Spatial sound: everywhere, anytime with Dolby Atmos

Born in the cinema

Every film buff understands the importance of picture quality in creating a truly unmissable viewing experience. But the sound you hear is just as important in creating an immersive audiovisual experience that really pulls you in. That’s where Dolby Atmos makes all the difference: the sound places you at the center of the action. The sound effects, the score, and dialogue come from all around you, allowing you to connect more deeply with your favorite movies and shows across streaming platforms and Blu-ray disc.

 

Dolby Atmos was first created for use in cinemas to give audiences an immersive experience. It does this by using audio objects, which are discrete elements of audio – these can be sound effects, a musical instrument, a piece of dialogue, or any other sound. These objects can be placed anywhere in three-dimensional space and move freely. With Dolby Atmos speaker placement is important, but the audio is no longer tied to a particular audio channel. This frees up filmmakers and sound engineers to place layers of sound all around, above, and below you.

Dolby Atmos comes home

Can’t make it to the cinema? You can have the next best thing when you bring Dolby Atmos home. Dolby Atmos is available from most major brands and in a variety of devices. There is setup to suit every budget and spaces of any size. You can learn more in our article about setting up the ultimate home theater.

AV receivers with Dolby Atmos

If you are a serious entertainment enthusiast, a Dolby Atmos-enabled system with an AV (audiovisual) receiver and multiple speakers will take you inside the multidimensional soundscape. An AV receiver can be hooked up to your TV, game console, Blu-ray player, and audio system, allowing you to enjoy the depth and clarity of Dolby Atmos through connected speakers.

 

Most AV receivers can handle a range of configurations, with 5.1 and 7.1 – meaning either 5 or 7 channels of audio and one subwoofer for bass – being most common. They will most commonly support 2, 4, or 6 speakers with Dolby Atmos that deliver the height information. These speakers can be mounted in or on the ceiling of your room or can be upward-firing speakers that point up to the ceiling to bounce the sound back down to you in your favorite chair or sofa. AV receivers are available from a range of manufacturers, including Denon, Sony, Onkyo, Yamaha, and others.

Soundbars with Dolby Atmos

If you want the bold, beautiful sound of Dolby Atmos in a more compact setup, a soundbar can be a great solution. You can use a soundbar with Dolby Atmos coupled with wireless rear speakers or one with height virtualization. A soundbar is a compact unit that handles the audio from your TV and other devices. They have multiple speakers built into them, starting with three speakers for center dialogue channel and left and right channels for music and effects.

 

Many soundbars can connect to rear channel speakers that can be placed to deliver surround sound. Dolby Atmos sound will usually come from upward-firing speakers built into the soundbar, the rear speakers, or both. These systems can fit into a smaller space and often cost less than building a system using separate AV receivers and speakers. They’re a great option if you have a smaller listening space or if you just want a simpler way to enjoy a spatial sound environment designed around you.

 

If you don’t have the space for separate rear speakers or want a more budget-friendly system for a bedroom or secondary viewing and listening space, height virtualization soundbars with Dolby Atmos might be right for you. Height virtualization soundbars give you Dolby Atmos using the speakers built into a single soundbar unit and digital sound processing to deliver Dolby Atmos sound without the need for extra speakers. Dolby Atmos height virtualization can be found in soundbars from Samsung, Sony, Vizio, LG, and others. There are even TVs that offer Dolby Atmos height virtualization from speakers built into the set.

Dolby Atmos goes mobile

Dolby Atmos isn’t limited to the cinema and the home, though! This means you can experience detail that grabs you while watching your favorite movies or shows on the go or while listening to music on most major streaming services — just make sure your subscription and platform support Dolby Atmos.

Where to find Dolby Atmos content

As you can see, there are a lot of ways to experience sound that dances all around you in Dolby Atmos. Dive deeper and really connect with the movies and shows you love in Dolby Atmos on major streaming services, including Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Netflix as well as Paramount+ and Max. Or if you prefer physical media look for the Dolby Atmos badge on your Blu-ray discs and 4K UHD discs. If you’re into gaming, Dolby Atmos adds lifelike sound to your favorite titles on Xbox and PlayStation 5. Music in Dolby Atmos always sounds better and is available on several streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Amazon Music, and TIDAL.

 

Dolby Atmos is a new wave of sound sweeping the globe and available across a wide range of devices to fit any budget or space. Take advantage and enjoy immersive spatial audio everywhere from the movie theater to your home and on your mobile device even while out and about. Stay up to date on the latest devices with Dolby Atmos and scroll until you find something that suits you and your lifestyle.