I'm on the Atmos trail! (Finally - Old Man yells at height speakers!)

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Wow, I wish I had your labelmaker! As a firm believer in labeling cables, I used yellow electrical tape and a sharpie on mine. It sho’ ain’t purty, but it’s done.

I just priced Atmos pre-pros. Not this year, alas.

This is my label maker. Like I said, it's great, but it's clearly a professional type tool. The cost is exceedingly high for a hobbiest. The label blanks are like $60!!

https://www.amazon.com/Panduit-LS8E...pcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A27DQ1MYX0ZHOT
 
So your thread title came true!

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Sorry if I'm being too detailed, I just feel like sharing it with you guys. You've all been here before.
I've been enjoying your Atmos journey...not too detailed at all. Appreciate you sharing! I did so much troubleshooting going from an all analog pre to an Anthem AVM 50 this passed new year, I actually boxed it up and was ready to sell it. But I gave it one more round and I couldn't be more satisfied with it...and my new Apple TV. That device and app is really wonderful. I have quite enjoyed it for the last 6 weeks or so. I am still only running 4.1....so anxiously awaiting how the Atmos is to your ears.

Looking forward to the next update.
 
This is my label maker. Like I said, it's great, but it's clearly a professional type tool. The cost is exceedingly high for a hobbiest. The label blanks are like $60!!

https://www.amazon.com/Panduit-LS8E...pcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A27DQ1MYX0ZHOT
Yikes! I remember (vaaguely) wires being labeled when I worked at Hughes in the wee small hours of the 1970s. I think I’ll save my pennies for the atmos pre-pro that will definitely have to wait foe next year, unless my ebay sales go nuts, which would be nuts.

I have had plenty of perks from my jobs, though, I stilll have over 200,000 airline miles waiting for a nice trip to somewhere that “winter” means something different than it does in Idaho.
 
UPDATE: It works! Finally. I got 4K video and Dolby Atmos!! The Apple TV is on line as is the router, so the amp did an update as did the 820. Once I activated Apple Music, I went in and scoped out the immersive stuff. Found a bunch. Spot-listened to some old favorites, Low Spark, Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Thriller, Carly, a couple of others. My Denon audyssey settings were AFU so I was pretty bummed listening to Atmos at first. Then I went in and did a manual speaker volume setup. I have large definitive tech powered towers with sub woofers in them. Stupid audyssey had them set to small. I have a massive Martin Logan center speaker, that too was set to small. I went in and modified everything. The audyssey setup had me turn down all 3 subs. F that, I turned them back up. Much better. Now when I heard 'Low Spark', there was some freaking low spark!!

There is quite a bit of Immersive stuff in apple music, but I didn't see any Elton? Is he only on Tidal? I haven't done Tidal yet.

I still have to do some settings on the projector, but I tested the Panasonic BluRay player and it verified that I had 4K all the way via my 50Ft Optical HDMI cable I pulled (I actually pulled 2, a spare just in case) and tried a 4K Atmos BluRay (1917) for a few minutes just to see the picture quality, and it was amazing - even without tweaking the projector.

One question I have for you Apple TV folks. When I select an album, then select a song, the song plays, but I get this screen that says it's not playing. What's up with that?

If I go back, I see the album graphic with the song title list

Aplle TV Not Playing.jpg
 
One question I have for you Apple TV folks. When I select an album, then select a song, the song plays, but I get this screen that says it's not playing. What's up with that?
Have never seen that on my Apple device.

And congrats on getting things to work. Hope you have a wonderful weekend of Atmos listening.
 
There is quite a bit of Immersive stuff in apple music, but I didn't see any Elton? Is he only on Tidal? I haven't done Tidal yet.
Hmm, you should be able to find four titles of his on Apple - the self-titled album, Honky Chateau, Too Low For Zero, and the Diamonds compliation.

...and you didn't ask for these, but - this being QQ forum - here are the obligatory links to all of Steven Wilson's mixes. Happy listening!
 
UPDATE: It works! Finally. I got 4K video and Dolby Atmos!! The Apple TV is on line as is the router, so the amp did an update as did the 820. Once I activated Apple Music, I went in and scoped out the immersive stuff. Found a bunch. Spot-listened to some old favorites, Low Spark, Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Thriller, Carly, a couple of others. My Denon audyssey settings were AFU so I was pretty bummed listening to Atmos at first. Then I went in and did a manual speaker volume setup. I have large definitive tech powered towers with sub woofers in them. Stupid audyssey had them set to small. I have a massive Martin Logan center speaker, that too was set to small. I went in and modified everything. The audyssey setup had me turn down all 3 subs. F that, I turned them back up. Much better. Now when I heard 'Low Spark', there was some freaking low spark!!

There is quite a bit of Immersive stuff in apple music, but I didn't see any Elton? Is he only on Tidal? I haven't done Tidal yet.

I still have to do some settings on the projector, but I tested the Panasonic BluRay player and it verified that I had 4K all the way via my 50Ft Optical HDMI cable I pulled (I actually pulled 2, a spare just in case) and tried a 4K Atmos BluRay (1917) for a few minutes just to see the picture quality, and it was amazing - even without tweaking the projector.

One question I have for you Apple TV folks. When I select an album, then select a song, the song plays, but I get this screen that says it's not playing. What's up with that?

If I go back, I see the album graphic with the song title list

View attachment 88989
Congrats Jon!

I've never seen that screen either :unsure:

Have you updated to the latest software on Apple TV 4K?

