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

@tablejockey i was with you until I really dug in. Atmos on any headphone gives Joe average phantom center image and a "great room" experience previously reserved for you and me in stereo. Headphone stereo is pretty bad compared to a room. Headphone atmos done well is miraculous. It’s early days. Mixing is all over the board. Mastering is nearly non existent. Analog mastering as I do here is just me. Stay curious. Apple is committed and musically it’s superior. If done well. Almost never. We don’t know the musical ceiling here. Stereo we do. Both are here to stay. 

brianlucey,

If one is listening thru headphones, I would imagine this new technology may be something to be interested in.

Since you're in the business of "creating the illusion" I "get" the ongoing push to expand the boundaries and possibilities. Your early guitar experience w/ Robert Fripp and being an actual working musician certainly gave your qualified ears.

Sitting on the sofa in an aesthetic and sonic appropriated room with the "best" gear possible is immersive enough for me. 

 

 

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@tablejockey , I have a similar situation, my room is well setup for atmos but it took effort. I totally discounted atmos in headphones, putting it in the category of upfiring speakers and atmos soundbars. Now that @brianlucey shared its a game its a game changer I am smiling. A really good stereo/headphone rig is $$$. I’ll bet I can get a good atmos headphone rig with a nice set of cans and one of those THX headphone amps for a lot less. What gets me REALLY excited if the idea of a SOA Atmos headphone rig. Did you ever hear of Jim Fosgate? Black Ice audio has partnered with him on their designs. They have a tube based headphone amp and are bringing out a SOA headphone amp (The Aries) that Jim designed to replicate his own SOA audio system. I am getting the idea of an tube based, SOA headphone/atmos system that wouldn’t be affordable or practical for my room.

 

Black Ice demoed the new Aries headphone amp at Cedia 2022 and it should be out soon, this video is from the prototype:

 

Jim Fosgate breaks down the design strategy for the Aries headphone amp, it should be out soon. This interview is early stages: