Audio: Listen to this article.

When I started on this immersive audio journey, it wasn't possible to decode lossless TrueHD Atmos music on a computer. A processor with HDMI was required. Then I started using the Dolby Reference Player to decode the files, but the entire process was still less than simple. Now, it's possible to extract lossless TrueHD Atmos music into 7.1.4, and other channel configurations, WAV files for playback with any application that supports the high channel count. I play them through Audirvana and JRiver Media Center with ease, and even on my Aurender ACS10 using its Ravenna output. 

This latest breakthrough came about because of the dedicated work of Garry at the QuadraphonicQuad forum. I tried to figure this out shortly after getting the Dolby Reference Player, using all the documented command line switches and some educated guesses. Nothing I tried worked. Garry found an undocumented way to make this happen, and it's all above board. No hacks necessary and no need to worry about the Dolby software police knocking on one's door.

Garry's Music Media Helper application has been indispensable thus far, when working with TrueHD Atmos files. Now, it's THE tool and it opens up a world of possibilities. Previously I hesitated to push my methods on "normal" people because the process is a bit arduous. Now, everyone can do this, as the process is beyond reasonable. It's simple.

Previously 

Prior to the newest version of Music Media Helper, my process for obtaining TrueHD Atmos as WAV files was lengthy, but worth it. 

1. Rip the Blu-ray with MakeMKV or download the MKV
2. Create a cue sheet for the album using Music Media Helper's Chapter Editor
3. Extract individual MKA files from the MKV and tag them using Music Media Helper
4. Extract TrueHD files from the MKV and MKA using MKVcleaver
5. Rename the TrueHD files to .mlp
6. Play / decode the album mlp file through the Dolby Reference Player through Blackhole and capture it in Audacity as a 12 channel (7.1.4) file. This is a realtime process that takes as long as the currently playing album. 
7. Export the 12 channel file as a w64 file because it's too large for regular WAV
8. Using the cue sheet created earlier, split the w64 file into individual tracks as WAV files using XLD.

That's a streamlined version of the process. Little issues pop up here and there, but again, it was absolutely worth it. 

Now

Using Music Media Helper version 6.3.14 the new process of extracting TrueHD Atmos WAV files for playback in any application that supports the channel count is as follows. Note: The Dolby Reference Player is still reqquired, but is only used by MMH.

1. Rip the Blu-ray with MakeMKV or download the MKV
2. Use Music Media Helper to extract and tag WAV files from the MKV.

Seriously, thanks to Garry, that's it! Here are some addition details and screenshots. 

With an MKV in hand (on disk), open Music Media Helper's MMH Atmos Helper, and click Decode Atmos.

The follow screen pops up. Select Open MKV/MLP/M4A File(s)

Select your channel layout. In my case, I have a 7.1.4 system (link).

Use Multichannel Interleaved WAV. That measn all the channels will be ina single file for playback. 

The Apply Channel Gain can be set to 1.0 to leave the output unchanged. This is a multiplier, so 1.0 means no multiplication.

When the extraction is done, the files look like this.

Using Music Media Helper's Tag & Rename Media Files function, to do exactly that. 

When done, the files are tagged and renamed, and ready for one's favorite multichannel music playback application. 

Note: Using a powerful computer is recommended. Here's a screenshot of my CAPS Twenty's CPU utilization while the extraction is running. 

Wrap Up

Once again, a huge thank you to Garry for working through this and offering it to everyone free of charge. This is a game changer. Getting lossless TrueHD Atmos files is now easier than ripping SACDs and nearly as easy as ripping straight Redbook CDs. 

If you're reading this and thinking what's the big deal, no worries. I don't blame you. Just imagine if getting CD quality music back in 2007 involved the arduous process I described above, prior to this latest breakthrough. Not many people would've been excited to jump into the music server or computer audio game. Playing the CD wouldn've been just fine. 

Perhaps now more applications and music servers will support multichannel playback with channel counts higher than eight. Rememebr when playing DSD was esoteric and helper applications were requried and most apps didn't support it? Sounds similar doesn't it :~)

Anyway, time to listen to some glorious lossless TrueHD Atmos!

Audio: Listen to this article.

Listening to immersive audio is a lot like drinking tea. Tea drinkers may start with something pedestrian at Starbucks, then purchase a commercial brand such as Bigelow at the grocery store, then get a bit adventurous with something from The Republic of Tea or similar, and before they know it, they're ordering high end pu'er directly from China or organic black tea from Nepal. When it comes to immersive audio, I started listening to pretty conservative mixes that reproduced a concert hall in my listening room. Musicians in the front, ambiance in the back, just like Beethoven visualized it. Then I got adventurous with some George Harrison music, enjoying guitars in the side channels. Now, I'm all-in on immersive mixes from conservative classical recordings to the avant-garde genius of Frank Zappa's music. I wasn't sure I'd get to this point so quickly, or even at all, but now that I'm here, I'm enjoying every minute of the music. 

Good immersive mixes pull the music apart into individual elements, away from the unnatural wedging of a 100 piece orchestra into two speakers. A comment I frequently hear from people who've listened to my system is,"I heard things that I've never heard before." Hearing these items has more to do with a mix that's equivalent to an exploded-view drawing/image, than anything else. The fidelity of immersive recordings and stereo recordings can be identical. For example, Morten Lindberg's discrete immersive 7.1.4 DXD and stereo releases. They have the same incredibly high fidelity, but the immersive version provides a view into the recording that enables one to easily identify, place, and enjoy any specific instrument or musician. 

