Is there an AV receiver/processor that supports Tidal's Dolby Atmos content?

[EB1000]

Hi

Just wondering, are there any other ways to listen to Dolby Atmos music on Tidal besides Apple TV 4k, which outputs very low level signal (-12dB lower than non Atmos content).

I was certain that the NAD T778 AVR is cut for the job, but it turned out that its Music streaming capabilities (BluOS based) is hardware limited to two channel stereo only (you cant even listen to BluOS music using the Dolby Surround upmixer). I know for a fact that Denon's HEOS does not support Dolby Atmos, neither does Yamaha's Musicast. So what are we left with?

Thanks

 

[Zedly]

I was able to list to Atmos on Tidal using the Tidal app on my Nvidia Shield, with the Shield connected to my TV, and the TV outputting audio via e-ARC to my Denon AVR. The signal level on Tidal's Atmos tracks was low in my setup too. I think that is a problem on Tidal's end.

 

[DavidMcRoy]

I was able to list to Atmos on Tidal using the Tidal app on my Nvidia Shield, with the Shield connected to my TV, and the TV outputting audio via e-ARC to my Denon AVR. The signal level on Tidal's Atmos tracks was low in my setup too. I think that is a problem on Tidal's end.

The Dolby Atmos files on Apple Music are also very low in level.

 

[dougi]

I don't have Tidal, but HDMI from a PC with the free (for AVR use) Dolby Access app should work, shouldn't it?

 

[DeLub]

The Dolby Atmos files on Apple Music are also very low in level.

compared to non-atmos music, or compared to atmos movies?

 

[DavidMcRoy]

compared to non-atmos music, or compared to atmos movies?

Both

 

[Sancus]

I don't think this has anything to do with devices. Atmos music is just mixed at those lower levels, it will be the same no matter what you use to play them.

I also think it's 100% intentional to allow more dynamic range.

 

[abdo123]

I don't think this has anything to do with devices. Atmos music is just mixed at those lower levels, it will be the same no matter what you use to play them.

i think this might start a paradigm shift, radios get dynamically compressed stereo mixes and people get the sensibly mixed Atmos mixes.

 

[DavidMcRoy]

Apple says:

If I turn up the volume of Dolby Atmos tracks, I notice that stereo tracks play much louder. What should I do?
Turn on Sound Check. Here’s how:

• On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Music, and turn on Sound Check.
• On your Mac, open the Apple Music app. In the menu bar, choose Music > Preferences. Click the Playback tab, then select Sound Check to turn it on.
• On your Apple TV, go to Settings > Apps > Music, and turn on Sound Check.

 

[DavidMcRoy]

Here’s everything Apple has to say about how to listen to Dolby Atmos from Apple Music:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212182

The only language in there that mentions an outboard Dolby Atmos sound bar or processor is in the context of using an Apple TV4K running tvOS 14.6. As best as I can determine, the only way to get a suitable Dolby Atmos signal from Apple Music into an outboard hardware Dolby Atmos decoder such as that found in an AVR is from the HDMI port on an Apple TV4K running tvOS14.6. Otherwise, you may elect to send a conventional 2-channel stereo mix to a Hi-Res DAC, a non-Hi-Res DAC, or just from the headphone jack of your phone,pad or Mac to analog inputs on an AVR, depending on what resolution you’re interested in, and then internally to a Dolby Audio Surround processor that can derive up to a 7.1.4 upmix, which may not sound identical to an actual Dolby Atmos mix created specifically for multichannel playback.

 

[Sancus]

As best as I can determine, the only way to get a suitable Dolby Atmos signal from Apple Music into an outboard hardware Dolby Atmos decoder such as that found in an AVR is from the HDMI port on an Apple TV4K running tvOS14.6.

Probably. That's how it is on Tidal as well. And everywhere else Atmos shows up. As far as I know, Dolby has no intention of making a software decoder for Atmos available to consumers, so it's hardware decoders only. You can bitstream Atmos data to an AVR with a PC(and maybe a Mac? Not sure), but you cannot actually decode the Atmos and output to a multi-channel DAC without a hardware Atmos device. And I doubt Apple supports the Mac -> AVR thing although they could if they wanted to.

 

[stevenswall]

Such a mess... I was excited that things would work soon with high end setups but between these volume issues, the mixes that don't sound good, and likely not allowing software deciding for an external dac or digital outputs on receives that aren't thousands and thousands, it's annoying. Plus no Chromecast support.

I'd love to have album release parties at my house for new, well remastered Atmos audio. Just a pain so far.