Dolby Atmos for music streaming is a waste of time

Dolby Atmos looks like the way forward for audio expertise. The thing-based encompass sound format has been round since 2012, and till just lately was used largely to craft exact, pristine sound mixes for films 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 characteristic for Apple Music and its AirPods Professional wi-fi earbuds, that Dolby Atmos actually took off within the music house. 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 absolutely enveloped by the music they have been listening to, however after a number of years going forwards and backwards, I now simply maintain Dolby Atmos turned off in my Apple Music settings.

The encompass sound dilemma

An awesome thought, in principle

LG

Relating to films 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 becoming bored.

In music, although, encompass sound has a tougher historical past. There have been various codecs over time that would ship encompass sound music, however they have been hardly ever adopted by anybody aside from audiophiles. The massive purpose for that’s, with a view to pay attention, particular gear was required, together with a encompass speaker setup, which most individuals haven’t got. Moreover, it wasn’t actually potential to take heed to that audio on the go, which is how most individuals take heed 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 implies that sounds are blended in a digital house, and might be mapped onto as few as two audio system, or dozens. In a movie show, audio system throughout, together with on the ceiling, enable Atmos to exactly reproduce the sound of that digital house. On a pair of headphones, the audio is mapped to provide the phantasm of that very same digital house, 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 document 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 appear to be a terrific thought, and when it was first launched on Apple Music, I excitedly dove proper in. I even loved lots of the mixes I listened to. Taylor Swift’s albums sounded notably good. These have been exceptions to the rule although. Time 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 document 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 combine correctly for the format. My resolution has been, merely, to maintain Atmos off in my iPhone’s music settings. This fashion, I all the time 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 a number of key excepts. To start with, 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 completely stellar Atmos remix. I’ll generally flip Atmos again on simply to take heed to that album.

The largest exception by far is with classical music and jazz. Whereas I’ve encountered a number of 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 all the time imply higher

Dolby Atmos could be the new factor in music, however that does not make it higher. As with something, it depends upon the way it’s used. Within the case of classical and jazz, Atmos is ready to breathe new life into already unimaginable recordings. With different kinds 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 seemingly as a result of producers should not used to the format, or deal with it as an afterthought, since most individuals will probably be listening to the standard stereo combine. Maybe, sooner or later, producers will get extra acquainted with Dolby Atmos, and it will likely be protected to maintain the characteristic turned on, however till that occurs, I am conserving it off by default.

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