How Dolby Atmos Can Enhance Your Surround Sound Experience
Do you like your soundbar, but your favourite movies still lack a finishing touch? Do you want breathtaking sound depth and realistic effects that put you right in the middle of the action? Do you want to hear the raindrops falling from the ceiling like in the cinema and be amazed by the special effects? Then Dolby Atmos coupled with home theatre power manager is really something for you. Where the limits of a stereo system or Bluetooth speakers have already been used up, our Home cinema comes into the picture. We don’t just offer you the necessary passive speakers or sets separately, but also complete, coordinated sound systems including our REFLEKT speakers for Dolby Atmos. Naturally, Dolby Atmos sets come with a matching AV receiver and a powerful subwoofer for the necessary bass. The world of three-dimensional sound experience is just a click away!
What is Dolby Atmos?
Unlike Dolby Digital, Dolby Surround or DTS, the Dolby Atmos sound format theoretically allows the playback and processing of an infinite number of soundtracks. So it is a decent size. Strictly speaking, there are no “Dolby Atmos” speakers, but there are licensed speakers that reproduce these audio tracks.
Because theoretically every movie scene and every object visible in it must also be sonically reproduced, such formats are also known as object-based. Due to the different signals for each individual speaker, based on the actual movie scene, the audio signal is processed in such a way that you feel like you are right in the middle of the movie action. In addition, much more signals and information are processed than with Dolby Digital or DTS, so that you perceive much more detail with enormous precision. You can immerse yourself directly in the movie and enjoy the action with all your senses. For the special sound signals that you hear from the ceiling or “from above”, the AV receiver has corresponding connections on the back, which you can connect during installation.
How do I install my speakers for Dolby Atmos?
You can easily connect our REFLEKT speakers to your current surround system if you have the necessary connections on the AV receiver. On the one hand, you can set up the REFLEKT speakers as “reflection speakers” on, for example, a floor-standing speaker. To do this, set the switch on the back to “reflective mode”. That way, the sound is reflected from the ceiling, so you can enjoy it on your sofa. Alternatively, you can use the REFLEKT as a “direct speaker”. To do this, set the switch to “direct mode” and mount the speakers on the front wall just below the ceiling so that the sound is transmitted at an angle to the listening position. In this way, you can listen to the sound from the sitting position.
This way you can perfectly match your Dolby Atmos system to your room for the best surround sound.
Where do I connect the speakers for Dolby Atmos?
Do you have little experience with connecting speakers? No problem. Note that the designation of the corresponding channels may differ depending on the brand of the AV receiver, so use the receiver’s setup wizard for setup or connection. This way you can correctly assign the channels that are intended for the Atmos signals. With newer AV receivers, an image is displayed on the screen of your TV and the speaker connections are even explicitly mentioned. While buying a speaker ensure that it has 7 separate speaker channels (“7.1 or 7.2”). With “Atmos receivers” you can configure the last two channels as outputs for ceiling speakers.
Alternatives to Dolby Atmos
In addition to Dolby Atmos, there are other sound formats that also process and reproduce 3D audio signals. These are currently DTS:X and Auro 3D. The main difference is the amount of data processed. With DTS:X, this is considerably higher, giving more detail theoretically (at least in purely mathematical terms). With Dolby Atmos, at least two speakers are required for these signals. With Auro 3D, there are four. Therefore, Auro 3D requires an AV receiver with at least 9 separate connections.
Can I use Dolby Atmos through streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime?
Unfortunately, this is not yet possible. Currently, movies are broadcast in maximum Dolby Digital 5.1 by streaming service providers. The data volume for Dolby Atmos signals is considerably larger, and therefore it is not yet possible to transmit them over the Internet. For image and sound, you will only achieve the best quality with Blu-ray. In addition, you have to connect the Blu-ray player to the AV receiver via an HDMI cable. You can only use the Blu-ray player if your TV has a new HDMI eARC connection and can also process the audio signal. Connect directly to the TV and route the sound to the AV receiver via HDMI eARC. But even if you don’t receive an Atmos signal, you can use the settings on the AV receiver to generate a virtual 3D sound, which will then also play the speakers on the “Atmos outputs”.
