setup and seperate speakers.

    Xbox has bonus of games console with native Atmos games and 4k UHD disc support.

    See if you can't demo somewhere.

    Cheers

  • GenotypeJim on 05/01/2020 - 20:35

    I've got my eye on Samsung's Q90r top of the line Dolby Atmos soundbar, wireless sub and wireless rear speakers. Anyone already bought one? Would love to know your thoughts on this unit.

    As for eARC issues, I plan to plug my 4k Chromecast into the soundbar and then the soundbar into the TV with everything running through the Chromecast (Plex, Netflix, Prime etc). I assume that config would work fine yeah?

    • p1 ama on 05/01/2020 - 22:06

      Would love to know your thoughts on this unit.

      I don't own it, but I've friends who have one. The sound quality is alright, not great, but what you would expect from a soundbar. The problem is that the sub is too weak. It'll provide some low end, but it won't shake your floors.

      • Kelvin H. on 10/01/2020 - 15:04

        I found that with the Q90R, the placement of the subwoofer in the room is important. I have mine placed in a certain way that it does indeed, shake my floor.

    • y2k on 07/01/2020 - 13:16

      I've seen an older stream say Chromecast 4K does t support Atmos (
      https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-stream-dolby-atmos-from-n…)
      , which according to this means you're out of luck : https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/dolby-atmos-sound…

  • p1 ama on 05/01/2020 - 22:03

    How long is a piece of string? You can easily spend tens of thousands of dollars on AV gear if you're not careful. I did it in a past life, then eventually sold all of it because I realised I bought it all because the gear was cool, not because I actually really cared about any of it. I paired all of it down to a decent 2.1 setup because I only really care about listening to music.

    Anyway, my general sense of trying out a lot of these systems is that a single soundbar (even with the whole wall-bouncing tech) can't really replace real surround sound. In that sense, I'm sure that if you get just a single soundbar, you're not missing out on anything by not having all of the latest tech in your chain. If you're actually buying a proper receiver + speakers, then yeah, I would make the effort to conform to the proper standards.

  • ozhunter on 05/01/2020 - 22:15

    How good are your ears and how fussy are you about sound?

    Some people find $10 headphones fine, others find it is worth to spend $500.

  • kaleidoscope on 23/02/2020 - 23:46

    best would be first go to a place which has bunch of demos and experience and evaluate. I’ve used mostly a 2.1 setup and recently switched into 5.1.2 system and it’s totally worth it. Don’t cheap out on the system. By that I mean don’t go buy second hand stuff or cheap equipment which barely qualifies as an atmos system (you totally can, but ask someone with experience if they’re worth it + risk). Otherwise it will totally ruin your experience as well as your investment.

    i’ve gone with denon atmos avr x1600, acoustimass 10 system and yamaha in-ceiling for height spekaers, + cable and brackets.

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