For Your Listening Enjoyment

1991 was, in my opinion, the best year of all time for album releases. I previously wrote about it here (link). On March 26, 1991 the band Mr. Big released an album titled Lean Into It. The track titled To be With You shot up the charts and made its way to many mix tapes for years to come. That was the only track I'd heard from the album until Monday January 9, 2023. 

Last week Immersive Audio Album announced it had Lean Into It (link) available for purchase / download in lossless TrueHD Atmos for only $15.99. I purchased it on Friday, but didn't get around to listening until I sat down in my listening chair Monday morning, after dropping my daughter off at school. I skipped right to the well-known To Be With You, and was stunned by what I heard. I expected a very tame Atmos mix, heavy on the front left and right channels, with some ambiance in the rears. What I heard immediately put me inside the recording studio. Everyone who has an immersive system must play this track. Before the music even started, I was giggling because it was so realistic. 

The drummer, I assume, is the musician counting the band into the track by tapping on something in a 1, 2 .. 1, 2, 3 .. pattern. Even this tapping has incredible reverb that enables the listener to figuratively be inside the studio while the band plays. There is air around this seemingly "unmusical" tapping. As the sound bounces off the rear wall and ceiling of the studio, it's reproduced exactly that way in one's listening room. How can something this simple give me goosebumps? It must be experienced to be understood. This is the realism that us audiophiles have sought for decades.

Once the "real" song starts, the fidelity is much better than anything I remember hearing back in the day. Granted my system is much better than I've ever had, but this sounds nothing like compressed, flat, loud rock. To Be With You starts with the realistic mix, as I mentioned previously, then moves into a completely immersive mix, utilizing all the channels to serve the music and engage the listener. Guitars and vocal in the side and rear channels. Harmonizing vocals raining down on on the listening position from all four height channels. This is the definition of immersive listening.

Listening to the entire album, for the first time, was a treat. In typical immersive fashion, the stellar mix engaged me and showed me this music in a way I didn't expect. I was sucked in right away. I can guarantee if I would've first played this album in stereo, from track 1, I wouldn't have made it through to the end. I would've skipped around a bit and filed it with other 1990s rock that sounds similar. Interesting, but not something I will spend time listening to. 

The track titled Road To Ruin epitomizes my immersive experience thus far. It's music I would've skipped in stereo, but is now a favorite. I'm still pinching myself when listening to this album. It's the most pleasant surprise of a young 2023. 

Taking this whole "music I'd have never listened to" thing as far as possible, I've been listening to Frank Zappa. I tried getting into Zappa when his albums were released in high resolution last year. An acquired taste slightly begins to describe what I heard. However, I have friends such as Jon Reichbach (Amara, Sonic Studio, StreamSoft/Artist Connection, etc...) who absolutely love Zappa and his musical genius. I kept telling myself there must be something more to it, that I'm struggling to grasp.

I finally received Zappa's albums Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo in lossless TrueHD Atmos, and ripped them to my music server. I'm in awe. 12 channels immersing me in a creative mix of jazzy Zappa, is over the top cool. On Waka/Jawaka the title track and opening track, Big Swifty are my favorites. They are less "goofy" to me, and sound like musical masterpieces. The Atmos mix, the entire reason I gave these albums a shot in the first place, is as non-conformist as Zappa himself. Listening to the eleven minute Waka Jawaka, with horns all over the place, followed by an electric guitar solo, is something I never imagined I'd like. The track is a little bit like the landing of a Space Shuttle, a controlled crash.  There are instruments all over the place, but it's controlled and one can tell there's a rhyme and reason to everything. Listening in Atmos, all the pieces are pulled apart, making it easy to hear them as individual parts or together as a whole performance. 

Even better than Waka/Jawaka is Zappa's The Grand Wazoo. I love this album from start to finish. The music is as crazy as trying to follow the band lineup changes Zappa went through while the material for this album was recorded. The liner notes are confusing to all but the most diehard Zappa fans, but I'm very happy all the details are there for a second and third read through. 

The Atmos mix on this album is very similar to Waka/Jawaka in that it's adventurous. Adventurous shouldn't be confused with gimmicky in any way. Zappa's voice coming down from the ceiling speakers (Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus) and an immersive keyboard (Eat That Question) seem so very Zappa and appropriate for the music. I would expect nothing less. 

The track Blessed Relief is my favorite, with its trippy Mile Davis-like trumpet playing by Sal Marquez, and George Duke's ethereal keyboard. The sound quality and the immersive mix are terrific and engaging. By the end of this eight minute track, I always want more. Magical is a great way to describe the experience.

Speaking of sound quality, this album has dynamic range DR numbers of 14, 14, 14, 13, and 14 on tracks one through five respectively. It's one of those rare albums that I can play with my volume control set to its maximum level, and still be OK for a while. I certainly don't listen much at that level, but this shows that there's a lack of compression for loudness and it's appreciated immensely. 

The entire Grand Wazoo album is something to behold, especially for someone like me who has next to no knowledge of Frank Zappa. I love Jazz, Rock, and many other genres. On This album Zappa manages to squeeze several of them into single tracks, and includes stellar musicianship. Such a lovely immersive experience. 

