Listening to in Dolby Atmos Streaming, via Tidal/Apple/Amazon

[AudiophileStyle]

I don't think we will ever see the likes of TrueHD/DTS-MA streamed.

I talked to a company last week who has been working on lossless TrueHD Atmos and Auro 3D streaming for several months.

 

[Ephi82]

I talked to a company last week who has been working on lossless TrueHD Atmos and Auro 3D streaming for several months.

Oh, that is very encouraging. It kind of makes sense to see that happen overtime. They’ve made big advancements in streaming video quality, why not have high quality audio too? ( yes, I know the consumer demand may not be quite as strong….) fingers crossEd

 

[HomerJAU]

They’ve made big advancements in streaming video quality, why not have high quality audio too?

Yes of course Audio could be reduced to a high bit rate lossy codec and users could not hear the difference. That’s what Netflix and others have done with video streaming, especially 4K video. But audiophiles wouldn’t like anything ‘lossy’ because technically it’s not ‘perfect’.

Atmos can now be encoded as Dolby Digital Plus at 1600kbps (Streaming is currently limited to 768kbps). Maybe 1600 is still not enough data and Dolby needs a higher bit rate to satisfy music enthusiasts. Dolby Digital Pro at around 3200kbps anyone?

 

[Ephi82]

Yes of course Audio could be reduced to a high bit rate lossy codec and users could not hear the difference. That’s what Netflix and others have done with video streaming, especially 4K video. But audiophiles wouldn’t like anything ‘lossy’ because technically it’s not ‘perfect’.

Atmos can now be encoded as Dolby Digital Plus at 1600kbps (Streaming is currently limited to 768kbps). Maybe 1600 is still not enough data and Dolby needs a higher bit rate to satisfy music enthusiasts. Dolby Digital Pro at around 3200kbps anyone?

I could be wrong but I think a lot of audiophiles will have to be dragged kicking and screaming into streaming music, no matter what. So, why worry about their opinion on this issue?

 

[himey]

I could be wrong but I think a lot of audiophiles will have to be dragged kicking and screaming into streaming music, no matter what. So, why worry about their opinion on this issue?

I personally care more about an audiophile's opinion than the masses. I don't see the largest streaming sites moving to lossless multichannel, but any improvements, including higher bitrates, is certainly welcomed.

 

[riskylogic]

I could be wrong but I think a lot of audiophiles will have to be dragged kicking and screaming into streaming music, no matter what. So, why worry about their opinion on this issue?

“Audiophile” is pretty loose term. I gave up on LPs almost 40 years ago but I still think Dolby Digital 5.1 is very sad, and Atmos streaming is often even sadder. OTOH, stereo on Tidal sounds quite alright.

 

[Ephi82]

“Audiophile” is pretty loose term. I gave up on LPs almost 40 years ago but I still think Dolby Digital 5.1 is very sad, and Atmos streaming is often even sadder. OTOH, stereo on Tidal sounds quite alright.

I’m my experience the quality of ATMOS streaming with an Apple TV is overwhelmingly determined by the quality of the mix and mastering. Yes, my Blu-ray of Abbey Road has more detail in things like cymbals and reverb tails compared to the stream but I wouldn’t say it causes me sadness.

 

[Ephi82]

I personally care more about an audiophile's opinion than the masses. I don't see the largest streaming sites moving to lossless multichannel, but any improvements, including higher bitrates, is certainly welcomed.

I want to make a clarification. I love listening to music and sound quality is important to me. I suspect that makes me an audiophile. That said I don’t have an objection to music that sounds great but has a technical spec of a moderately lossy source.

 

[AYanguas]

I’m my experience the quality of ATMOS streaming with an Apple TV is overwhelmingly determined by the quality of the mix and mastering. Yes, my Blu-ray of Abbey Road has more detail in things like cymbals and reverb tails compared to the stream but I wouldn’t say it causes me sadness.

Completely agree.

It gives us satisfaction to hear the cymbals of the drums with crystal realism, but the mixing/mastering is also crucial here.

Let's compare Gavin Harrison drums mixing (done by himself), even in lossy streaming, with a Blu-ray lossless like the recent Riverside ID.Entity.

I think we all would prefer (sonically) the Gavin Harrison lossy drums to the less relevant drums sonics in Riverside lossless.