I fear the upcoming tortuous wire-running, when I'm ready to go full bore Atmos :eek:
 
One question I have for you Apple TV folks. When I select an album, then select a song, the song plays, but I get this screen that says it's not playing. What's up with that?
I do get that screen sometimes....it just seems to be a glitch for me. On my machine, nothing plays when that comes up, so I arrow back a time or two, then it starts working again. Not much help, but I do see that screen on occasion. I should probably check my software version, as mentioned. I also still get the glitchy song starts that many have reported on.
 
One question I have for you Apple TV folks. When I select an album, then select a song, the song plays, but I get this screen that says it's not playing. What's up with that?

I’ve seen that screen before , try a simple restart and that should do it .. and make sure you’re on the latest firmware update as some of the older bugs have gone away ..

Have been enjoying reading about your Atmos journey .. well done !

EDIT !! also if you are still seeing the “not playing” sign , push the enter button on your Denon remote .. that should do it .. it’s probably a handshake issue between Denon and Apple TV
 
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SUNDAY UPDATE: Well, after quite a bit of time trying to get my 20 year old Panamax 2000 power unit programmed (what a nightmare maze of menus of horrible design), I finally got everything done. Now when I power on the Denon, the Panamax powers the front and center speakers and everything works!

As for the Apple TV, today it did not do the 'odd screen'. When I played a track, the graphic appeared with the changing color background. Nice.

So now it's clean up time. Sadly, all of this work and expense I just did, while ending up perfectly fine, just reinforced my realization that I just can't hear music properly anymore. It's very depressing, let me tell you. My wife says it all sounds great, but I just can't hear the highs, and even some of the mids. Through my hearing aides, it sounds a bit transistor radio-ish. Without them, it's just plain dull. It really sucks. Sadly, unlike glasses which allow you to see 20/20 and crystal clear, hearing aides do not get you the 20-20kHz audio that you remember. It just doesn't work that way, and there's no cure for loss of frequency response.

So, again, all of you, especially if you're over 50 or so, get your hearing checked. You may think it's fine, but it's a gradual thing. Like I said, every time I got a new Acura over the past 10 or so years, I would think that the earlier car sounded better. Truth was it wasn't the cars - it was my ears!!

Getting old sucks, but at least it means you're still here!

Thanks again to all for the encouragement in this thread
 
Stupid Audyssey had them set to small. I have a massive Martin Logan center speaker, that too was set to small. I went in and modified everything. The Audyssey setup had me turn down all 3 subs. F that, I turned them back up. Much better. Now when I heard 'Low Spark', there was some freaking low spark!!

That mirrors my Audyssey experience in recent years, so I have no expectations of it anymore. I'm skipping right to manual adjustments when I get the AVR-X3700. After listening in this room since 2001, I don't think it will take a lot to dial it in. Some experimenting and adjustments up top are be expected.

Having been in your cool media room a couple of times over the years, I'm happy and excited for your upgrades. May you enjoy them to the fullest extent possible!

:51QQ
 
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You are supposed to raise the gain on the subwoofer(s) high enough to achieve a trim level of about -9 to -11.5 during Audyssey's initial level-matching/calibration process.

Then use your house curve to bump up the trim volumes and/or gain to what sounds good to you.
 
Hi @JonUrban congrats on your endeavor. It is quite a chore without doubt. But you did as I did, just scratch and claw.
Sorry about your hearing, but maybe your stereo and surround listening will be improved from your work.
Fact: I truly believe that listening to Dolby Atmos takes some time for your brain to develop. Like smoking weed for the first time, it takes time to get it.
If you are able and can turn off all your amps except the height speakers you can get an idea of what is being there.
Most Dolby Atmos is disappointing from a streaming point of view. Some are reference however, Pont Yello, etc. I thought Low Spark was OK but not great.
I think it took me months to build and days to get my system up and running and months to get comfortable with it.
Audesssy, well like you I started with that as that is how I was thought, but have long blew past all those settings.
Movies can be very tricky in Dolby Atmos. My first, I was so excited was 1915, an exquisite World War I movie. But only to find out most was dialogue except for a few overhead planes and bombs the heights where 15 mins out of the whole movie.
Congratulations, it will only get better.
 
I was so excited was 1915, an exquisite World War I movie. But only to find out most was dialogue except for a few overhead planes and bombs the heights where 15 mins out of the whole movie.

What fantastic movie with one of the longest continuous scenes ever filmed,
 
re: 1917. We watched it last night. It wasn't what I expected, but it was a gripping film. Not sure I would want to see it again right away, but it was worthy, that's for sure. Unreal environment they created for that. Really makes you think

I have to let everything break in, including my ears. I did not mess with the projector settings, they're pretty much at default. I am toying with having it calibrated by someone who knows what they're doing, but I have to say it really looks good right out of the box.

I am still having power issues. I have this Panamax power control unit. It's programmed to turn off the front/center speakers (remove 110 from them) when the receiver turns off, but it works sometimes and other times it does not. It's also affected by the HDMI somehow, because when I turned off the Panasonic BluRay player, the receiver also went off, but the speakers did not! Another time, I turned off the Apple TV and both the projector and the Denon turned off! So there are HDMI handshakes in there doing stuff.

Tim - thanks for the thoughts. It was fun having you stop by those 2 times. I am glad we got to meet and that you could check out the room and listen to some stuff

PS - I ordered one of those 'Dolby Atmos Theater' signs. I had previously had the DTS and DD ones, which I removed upon upgrading and painting the walls. Gotta stay current when you're my age! :)
 
Whatever you do don't buy the Audioquest Niagra 5000. It has low level hum. I am used to it now as it is barely audible, but at 5:00 in the morning it is irritating.
And believe it or not, in the directions, it says "This device emits a low level hum and is considered normal". WTF.
 
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