Wrap Up

Immersive audio was everywhere at CES this year. I really wish I would've went to Vegas for the show. Atmos demos in automobiles seemed to be a hit, and I can see why. Dolby and Imagine Dragons pulled off a live concert in Dolby Atmos as well (info). 

I encourage everyone to get their ears on a good Atmos music demo. My musical world has opened up very wide since I installed my system. It's been a blast, and I see nothing but positive signs for the future of immersive music.

Audio: Listen to this article.

I hope everyone has started 2023 on the right track, and is looking forward to a fantastic rest of the year. I couldn't be more excited about both high quality stereo and immersive audio. What a time to be alive for those of us who care about quality and music!

I was just notified that Pitch Black Playback, is putting on an event titled "King Crimson 'In The Court Of The Crimson King' (presented in spatial audio) album listening session." The event is one January 12, 2023 at L-Acoustics Creations, Westlake Village, Los Angeles, California. Based on the following description, I really wish I was going to this.

Hear this groundbreaking 1969 classic like never before with no distractions in full spatial audio thanks to L-ACOUSTICS' cutting-edge L-ISA technology—plus an exclusive recorded audio intro from Robert Fripp.

LATECOMERS WILL NOT BE ADMITTED. Please arrive by event start time to avoid being refused entry.

This is an album listening session, not a live performance of any kind. You will hear the Dolby Atmos mix of the album in master audio resolution with no distractions on an immersive sound system. The event will take place in L-Acoustics Creations immersive sound space in Westlake Village, CA. L-Acoustics Creations is a division of L-Acoustics, the leader in premium sound systems and immersive technologies for live events. You can hear L-Acoustics systems in action at iconic music venues and festivals such as The Troubadour, The Hollywood Bowl, The YouTube Theater, and Coachella. The Westlake Village room is equipped with a 360° ultra-high resolution sound system in 18.1 to fully immerse listeners in the music.

If anyone inn the area can make it, I'd love to hear how it went. Here's a link to purchase $19 tickets - LINK

HiFi Events

I would absolutely love to see HiFi dealers get involved in events like this. I rave about my 12 channel Wilson system all the time, but almost nobody gets to hear it. Music lovers really need to hear what's possible with immersive audio, and this is a great way to do it. 

Perhaps a few manufacturers and a dealer can put on such a demonstration at AXPONA or Munich High End, but that's a huge ask. Putting together a system like this, only to tear it down after one weekend, is a bridge too far in my opinion. But, I'd welcome it with open arms. A better scenario is obviously in a dealer showroom that's properly setup and calibrated. If my system wasn't in my house, I'd seriously open it up to anyone who wanted to listen. I believe in immersive audio that much.

I remember doing computer audio events in the US and Europe, when it was new and people were just dipping their toes into this new digital playback water. I'd love to do immersive audio events next!

Scalable Dolby Atmos Music System 
Bob Fairbairn
December 1st, 2022 Speaker Install
December 4th, 2022 Field Trials
December 15th 16th, 2022 Operational

Over the past three years, I have been reducing complexity in my 2-channel systems, and one of the ways I have done that is by using “powered” speakers. My primary system has migrated through several brands, including Kii Three, Dutch and Dutch 8C, and several others.  I am currently using a pair of Heavenly Soundworks 517 stand-mount speakers. The digital system is an Antipodes DX-3 with a Topping  DDC feeding the speakers over SPDIF.  There is also a Modwright Transporter, A WiiM Mini, and a Teac CD Player, but who is counting?

I feel like one of my kittens, Lucy chasing her tail; there is no end to dizziness and eventual collapse in her future.

My basement/test system has a TV, a Dali Sound hub, and their Callisto 2c wireless speakers. I was using a  Rel T5x subwoofer for fill-in and gaming!  This project eliminates that system but does not replace the gaming stuff.

I have written about almost all of the systems that have been part of my musical experience here on Audiophile Style so look for my other articles (link).

All of the above is so Yesterday!  

This project has speaker gliders, door stops, and chairs.  Along with other family members’ needs, like opening closet doors.  And a homage to Wall·E.

Why Dolby Atmos?

I could blame the COVID pandemic for taking away the live music experiences I still do not feel safe going to.  I could blame my FOMO or my Tinkerer mentality.  While those are part of my desire, they are not primary. The experience was and is the main driver. When I go to the symphony or other concerts, I come home knowing that I cannot recreate that experience, and it is not just the pipe organ.  Yet there is hope!

At AXPONA 2022, there was a demo from TigerFox360.  They have developed a wrap-around sound-reflecting wall that sounds interesting, providing a surround experience.  Rick O’Polka, who runs the company, is very passionate about his product.  I have one here, and it is thought-provoking.  There is a road I am traveling, and the Immerse 360 Pod is on that road.  I have several more steps that have to happen first.  Watch for an article early next year.

Chris has been developing his AUDIO ONLY Dolby Atmos system and writing about it with much commentary about the process, the experience, and his feelings! His system design philosophy can be implemented in so many ways at so many price points that I had to start down the path.  Besides, he is not amenable to spare live-in audiophiles.

I regularly listen using Apple Music to play Dolby Atmos music on my AirPods MAX and the new AirPods PRO 2. The experience there is the first course of a fine meal; there is much more to come. 

