Additionally, a new Dolby® surround upmixer allows for channel-based content that has not been mixed for Dolby Atmos to be expanded to fill the flexible speaker layouts of a
Dolby Atmos system.
In all cases, be sure to set the audio output of your device to bitstream output and ensure that secondary audio functionality is disabled. Connect the devices to your Dolby Atmos enabled AVR using an HDMI connection.3
Any speaker type that is capable of accurately representing a stereo pan is suitable to reproduce objects.
- The speakers located in the front of the room shall be used as a reference point. All speakers in the listener plane should ideally be equidistant from the listener position. If this is not possible, compensating for distance may be used to time align the arrival of audio from each speaker to the listener.
- All listener speakers should be at the same height, typically 3.9 feet (1.2 meters), which is ear level for the average seated listener (as defined in ITU-R BS.1116-1).
- Note: Dipole surround speakers are not recommended for use for Dolby Atmos playback.
One solution is to install speakers overhead. Most conventional overhead speakers with wide dispersion characteristics will work in a Dolby Atmos home theater.
Dolby Atmos audio is mixed using discrete, full-range audio objects that may move around anywhere in three-dimensional space. With this in mind, overhead speakers should complement the frequency response, output, and power-handling capabilities of the listener-level speakers. Choose overhead speakers that are timbre matched as closely as possible to the primary listener-level speakers. Overhead speakers with a wide dispersion pattern are desirable for use in a Dolby Atmos system. This will ensure the closest replication of the cinematic environment, where overhead speakers are placed high above the listeners.
If the chosen overhead speakers have a wide dispersion pattern (approximately 45 degrees from the acoustical reference axis over the audio band from 100 Hz to 10 kHz or wider), then speakers may be mounted facing directly downward. For speakers with narrower dispersion patterns, those with aimable or angled elements should be angled toward the primary listening position.
Dolby Atmos enabled speakers produce a slightly more diffuse overhead audio experience that is quite lifelike and, in some cases, may be preferable to the sound that originates from overhead speakers. If the ceiling is low or you have to mount the speakers on overhead trusses or brackets, overhead speakers may be too close to you as you listen. The audio may be distracting because you’ll hear and notice the output from each speaker instead of feeling immersed in an atmosphere in which sounds occur naturally overhead.
In this environment, Dolby Atmos enabled speakers may be a better solution for reproducing the height plane of sound, similar to what you would hear in a cinema. In a cinema, the overhead speakers are located high in the auditorium and naturally create a more diffuse experience. Using Dolby Atmos enabled speakers produces a similar experience: the reflection of sound off the ceiling makes the overhead effect sound diffuse, which results in the room sounding larger. Audio mixers and experts who have auditioned
Dolby Atmos enabled speakers agree that the sound these speakers produce can be preferable to the sound of dedicated overhead speakers.
To avoid an unwanted proximity effect, make sure the speakers are at least 3 feet
(0.9 meter) away from listening positions,
ideally 5 feet (1.5 meters) or more. This distance may be less than 5 feet if the upward-firing driver(s) of the Dolby Atmos enabled speaker is placed well above the level of the closest listener’s head.
It is important to properly set the distance for all speakers to ensure that audio signals arrive at the listening position at the right time. The distance can be set manually or with the automatic calibration system that is included with almost all AVRs or processors. When manually setting the distance for Dolby Atmos enabled speakers, make sure to include the distance from both (a) the speaker to the ceiling and (b) the ceiling to the listening position. Autocalibration systems can sometimes incorrectly set the distance for Dolby Atmos enabled speakers, so make sure to double-check the settings in the speaker setup menu if you run autocalibration.