What is Dolby Atmos? How Can I Get It?

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You can now enjoy cinema-like audio and visual experiences from the comfort of your own home, thanks to exciting advancements in home theatre technologies.

In this article, we’ll delve into Dolby Atmos, an incredible immersive audio technology that takes your listening experience beyond traditional surround sound.

Understanding the benefits of Dolby Atmos

Traditional surround sound systems use a multi-channel audio configuration that usually comprises of five main speakers (front left, front right, centre, surround left, surround right) and a subwoofer for low-frequency effects.

However, the Dolby Atmos system takes it a step further by adding height channels. This means that the sound comes at you from all directions, immersing you completely in the action. You’ll feel like you’re right there, experiencing it firsthand.

What sets Dolby Atmos apart is its remarkable ability to enhance audio quality. It achieves this by using audio objects which represent individual sound sources and encompass various attributes such as waveform, amplitude, frequency, position and timing.

These objects can be intelligently processed through any of the speakers, tailored to the movie’s post-production, allowing each speaker to produce unique audio content. This level of customisation creates a truly immersive experience, infusing the sound with depth, dimension and crystal-clear clarity.

Dolby Atmos at home

Naturally, this kind of experience may not be the most cost-effective option initially, but the investment is absolutely worthwhile for the lifelike, captivating sound that takes your home theatre setup to an entirely new level.

To enjoy Dolby Atmos, you’ll need an enabled AV receiver or soundbar, along with compatible speakers, which can include ceiling speakers or speakers that direct sound upwards.

While you can still have a great experience with two Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers, using four or more speakers will provide an even more realistic sound and allow for precise sound localisation. The gold standard is a 7.1.4 layout, which consists of 7 speakers at ear level, 4 Atmos overhead speakers, and one or more subwoofers placed on the floor. This setup gives an audio experience that truly immerses you in your favourite movies, music and games.

For the 7.1.4 layout, follow these steps to optimise your setup:

1. Choose a central seating position and angle each speaker towards you. Keep the traditional surround sound speakers at ear height, generally around 1.2 metres high, and place the subwoofer on the floor.
2. Position the four overhead speakers both forward and behind the seating position. These speakers will create the immersive overhead audio experience of Dolby Atmos.

To ensure the best audio quality and fully enjoy the Dolby Atmos experience at home, it’s essential to calibrate the sound level of your setup. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Sit in your designated listening place and listen to each speaker independently. Pay attention to the sound level—are all the speakers producing sound at the same level?
2. Test your up-firing speakers—do they effectively deliver sound from above? If not, you may need to adjust the angle and position of the speakers to achieve the desired effect.
3. You can also use various apps and software designed specifically for calibrating Dolby Atmos speakers. These tools can help you fine-tune your setup and maximise the overall audio performance.

Streaming services and Dolby Atmos

Although not all movies or shows support Dolby Atmos, streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ offer a growing library of Dolby Atmos supported movies and TV shows. Some streaming services offer free access to Dolby Atmos, although Netflix requires a premium tier subscription to enjoy it.

A wide range of movies support Dolby Atmos. To quickly identify a supported title, simply check for the Dolby Atmos badge on the movie or TV series’ title pages.

Gaming and Dolby Atmos

By creating a captivating 3D audio environment, Dolby Atmos enriches game audio with depth and richness, resulting in a more lifelike and immersive experience.

Whether it’s the gentle rustling of leaves or the explosive roar of thunder, every sound gains a remarkable sense of depth and detail, enveloping the player and intensifying their emotional connection to the game world. With Dolby Atmos, games reach new levels of captivation and memorability, enhancing storytelling, atmospheric effects and overall immersion.

The precise sound positioning can significantly amplify the gameplay experience, making it easier for players to locate enemies, detect approaching threats or immerse themselves in the virtual world.

With Dolby Atmos support on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC, you can take your gaming experience to new heights.

Some of the games you can enjoy in Dolby Atmos include Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Need for Speed Heat, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Call of Duty: Vanguard.