I have a Sonos ARC Sound Bar system to pair with the family room TV, which has expanded my view of this world, including the broadcasts from the Berlin Philharmonic.  This system is for TV viewing and only takes the experience so far.  Being in the center of the living space does not allow concentrated music listening.

I see some of the promises of Dolby Atmos in three ways.  One is to do the best possible job of reproducing that experience of live music for everyone. 

Classical in Spatial Audio: Apple Music Classical

Another, and rather exciting, is to allow the artist to paint musically in three dimensions.  The new Brian Eno album is a beautiful example. 

Brian Eno FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE

The third is aptly demonstrated in a live recording from 1972 of Aretha Franklin singing live at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church.  

Aretha Franklin: Live at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church

Listening on 2-channel can be a pale imitation of reality.  In the Dolby Atmos mix, you are with Aretha in the church, RIGHT THERE!  I do not know how it was re-mixed, but I have very high hopes that more great music from the past can be brought to us with that level of care and experience.

I have started two playlists on Apple Music for this project.  One is a list of two-channel tracks that started driving me to Dolby Atmos.  The second is the beginning of some Dolby Atmos favorites.

1. Prelude to Atmos
2. Dolby Atmos

NOTE that my Apple Music playlists are evolving, and things are still changing. 

This has been my back story.  I hope it sets the stage for what will come next— building a Dolby Atmos music system from scratch.

The Bleeding Edge

Before we discuss my project, I need to talk about music in Dolby Atmos format.  Dolby Atmos has multiple supported data formats. Some are lossy, and some are lossless.  Apple Music is lossy.  You can get lossless files, but it requires some research or BluRay Ripping, and that is worth it!  Do not get me wrong; Apple Music sounds terrific!  It could be your primary Dolby Atmos streaming source, as it is mine.  

Remember that with Dolby Atmos, you are at 24 bit / 48 kHz. That is the standard. In my case, there are 12 channels of data to the DAC running at the same time over USB.

There is a minimal set of Dolby Atmos music available.  It is growing daily, with most new releases having two-channel and Dolby Atmos; Because of Apple Music.  Also, at this time, to the best of my knowledge, the ONLY internet streaming service that will play Immersive audio on a desktop computer is Apple Music.

There is a dearth of knowledge out there.  We are treading new ground and slowly drawing a map of the minefield for others.  This article and the series from @The Computer Audiophile are our first stake in the ground documenting this revolution in music playback. 

We are up against the same battles that happened in the mono-to-stereo transition.  As @The Computer Audiophile says, it is akin to the start of computer-based audio.  

My Dolby Atmos System Marathon

Training for the program

This has gone from a little nugget in the back of my brain — Apple Music now has Dolby Atmos —  to a full-on project to try to avoid the punji-stake traps in this process. I am just getting to know the terminology, the goals of Dolby Atmos, and the work involved.  I have had to pay Google to turn off the ads on YouTube so that I could make better progress. Ok, that is a fib; I hate what the web has turned into. 

Location - Location - Location

I work backward in system design to what many audiophiles think.  The room is first; where the heck is this going to go, and how does it impact the family?

I initially wanted to set this system up in the Family Room as a TV add-on.  The requirements for an Audio Only system are much simpler than those of a system that includes Video. But, the further I went into the planning, the more I realized the need to move to a different location before attempting to integrate the system into a fully finished space. In addition, this would limit most of my music listening because someone else wants to watch TV.  The room I will be using is my main finished basement space, about 12 x 20 ft but will be constrained to about 15 feet on the long side.  It has a drop ceiling from which we can mount the four ceiling-mounted speakers. This is a near-field to mid-field system for one or two listeners.

Warning: lanes merge ahead

This system is a union of Pro Audio and Home Audio, with passive freestanding and in-situ speakers.  There is no TV, there is no HDMI, and no receiver.

My system is a dedicated M1 Mac Mini connected to a Pro-Audio interface from MOTU, the 24AO, and an Emotiva 11-channel amplifier.  The software is Apple Music, JRiver Media Center, Audirvana, and the control interface for MOTU (web browser).  The speakers are all Dynaudio.

Design and Construction

I still need to log the hours spent on the system design or to write this article: NOT.  Protractors, tape measures, Dolby recommendations, discussions about TV surround systems.  Trinnov white papers, Pro Audio systems training, and so much more.  I am still a babe in the woods! 

Speakers — Where the music hits the air

Powered or full streaming speakers are a massive boon in system design.  The engineering going into them as a system provides a promise for simplicity.  Many of these speakers are adaptable to constrained physical locations. 

 But as we will see, a very conventional approach has been taken for this system.  A computer, a multi-channel DAC, and a multi-channel amplifier are the core, along with 11 speakers and a subwoofer.

When I worked in an audio store, the Dynaudio Special 40 came out.  It was impressive at the time, and it had a niche in the back of my mind.  Wind forward to 2022 and the start of this project.  Chris called me about building a Dolby Atmos system and working with Dynaudio and others.  This had to be DIY; that is my way.  Pouring twelve speakers into a room, we live and work in, needed some care.  Using the floor plan and furniture locations, I could fit the Dynaudio EMIT series speakers in the space with room for listening and work.  Starting with a speaker line with all the needed variants is a huge advantage.  Dynaudio also has the custom-installed speakers I could mount in the ceiling and, of course, a Subwoofer.  Working with John Quick at Dynaudio, I got a final plan, moving up to the EMIT 50 speakers for the front.  I finished the in-wall and interconnect cable construction to be ready for speaker install day on December 1st.  John Quick flew here, and with my son David, we unboxed and installed all the speakers in about 2 hours!  The rest of that story will come up here shortly.