 

[TheGreatRamseythe2nd]

I want to make a clarification. I love listening to music and sound quality is important to me. I suspect that makes me an audiophile. That said I don’t have an objection to music that sounds great but has a technical spec of a moderately lossy source.

Mix and mastering matters more than lossy or lossless I personally think.

 

[riskylogic]

I’m my experience the quality of ATMOS streaming with an Apple TV is overwhelmingly determined by the quality of the mix and mastering. Yes, my Blu-ray of Abbey Road has more detail in things like cymbals and reverb tails compared to the stream but I wouldn’t say it causes me sadness.

Some are better than others. I am both glad to have many of the streaming-only titles, but I am also sad that I can’t get a better copy.

 

[LennonCobain]

LOL

 

[barfle]

Dr. Mark Waldrep of AIX Records did a study of various lossless recording formats, and concluded that almost nobody can tell the difference between red book and 24/96k. And he built his label on 24/96k!

I know I can’t tell the difference, and there are plenty of MP3s that sound great. Whenever I rip, I always rip to FLAC format, because I might end up manipulating the audio a bit, usually trimming unusually long gaps at the end of a song, and I want to avoid multiple lossy (even if minimal) compression effects. All it costs me is disc space, and I have lots of disc space.

I haven’t signed up for any streaming services yet, mostly because I have plenty to watch and listen to without them. Not opposed to the idea, in fact I occasionally stream radio stations.

 

[Mr. Afternoon]

LOL

Someone PLEASE comment on the quality of the mix...this is on a need-to-know basis, I swear.

 

[humprof]

Ambient/electronic fans, rejoice. A new one from film composer Ryuichi Sakamoto:

Here's an NPR piece that just aired:

 

[Tornado Red]

Sublime

 

[privateuniverse]

The complete Time Out of Mind album is mixed into surround, the bonus tracks are not. The Atmos mix downmixes to 5.1 quite nicely. Nice and discrete.

 

[Sashaaa]

Oh nice, this wasn't Atmos on release a few days ago. I didn't listen to the whole thing then, but a little bit, but I liked it.

This is, tragically, likely the last Ryuichi Sakamoto album. In 2014 he was diagnosed with throat cancer. He was able to beat it into remission, but not before writing his last "last album", Async (in 5.1 on an eye wateringly expensive Japanese import). This album was written after he was diagnosed with rectal cancer

Async is truly an incredible record, and while importing the blu ray was expensive, it is quite a good surround mix and really makes the album an experience. If anyone here is into that recent brian eno album I'm sure you'd love async surround. It's one of my all time favorite albums.

EDIT: Also wanted to mention that 12 is some top tier ambient as well. Async is more of an intense story based listen so it's not a super comparable album, but it does have a similar atmosphere. 12 is intense in it's own way, but it's also beautiful in it's own right. There's something very honest about the way it sounds, which makes sense as it's basically him just making music for the sake of making it rather than a planned out release. From what I can tell also it has a nice mix (only previewed in 5.1), albeit not super adventurous but it occasionally has some discrete moments. Regardless it suits the music. I highly recommend both 12 and Async Surround to anyone here who's into ambient (like I am!).

 

[IronWaffle]

The complete Time Out of Mind album is mixed into surround, the bonus tracks are not. The Atmos mix downmixes to 5.1 quite nicely. Nice and discrete.

Thanks! Couldn’t be more excited for this.

For now, it only shows as lossless both on my iPhone and Apple TV. I’m sure I’ll sort it out — hopefully before I run out of patience and listen to it in stereo. That wouldn’t be the end of the world, of course, but I’d love my first listen to be in surround.

Much as I wish this would’ve gotten a physical release, I don’t think it ever would have. Without streaming it might not even have been budgeted to exist.

 

[scooob]

Thanks! Couldn’t be more excited for this.

For now, it only shows as lossless both on my iPhone and Apple TV. I’m sure I’ll sort it out — hopefully before I run out of patience and listen to it in stereo. That wouldn’t be the end of the world, of course, but I’d love my first listen to be in surround.

Much as I wish this would’ve gotten a physical release, I don’t think it ever would have. Without streaming it might not even have been budgeted to exist.

To hear (or add to your library) just the album proper in Atmos: