The Dolby Atmos cinema processor then determines which of a cinema’s huge array of front, back, side, and overhead speakers it will use to recreate this lifelike movement. These can be precisely placed and moved by the soundtrack creator anywhere in the cinema’s three-dimensional space-they are not confined to specific channels-though the artist can continue to use channel capabilities as desired. It enables artists to treat specific sounds as individual entities, called audio objects. In Dolby Atmos, by contrast, sound can be freed from channels. If one sound is emphasized in a traditional mix, another must be diminished. Further, sounds exist only as part of a channel mix. Traditional surround soundtracks confine all sounds to a small set of channels that can deliver sound to you from only a few perceived angles. Together, these completely change how soundtracks are created and heard. Dolby Atmos improves upon conventional surround sound and is the future of surround sound audio.Dolby Atmos creates powerful, moving audio by introducing two important concepts to cinema sound: audio objects and overhead speakers. While it is appealing to view Dolby Atmos as in direct competition with traditional surround sound, it is more accurate to see Dolby Atmos as an addition. For many, the cost of making a home theater Dolby Atmos-enabled boils down to the addition of a set of two height speakers (an additional $100-$500). There are a wide variety of ways to create a Dolby Atmos surround system or a Surround 7.1 system. Costĭirect cost comparison between a Dolby Atmos-enabled surround system and a traditional 7.1 Surround system is impossible. You can expect to experience some of the signature height effects that Dolby Atmos provides even with titles that only support Surround 7.1 audio. It is important to note that listening to Surround 7.1 supported audio and a Dolby Atmos-enabled system will in no way degrade your audio listening experience. As far as music goes, many titles are designed for stereo output, but it seems as though there is a trend developing towards Dolby Atmos support. That said, most modern Blu-Ray movies released, and games released support Dolby Atmos surround. There are more movies, games, and music designed for traditional surround sound. Surround 7.1 systems have an edge on Dolby Atmos when it comes to commercial support. Instead of mapping sounds to speakers, audio engineers place sound objects in a sound space and activates speakers to precisely convey the position of the sound object. A sound object is an element that can be placed anywhere in 3-dimensional sound space.
If a movie features a plane taking off, the sound might be mapped to output mostly through the rear speaker channels, and transition to the front speakers as the plane picks up speed.ĭolby Atmos uses a sound object-based audio delivery approach. Each speaker serves as an audio channel, and audio engineers create a surround sound effect via mapping sounds to channels. Traditional surround sound systems use a channel-based audio delivery approach. However, for most home theaters, a nine-speaker 7.1.2 setup provides an excellent Atmos experience. Speakersĭolby Atmos surround sound is compatible with up to 34 speakers. 7.1 Surround: What’s the Difference?ĭolby Atmos adds overhead sound and improved calibration software, which makes the sound deeper and more precise than traditional Surround 7.1 systems. Compared to a two-channel stereo system, a Surround 7.1 system is a vast improvement. Audio is tuned to output sound across the seven-speaker channels to create a surround sound effect for listeners. Seven speakers are placed around a viewing/listening area and coupled with a subwoofer. What is Surround 7.1?ħ.1 Surround is a common high-end home theater set-up. Instead of 7.1, Dolby Atmos is 7.1.X, where the X should be understood as the number of overhead speakers incorporated into a Dolby Atmos surround system.Ī core virtue of Dolby Atmos is that it can incorporate a large number of traditional and overhead speakers to create an incredibly deep and precise audio experience. The simplest way to conceptualize Dolby Atmos is to think of it as 7.1 Surround plus. Overhead sound, a layer of sound absent from traditional surround systems, is essential for Dolby Atmos. Each surround sound system has its own advantages and disadvantages you can review to decide which is better for your home.ĭolby Atmos is audio technology that adds layers of sound beyond what traditional Surround 7.1 systems can provide. Deciding between a Dolby Atmos system and a Surround 7.1 system appears to be such a dilemma, but it is not. Every audio decision seems to require intense scrutiny of incompatible and highly technical options. Perfecting home theater audio is challenging.