Questions on Atmos quality on various streaming platforms

[inspclouseau]

If you can't get a good mix to sound good streaming, there is something wrong with your setup. Rant all you want, but if you can't get the Atmos mix of Van Morrison Moondance, for example, to sound good, then you are simply doing it wrong.

Or us non-city folks.. Not at all, which is absolutely perfect for us non-peoply types! We get into a city, we cannot get the F out of 'it' quickly enough. Internet 'bandwidth, quality' and ridiculous over the top pricing. Nope all good here in the sticks. 'simply doing it wrong? We're for not 'doing it' at all actually. Got my own opinions about what games dolby is playing right now but some noses will be bent. Have a great day, get outside more!

 

[stereoptic]

I believe on Tidal it is in 360. Getting Apple files requires the jumping of many more hoops, allegedly.

Thanks, yeah I am aware that it is an intricate process but I don't know what is involved, but maybe the files got mangled somehow.

 

[himey]

when in fact they listen to them downmixed to 5.1

It isn't a downmix to 5.1. A downmix would be 4.0/4.1/2.0/ect. Streaming 5.1 simply ignores the metadata and passes the 5.1 bed info.

 

[JediJoker]

HDMI is not required for Atmos. I don’t have any HDMI in my 7.1.4 system.

What device are you using to decode the Atmos that doesn't have HDMI?

 

[ted_b]

What device are you using to decode the Atmos that doesn't have HDMI?

Chris has a wealth of info on his Atmos setup over on his Audiophilestyle forum. To paraphrase he uses MMH to convert file types, uses Windows Atmos decoder via Dolbys engine, then sends to HQPlayer ( or other server) to his Merging Hapi.

With that sort of setup one can play immersive discrete files as well (raw high bit rate master files, before any encoding to Atmos or Auro-3D)

 

[ManWhoCan]

As

Some people around here states that they listen to Atmos mixes, when in fact they listen to them downmixed to 5.1. So it was a fair question. .

I understand, thanks to the patience of people here explaining it to me, that the 5.1 files are referred to as the atmos bed. Still called atmos, but others state that atmos is only really atmos with more than 6ch, basically at least 5.1 plus 2 heights, if I understand correctly. So yes, I listen to atmos bed, not a downmix, unless the 5.1.2 is an upmix?

 

[ManWhoCan]

What device are you using to decode the Atmos that doesn't have HDMI?

A PC with 7.1ch analogue outs and an AVR with analogue ins. No HDMI required.

 

[duanerocks2014]

So , can anyone tell me if my subscription to Apple music is worth it? As it has Atmos capabilities ,which shows up on my player when it’s streaming to a very good setup!

 

[stereoptic]

So , can anyone tell me if my subscription to Apple music is worth it? As it has Atmos capabilities ,which shows up on my player when it’s streaming to a very good setup!

Read through this thread and see if there are any titles that you would be interested in:
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...tidal-apple-amazon.31491/page-381#post-706491

 

[LB-V]

So , can anyone tell me if my subscription to Apple music is worth it? As it has Atmos capabilities ,which shows up on my player when it’s streaming to a very good setup!

Apple Music generally has a 30 day trial period. Give it a try. Or if there's no free trial, cancel after the first month. Streaming 5.1 / Atmos is way worth it to me.

 

[Franck]

Tidal uses AC4-IMS which is a better codec, but this is a 2 channels format to mix binaural with stereo. Apple uses DD+JOC, which is a 16 channels atmos encoded as a native 5.1 with metadata to recompose the 16 channels (clusters of objects).

Spatial Audio is the Apple renderer of dolby atmos files. They don’t use the Dolby Atmos renderer because they added head tracking and other magic to be able to render the music on their laptop speakers, iPhone/iPad speakers (this is not really a Dolby format).

DD+JOC is the standard for consumer and it is lossy, because that’s 16 channels of 24bit/48kHz which can be as much as 15Mb/s. The audio bandwidth is as much as the video bandwidth and that‘s a lot for consumer equipment to handle.

There is a new Dolby standard based on AC4 instead of AC3 that DD+JOC uses, but I have not seen decoders having it.

AppleTV 4K, can handle Atmos, and send it to a receiver via HDMI

On a Mac, you need a audio interface with at least 10 outputs (for 5.1.4). I use a Focusrite 18i/18 with Yamaha hs7/5 powered speakers.

I have released a few tracks in Atmos.

Few people have the full setup to hear my music with a home theater, many just listen to it with airpods.

Binaural rending is constantly improving. Apple just added HRTF like customization, which improved a lot my listening experience on airPods.

Many people in this thread have pointed the same, but I though I would share my own experience.

 

[Edmund53]

I moved from Spotify to Amazon music and I am delighted with FLACK CD and Ultra music through my 4K Firestick Max connected to my Denon Amp. I am also happy with the Atmos signal but then I think I am easily pleased I can say its a huge impact on Spotify. One thing if I buy a movie from Prime it is does not come with Atmos. When I buy the same movie from Apple it does (assuming it has Atmos of course)