The Dynaudio Stand 20 comes with liners for the sand fill:

John Quick is quick!

Installing the ceiling speakers is a SNAP

Amplification — Moving those voice coils.

I have the Emotiva XPA-11 Gen 3 Audiophile Home Theater Power Amplifier as the prime mover.  Having all the amps in a single chassis makes my life much more straightforward.  From my initial impressions, it is a good one. 

The XPA-11 is a beast.  It could draw 2600 watts from the mains.  I have been running on existing circuits for the system for the first testing phase.  

I roughed in a 20 amp 220-volt dedicated circuit for the design, with a standard 110-volt duplex outlet for the rest of the system and a 20 amp 220-volt socket for the amplifier.   I firmly believe in providing as clean of power as I can. Also, the higher voltage reduces the peak current. This added about $110 to the system cost and about 2 hours of work.

Quick — Find a 12-channel DAC

In 2022 you cannot go to your local audio store and pick anything other than a two-channel DAC!  But you can reach out to the world of Pro Audio and find Audio Interfaces that have many analog outputs (AKA DACs)!

After a few weeks of fussing around the internet and bothering the folks at Sweetwater, I purchased a MOTU 24AO, and the MOTU AVB ethernet network switch:

I will not delve into the depths of AVB and the 24AO, which will be an entire article that I may need to take a class and pass a test before I am qualified to write it. 

After initial setup, I am using the USB interface from the Mac to the 24Ao.  There are a few bumps, but it worked great with Apple Music out of the box.   Well, at least the VU meters moved! 

The Hookup:  Audioquest in the house

To save a surprising amount of money, I have hand wired all of the cables. There are twelve speakers.  Twelve balanced connections to the amplifier with three wires.

Working with Audioquest to select the correct cabling, we chose the Rocket 22 speaker cable, and their series 300 banana plugs.  Also, there is Red River interconnect cable with matching XLR connectors.  There are 236 feet of raw speaker cable and 114 feet of interconnect.  If you do this, get a label maker and label both ends of all the wires.  Take notes, pictures, etc.  

I chose to use the Phoenix connectors on the MOTU 24AO instead of trying to solder all the DB-25 connectors.  Ultimately, I wonder if I should have gone the other way.

Wiring twelve Red River interconnect cables with XLR on the amplifier end and the Phoenix connectors on the other.

The speaker connections were reasonably easy with the drop ceiling.  The wire is heavy and very flexible, so I struggled with getting the cables across the tiles.

Note the labels!

Issues, Mistakes, Mis-steps

I made three minor mistakes during the last leg of the race to speaker install day.  I had a loose connection on one phoenix connector.  I accidentally used a couple of female XLR connectors.  I reinstalled two ceiling panels the wrong way, so the holes for the speakers were blocked by floor joists.

On speaker install day, I misconnected one ceiling speaker. It was shorted.  And, we found out that the MOTU output level is way too high for the Emotiva inputs.  I scared myself to death.  Twice!  Emotiva and one of my Dynaudio Emit 50s were both OK, and my adrenalin levels dropped quickly.

COMPUTER! — —  COMPUTER!

I am using an M1 Mac mini as the brains of this system.  The M1 systems are real workhorses.   Since Apple Music is the only streaming service that supports Dolby Atmos on the desktop, that is the core of this system.
 
I am a huge fan of actually having the music I am listening to in my local library. I want to pay the artist for their music. I want simplicity.  I must adapt to a UI/UX throwback in JRiver and overly modern with Apple Music for discovery and lossy Dolby Atmos.  Yet they serve the need rather nicely.  I have canceled Qobuz, and Tidal will be next.  I have a Blu-ray drive connected to the Mac mini and am learning to rip Blu-ray disks.  There is also an OWC Thunderbay 8 with 14TB of storage.  No, you do not need the Thunderbay 8.

Software settings for playback of 12 channels of audio (7.1.4)

Install the MOTU software for the MAC and run the discovery program.  Connect the 24AO to the Mac via USB.  I set the 24AO to show 12 channels in the order that Apple Audio Midi defaults with:

Using Audio Midi select the 24AO device and change the speaker layout to 7.1.4 

For Apple Music, change the default device to 24AO.  Remember not to put system sounds, etc., on the 24AO.  Limit the notifications, etc., on the machine.  Turn off stuff like answering your phone and messages.

In Media Center 30:  

Set the Volume control to internal and the Core Audio settings to exclusive and max the software and hardware buffers

In the DSP settings, make sure everything is turned off.  MC30 was turning on the Output Format.

Alignment and Placement

The initial alignment was primarily speaker placement and subwoofer level matching Emit 50 mains.  In Dolby Atmos, there is no crossover to worry about.  The system is physically aligned by distance with a laser measure.  The levels are fixed and equal.  I had to use the Trim controls in the MOTU to drop the output level to protect the system until I got twelve Shure in-line attenuators.  That hurt the budget quite a bit.

