What is Your Opinion of Atmos Music?


Most members here have "stereos" for music and "home theater" for movies. Atmos music takes the immersive format that started with movies and uses it for music. It seems Dolby has a series of interviews/tutorials with recording engineers and that is picking up momentum. Personally I listen to immersive music (atmos and surround sound) about 80% of the time and the other 20% I listen to two channel on my desktop system. What is your experience with either Atmos music/spatial audio or using any of the various upmixers (auro-3d, dolby surround, etc) for immersive music listening?

 

kota1

Apple "Spatial Audio" mix might be different than the Dolby Atmos mix created in the studio if you are using headphones. Apple has its own "spatial audio" renderer for headphones that takes the original atmos mix and puts it through its own renderer UNLESS you are using ATV4K via HDMI to a receiver. If you want the original mix on headphones use Tidal. Check out this diagram and the follow up article:

 

@kota1 The article is out of date in some respects, Apple added spatial audio monitoring to Logic Pro at version 10.7.3 (current version is 10.7.5). Both Apple and Dolby user guidance describe this (on the production side, which the writer was addressing).

To be terminologically precise, you would be listening to the same mix, but a different rendering. I can’t offer an opinion on whether the spatial audio renderer is better/worse, I haven’t used Atmos via the other services. From your position, you are still faced with different playback scenarios to (potentially) try out one way or another.

@axo1989 , it isn't necessarily good or bad, but different. Dolby makes a big deal about artist intent, they should use the same renderer if possible IMO.

That solves your problem, no need to get an Apple thing, stick with Sony. The Z1R are extra-nice headphones.