Dolby Atmos systems | Spokane Home Theater

Dolby Atmos: Unequaled Home Theater Sound

Surround sound capabilities have developed in leaps and bounds, but the basic concept has remained the same through the years: add five speakers, choose a subwoofer (or two), and an AV receiver to power the system. The movie you are watching will then be prepared to assign elements of the soundtrack or action to a corresponding channel/speaker to attempt to capture the sound completely and relay it to your ears. But wait, there’s more! There is a complete dimension that is being missed with this system, and Dolby Atmos can now utilize this extra axis, and provide sound where there hasn’t been audio before.

Traditional Surround Sound

Many older home theater systems consist of five, seven or nine speakers around the living room with the addition of one or more powered subwoofers to add some powerful bass. This type of setup allows audio engineers in Hollywood to create some amazing audio effects that travel left to right or front to back.

Although this incredible audio allows listeners to feel as though they are in the midst of the action, it’s not quite three dimensional. The speakers in the room are usually at ear level allowing for a feeling of depth and width but no height.

Reference: dolbyatmos.onkyousa.com

Dolby Atmos Adds Height!

With the addition of Dolby Atmos speakers, audio engineers can not only provide immersive audio left to right and front to back, but also ceiling to floor. Suddenly the sound has three dimensions instead of existing on a single plane. Sound effects can travel ceiling to floor as well as left to right or front to back.

This advent in home cinema provides an incredible opportunity for movie lovers to experience the most realistic immersive sound stage that can be hoped for when watching Blu-ray content in their homes!

Reference: dolbyatmos.onkyousa.com

How It Works

Dolby engineers have created the Dolby Atmos system, available in a number of compatible speakers and receiver systems. Atmos brings audio out from just being in a flat ringed space around the viewer, but expands it into being above the viewer as well. With Dolby Atmos compatible products, the sound for specific items is not regulated to specific channels, but rather it is developed to emanate from any point within the theater space around you.

You may hear someone calling a name over your right shoulder as you sit on the couch, or above your head a helicopter might be taking gunfire. The sound of a deep cave full of flitting bats and dripping water will no longer sound as though it is spotty, or all being driven through just one satellite speaker, heavier on one side of the room. Instead, you will be enveloped in sound all around you, making you feel as though you are right in the middle of that cave and the action within. Even more impressively, the sound can now match the direction of the content on the screen, so that bullet-riddled helicopter may land on the right section of your screen, and you won’t miss a second of its journey through the sky or the audio traveling down and through your theater room.

Filmmakers know that the audio quality helps to transport you to a different place and, when paired with the correct location of the on-screen action, you won’t want to miss a second. They have continued to develop incorporating Dolby Atmos into the films and video games they are releasing, to take advantage of an extra dimension of home theater options. With a Dolby Atmos setup in your theater room, the sound will immerse you into the storyline taking place in front of you as easily as turning on your system.

Ceiling Mounted Or Up-Firing Speakers

With speakers developed specifically to take advantage of this new technology, there are a number of systems different manufacturers have developed to create this 3D map around you in your living room.

There are two types of speakers you can choose: Ceiling mounted or up firing.

Up-Firing Speakers

Up-firing speakers are usually smaller and designed to sit on a table top or be placed on-top of larger tower speakers. The drivers of these speakers are directed upwards allowing the sound to bounce off the ceiling. These speakers are easily added to an existing system with little effort. The benefit of such an addition, however, includes the added height dimension in your surround sound system.

For a less cluttered look, home theater enthusiasts may prefer to buy a tower speaker with Dolby Atmos drivers already installed. These floorstanding front speakers have up-firing drivers already placed inside the cabinet and make installation simple.

Klilpsch RP140SA Up-Firing Dolby Atmos Speaker

Klipsch RP-280FA Walnut Dolby Atmos Tower Speaker

Ceiling Mounted Speakers

Despite being a bit harder to install, ceiling mounted speakers may provide the listener with the best sound. These loudspeakers can be placed in the perfect location to provide the very best Dolby Atmos effects for your room. In-ceiling speakers can be used for this purpose if running wire through the attic is possible or new construction is under way. The main benefit the in-ceiling driver includes the low-profile design and nearly invisible footprint.

More common, however, is the surface-mount ceiling speaker. These flexible loudspeakers tend to be small, angled down and can easily be hung with a bracket from the wall. Benefits of this design include the ability to move the speaker anytime and ease of installation.

SVS Prime Elevation Ceiling Mount Dolby Atmos Speaker

Dolby Atmos 9.1.2 Ceiling Mount Speaker Layout

Reference: https://www.dolby.com/us/en/guide/dolby-atmos-speaker-setup/9-1-2-setups.html

Necessary Components

Dolby Atmos AV Receivers

In order to achieve this quality level of surround sound, the brains of the operation- your system’s receiver- also needs to be Dolby Atmos-compatible. Thankfully many receivers for sale on the market these days are Atmos-capable, and come in varying channel configurations so they are able to handle your system regardless of the amount of speakers you wish to add. This new Dolby Atmos system requires you have the best AV receiver you can find, and luckily, Huppin’s has you covered.

Dolby Atmos AV Receivers

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Dolby Atmos Compatible Blu-ray Players

In addition to a receiver and speakers that are ready and prepared to deliver top-notch audio clarity, your Blu-ray player should be able to handle delivering Dolby Atmos-enabled media as well. To work with Dolby Atmos, the disc player needs to be compatible with Dolby TrueHD and be able to output a bitstream signal. Luckily, almost every Blu-ray player sold currently meets these qualifications. The filmmakers who have worked hard to develop this innovative acoustic process know that the source on which you watch your films is an important piece of the Atmos presentation. With more and more movies and video games utilizing this new technology, soon more and more Bluray discs will be enabled with Dolby’s new directional sound. Create magic with your new Dolby-Atmos home theater system and a Blu ray player that can handle anything you throw at it.

Dolby Atmos Speakers

Lastily, some additional speakers will be necessary to get Dolby Atmos sound. Although there are speakers made specifically for this task, any speaker can be utilized to play the roll of a dolby atmos loudspeaker. If you prefer a flush, hidden look, then ceiling speakers may suit your installation or if you prefer a smaller ceiling or wall mounted satellite speaker, these will work as well. Maybe the up-firing table-top speakers are more your style. No matter which style you choose, Huppin's has you covered for all your surround sound needs.