Optimization and extension

As the snow starts flying, my wife’s car is back in the garage. I am polishing off the bathroom remodeling punch list, closing work issues, and listening to music. I will soon start working with Mitch Barnett to use Accurate Sound DSP Convolver and room correction filters.  Now, where is that Windows laptop?  

I also plan to test with the Topping DM7 DACS when they become available.  They present a slightly different approach and a couple of challenges I must explore.  The cost is on par, but they can convert a broader range of audio formats.

Well, Bob, How Much?

I was going to include a full breakdown of the system costs.  I even built a spreadsheet.  I decided not to have the complete study here.  The system list is in my profile.

** NOTE: I purchased cable in bulk and only included the wire used. The costs of existing equipment have not been added here.

Ahh, Serendipity: Listening

These observations are based on limited time spent in the listening chair. I have only had the system functional for about a week, and I added the dedicated AC power connection 72 hours ago!  I am still fussing over the remote control from the listening position. All the gear in the system is new, and I am sure breaking in.

 I have a seemingly random list of tracks I listen to as part of a system test to see what a system sounds like.  The playlist was on Qobuz, and I am moving to Apple Music, so it is getting a makeover. 

SystemEvaluation Playlist

During the speaker install, we mostly listened to Dolby Atmos tracks.  Since then, I have stepped back to see what two-channel sound is like.  As John Quick from Dynaudio said, serendipity sometimes comes into play.  The electronics in this system work together as perfectly as I have ever heard.

NOTE: Take all of the following commentaries in the context of “IN MY OWN HOME.”

I am now in a vastly different room with passive floor-standing speakers and a lot of amplifier power. 

While listening in 2-channel, this system is as good or better than anything else I have had around. There is no room treatment other than a rug under my chair and the furniture in the room.

The system has a different signature than the Heavenly Soundworks 517s upstairs in the living room, with a lot of soft furniture and wall-to-wall carpeting.  The 517’s present much lower frequencies for their size.  Adjusting them to the sweet spot needs just a bit of finesse. 

The EMIT 50 speakers are designed to be faced flat onto the room.  Do not toe them in. The left-right spacing needs to be precise with the EMIT 50.  Since the invention of the stereo, we have concentrated on building the illusion of music coming from a stage in front of us.  Throw in some reverb or phasing to help that along, and you get the modern stereo presentation that audiophiles seem to crave.  These speakers in my crazy room do that with aplomb. Tracks in Q-Sound, such as “The Ballad of Bill Hubbard,” are broader and more precise than I have observed before.  Singers are “placed” where we expect them to be.
 

I sat down last evening and listened to most of  “BT: Electronic Opus” two-channel. I am on the right track here, building a system that can play multiple modes.   This album is almost immersive in its own right. 

Electric Opus

Layer and instrument separation is excellent in a couple of familiar orchestral productions. Several female vocal performances I have listened to make you think the center channel is playing!

I am thrilled with the 2-channel performance and highly recommend you listen to a pair of the EMIT 50s if you want something like them.   I want to shake the hand of the designers and thank them. They went all the way to Jupiter (link 1, link 2) to design them.

As I am re-creating my 2-channel evaluation playlist, I am also finding Dolby Atmos tracks that I need on that list.  Serendipity continues.  

Note that Chris has started a new thread, Immersive Album of the Evening.

Immersive Audio has Arrived

Dolby Atmos listening
O.M.F.G.
The T.L.D.R.

We all know from reading the forum that Chris is an enthusiastic music fan.  His excitement for Immersive Audio is effusive, contagious, and genuine. When he asked me to write about building a system, I jumped.  My system and the first in a series of articles are a joy.

Just another quick note, Chris has created a section on the site for Immersive audio coverage: https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/immersive/

He has also created an Apple Music Playlist of Dolby Atmos music: Audiophile Style Atmos

The music in that playlist is lovely, and you can listen to it using only 2-channels because of Dolby Atmos.

I want to highlight a couple of albums from Dave McKendry and Moby:

These two albums reflect the movement from a flat wall 2-channel simulated projection created at a mixing station to a directly realized representation in 360 degrees.  With Dolby Atmos, the artist can tell us what they intend with much greater freedom of expression.  You have to experience this music. I cannot tell you what a wonder it is in words or pictures.

This is not about movie earthquakes vibrating your chair or a jet airplane from a Tom Cruise action movie screaming from one side of the room to another.  Dolby Atmos also does that and so much more.

This is about bringing the experience of the symphony hall to your home or the sound of the small ensemble in the church into your own space with headphones or speakers.

For the first time, maybe, just maybe we can understand what the artist intended.

2-Channel Stereo is so Yesterday! 

And we still need it. 

I have outlined and assembled (with much help and support) the most straightforward Dolby Atmos Immersive Audiophile system that I can currently devise. There are three core components:

    One Computer     M1 Mac mini          $900
    One DAC        MOTU 24AO        $1000
    One Amplifier        Emotiva XPA 11    $2200

You need eleven passive speakers and one powered subwoofer to make an Immersive system.  With the XPA-11, you can drive just about anything. (Technically one can use 8 speakers in a 5.1.2 configuration up to 16 speaekrs in a 9.1.6 configuration, but 7.1.4 is the sweetspot. - CC)

With an internet connection and an Apple Music subscription, you have instant access to the second-best-sounding source of Dolby Atmos music with no extra work; it is just there to play 24 hours a day. 

