Dolby Atmos for music streaming is a waste of time

Dolby Atmos looks as if the way forward for audio expertise. The item-based encompass sound format has been round since 2012, and till just lately was used largely to craft exact, pristine sound mixes for motion pictures and tv. A couple of years later, Dolby Atmos for Music was launched, and was adopted by Amazon Music and Tidal for music streaming.

It wasn’t till 2021, although, when Apple launched its Spatial Audio function for Apple Music and its AirPods Professional wi-fi earbuds, that Dolby Atmos actually took off within the music area. It was an thrilling improvement, utilizing superior audio processing expertise to create a lifelike encompass sound impact utilizing only a pair of earbuds.

The expertise promised customers the sensation of being totally enveloped by the music they had been listening to, however after a number of years going backwards and forwards, I now simply preserve Dolby Atmos turned off in my Apple Music settings.

The encompass sound dilemma

A terrific concept, in concept

LG

In terms of motion pictures and TV, encompass sound has lengthy been the usual. And that simply is sensible. An motion film will get that rather more thrilling when the viewer can hear bullets flying previous them, or helicopters overhead. Even in quieter dramas, a lush soundscape coming from throughout can imply the distinction between full immersion into the world of the story, and losing interest.

In music, although, encompass sound has a harder historical past. There have been plenty of codecs through the years that would ship encompass sound music, however they had been hardly ever adopted by anybody apart from audiophiles. The massive motive for that’s, with the intention to hear, particular gear was required, together with a encompass speaker setup, which most individuals do not have. Moreover, it wasn’t actually potential to hearken to that audio on the go, which is how most individuals hearken to music.

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Enter Atmos

The fantastic thing about object-based audio

Encompass sound might have been a cumbersome expertise, however Dolby Atmos brought a new advantage to the table. Atmos is an object-based audio system, which signifies that sounds are blended in a digital area, and will be mapped onto as few as two audio system, or dozens. In a movie show, audio system throughout, together with on the ceiling, permit Atmos to exactly reproduce the sound of that digital area. On a pair of headphones, the audio is mapped to offer the phantasm of that very same digital area, with sounds feeling like they’re coming from throughout you.

This new improvement meant that it was abruptly much more sensible to provide and distribute encompass sound audio for music, which Apple Music has taken benefit of in an enormous approach. The transfer by Apple to undertake the Dolby Atmos format spurred file labels and music producers to start releasing extra Dolby Atmos music, together with going again and remastering previous albums for Atmos.

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The issue with Atmos Music

It does not (often) sound superb

TREBLAB Z7-Professional headphones as worn by a concrete head within the again yard. 

Atmos for Music does look like a fantastic concept, and when it was first launched on Apple Music, I excitedly dove proper in. I even loved most of the mixes I listened to. Taylor Swift’s albums sounded notably good. These had been exceptions to the rule although. Again and again, whether or not new releases or previous remasters, I’d come throughout mixes that sounded a lot flatter and tinnier than regular, and sometimes with out a lot of a encompass impact anyway.

Even the music that did sound good in Dolby Atmos, like Swift’s, would usually nonetheless sound higher once I turned off Atmos and switched to common previous stereo. The worst half was not figuring out whether or not a file would sound good or not, which had not been an issue for me previous to the introduction of Atmos. It appeared many producers merely did not know learn how to combine correctly for the format. My resolution has been, merely, to maintain Atmos off in my iPhone’s music settings. This manner, I at all times know I will be getting a correctly mastered stereo combine each time.

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The place Dolby Atmos shines

There are exceptions to each rule

I could also be on the outs with Dolby Atmos for many music, however I do make just a few key excepts. Initially, some albums actually have been mastered effectively for the format, to the purpose the place I choose listening to the Atmos model. An instance of that is the Pixies’ traditional album Doolittle, which has a fully stellar Atmos remix. I’ll generally flip Atmos again on simply to hearken to that album.

The largest exception by far is with classical music and jazz. Whereas I’ve encountered just a few bum Atmos mixes in these genres, I’ve largely been astounded by what the format brings to them. There’s nothing like popping in your headphones and placing on Glenn Gould’s well-known recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations and having it sound like he is truly there within the room enjoying his grand piano. I’ve listened to jazz recordings that now, due to Atmos, sound similar to sitting in an precise jazz bar whereas the band performs.

Sticking with the tried and true

Newer does not at all times imply higher

Dolby Atmos would be the new factor in music, however that does not make it higher. As with something, it is determined by the way it’s used. Within the case of classical and jazz, Atmos is ready to breathe new life into already unbelievable recordings. With other forms of music, although, it is a way more blended bag. For each album that sounds nice in Atmos, there are a number of others that sound worse. That is doubtless as a result of producers aren’t used to the format, or deal with it as an afterthought, since most individuals can be listening to the standard stereo combine. Maybe, sooner or later, producers will get extra acquainted with Dolby Atmos, and will probably be protected to maintain the function turned on, however till that occurs, I am preserving it off by default.

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