As noted above in detail, the speakers I am working with are the new EMIT series from Dynaudio. 

You will need cables.  I will avoid the argument and let those afflicted with skepticism buy Amazon Basics.  So pick a number for cabling and go with it. 

There are many details about operating the system from the listening position—other software to mess with that  I will cover as we go forward.  Having an iPad around is handy.

I am using Apple Music and JRiver Media Center for playback.  Apple Music can stream its Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos to most Apple devices, including the Mac. The iTunes remote app still works but has not been updated in two years, and I am having trouble syncing the playlists.

I have ordered a Luna Display adaptor to operate the Mac remotely from the listening position.

JRiver has my library of 2-channel tracks and a second library with Dolby Atmos TrueHD tracks extracted to WAV files in 7.1.4 format.  With JRiver, I can use JRemote. 

NOTE you can only use one of the apps at a time as JRiver or Audirvana take exclusive control of the audio device.

There you go.  The ball is in your court.  Open your mind and learn more.  Look for others that are traveling this road.  I fully intend to proceed further.  

So it is up to you to: 

Finally, the Emit 25c as an Homage to WALL-E

Just when everyone thought they understood Atmos music and Auro 3D, some forward thinking pioneers released what's called Discrete Immersive audio. Oh wait, Atmos music and Auro 3D are still a bit fuzzy in peoples' minds? I'm only joking. Immersive audio can be a little confusing at the moment, just like the early days of computer audio and high resolution downloads. One great thing about all of these concepts is that the end result is absolutely worth any trouble or learning curve required to experience them (I've been told the same can be said about vinyl playback, but that's rocket science to me). I hate to imagine where we'd all be if we'd have said that understanding adaptive vs asynchronous USB, Exclusive mode, DSD, gapless playback, network audio, etc... are all a bridge too far. 

Understanding Discrete Immersive audio first requires a tiny bit of knowledge about the alternatives. 99.9% of immersive audio is released in either Dolby Atmos or Auro 3D. Both technologies support immersive height channels, in addition to the traditional ear level speakers.  Music delivered as Dolby Atmos or Auro 3D is encoded at the studio, and requires a decoder in the consumer's audio system for proper playback. For example, Auro 3D files can be delivered via download as eight channel FLAC files, with four additional channels embedded into the metadata. Extracting all 12 channels of a 7.1.4 Auro 3D album, requires a proprietary decoder.  The beauty of these decoders is that audio can be sent to the number of channels in a listener's audio system rather than a fixed number of channels. If Morten Lindberg mixed an album in 7.1.4, it can be played back on systems from 5.1.2 to 9.1.6, and the Dolby Atmos decoder will properly route audio to the right channels. 

Discrete Immersive audio, on the other hand, requires zero proprietary decoding. It's immersive audio as heard in the studio, before being downsampled, compressed, and encoded, for the mass market. Morten Lindberg's aforementioned 7.1.4 12 channel album recorded in DXD (24 bit / 352.8 kHz) would be released as 12 channel DXD WAV files. This is the holy grail of sound quality for us music loving audiophiles. It's the immersive equivalent to what stereo listeners have had since day one, unencoded FLAC, WAV, etc...

The one negative aspect of Discrete Immersive audio, is that listeners with less than the delivered number of channels need to make adjustments to hear the music "properly." For example, in a recent Discrete Immersive album I received, was a note that said, "If your immersive speaker layout is 5.1.4 then please omit/mute channel 5 and 6 from these files. If your immersive speaker layout is 5.1.2 then please also omit/mute channel 11 and 12 from these files." The files are still playable in almost all their glory, but adjustments are required. 

What if a Discrete Immersive album is released as 5.1.4, and listeners have 7.1.4 systems? This is easy to remedy without any manual labor. When playing a 5.1.4 Discrete Immersive 24/384 album, I use a convolution filter created by Mitch Barnett that routes the audio to the correct speakers. Given that everyone with a system capable of playing a 24/384 Discrete Immersive album will also want/use convolution capabilities anyway, this really isn't even an added step. 

Currently I know of four places offering Discrete Immersive music downloads, 2L, NativeDSD, Spirit of Turtle, and trptk. 2L offers 7.1.4 DXD, trptk offers 5.1.4 DXD, Spirit of Turtle offers 5.1.4 DXD, and NativeDSD offers both 5.1.4 (24/384) and 7.1.4 DXD depending on the album. The prices of these Discrete Immersive albums are around $60 to $90. Based on what I've heard so far, the albums are absolutely worth every penny. This is as cutting edge as it gets in audio.

As I type this, I'm listening to Lyden av Arktis (The Sound of the Arctic) in 12 channels of glorious DXD, from Morton Lindberg's 2L label. Track 4, Minnemøter - Fire Arktiske atmosfærer (Encounters Recalled - Four Arctic Atmospheres), is an 8.6GB file, 12 minutes long, and a stunning piece of music. Even without looking at the musician / recording layout below, I can easily identify where each musician is placed in the immersive soundstage. Listening to this album is truly listening without restrictions. Zero restrictions from the performance through playback. Captured immersively, with an original source of 7.1.4 DXD, and played back in my room at 7.1.4 DXD. How could home audio reproduction get better than this?

One last note about Discrete Immersive audio. I convert all my lossless Dolby TrueHD Atmos and Auro 3D albums to something similar to Discrete Immersive audio. Those formats are 24/48 and 24/96 respectively, so I convert them to 7.1.4 12 channel WAV files at those resolutions. Technically this is sort of discrete Immersive, but it isn't the same thing as a never encoded Discrete Immersive, pure from the studio. Thus, I think we should avoid calling such conversions Discrete Immersive, even they seem like it, kind of, sort of. 

Now Playing, Immersively

I know immersive music aficionados are always looking for new music, just like me, so I'm happy to help their additions to the wonderful hobby. Here are three favorites I've been listening to lately. 

Spoon - Lucifer on the Sofa - Apple Music
I've Neve listened to Spoon before this immersive release. This album is only available from streaming services. 

Dave McKendry - HumanBeingKind - Apple Music | Blu-ray
I absolutely love this album from Dave Mckendry. I don't think I would've given the album more than a 30 second spin, if I didn't see it was also available in lossless TrueHD Atmos. I ripped the Blu-ray and haven't stopped playing it since. I think it sounds fantastic, and the Atmos mix serves the music very well. Not too conservative nor too adventurous, but just right. The TrueHD Atmos is a must have. 

Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas - Apple Music | Blu-ray
Like many members of this community, I've been listening to this album forever. This year a new stereo and Dolby Atmos mix was released. I just received the Blu-ray with lossless TrueHD Atmos and ripped it to my growing collection. Excellent music, fairly conservative Atmos mix, and very enjoyable. The Super Deluxe Edition includes the Blu-ray and some great information about the recording of the tracks. Highly recommended!

Wrap Up

Lastly, a very neat rumor for Tesla owners started floating around three weeks ago. Soon an update from Tesla will enable Dolby Atmos in its cars. I can't wait to listen. In someone else's car of course, my banged up Subaru won't ever support anything other than stereo.

My love for immersive audio only gets stronger as I hear more Atmos music. I've been listening to Michael Jackson's Thriller (40th anniversary) in Atmos for the past 24 hours, and loving every minute of it. The Atmos mix is great, and dare I say it, provides an experience with which no stereo format can compete, whether that's the 24/44.1 stereo digital version, or the digitally sourced Mobile Fidelity vinyl version.

I had several Atmos albums to talk about today, but thought I'd cover the fresh Grammy nominated albums in the Best Immersive Audio Album category instead. The field is very strong this year, and includes some engineers familiar to all of us in the Audiophile Style community. 

Best Immersive Audio Album

"For vocal or instrumental albums in any genre. Must be commercially released on DVD-Audio, DVD-Video, SACD, Blu-Ray, or burned download-only/streaming-only copies and must provide a new immersive mix of four or more channels. Award to the immersive mix engineer, immersive producer (if any) and immersive mastering engineer (if any)."

AGUILERA
Jaycen Joshua, immersive mix engineer
Jaycen Joshua, immersive mastering engineer

(Christina Aguilera) Apple Music Atmos

I've been a fan of Christina Aguilera since her second album Stripped was released twenty years ago. She is incredibly talented, and very different from many Pop stars in that she sings all the vocals live at her concerts. I've seen her twice, once from the fourth row at Xcel Energy Center here in Minnesota, and was blown away both times. Here's an interesting look into her version of A Song For you, recorded with Herbie Hancock - video.

This nominated album has a good mix that serves the music and provides a different experience from the stereo version, as I believe immersive music is meant to do. Christina's vocals are focussed in the front channels, but she appears on the side and rears for little vocal fills. Other backing vocalists enter specific tracks from the sides and rear, in support of the main vocal, in a conservative way that isn't overdone for most peoples' tastes. 

Track three, Somos Nada, features Christina's vocal in the front with accompanying piano supporting her from the sides. It's beautifully done and enables the listener to easily separate the two musicians audibly and visually in one's head, while the sound comes together very well at the listening position. Track six, La Reina, has a very similar Atmos mix but with acoustic guitars and backing vocals filling in, instead of piano. Really nice.

Track five uses Atmos very freely, with vocals and instruments entering the soundstage from all around the listener. I love the discrete use of all the channels, but more traditional listeners may be overwhelmed with all that is going on. 

As this album is in Spanish, it's harder for me to connect with the lyrics, given that I understand a few words here and there. The Atmos mix is consistent across all three "Discs," serving the music, staying fairly conservative, but supplying a bit more immersion here and there. Well done Jaycen Joshua.

Note: This album is in stark contrast to Christina Aguilera's Stripped album Atmos mix that was released in October 2022. I respect artistic decisions to make an albums sound how the artist and engineers see fit, but this one is probably my least favorite Atmos mix to date. Christina's powerful voice emanates from the rear channels 90% of the time, with the main beat coming from the front. It's awkward to say the least. I was excited for its release, but can't stand to listen to it, other than to demonstrate to visitors what a "bad" Atmos mix sounds like. 

Divine Tides

Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineer

Stewart Copeland, Ricky Kej & Herbert Waltl, immersive producers

(Stewart Copeland & Ricky Kej)

This nomination is interesting, to say the least. I can only find the recording available as a Sony 360 Reality Audio release, on Tidal and Amazon Music. Neither service can deliver this content to anything other than headphones, so I skipped listening to it. I don't believe the current headphone experience competes with a discrete 7.1.4 audio system.

Memories...Do Not Open

Mike Piacentini, immersive mix engineer
Mike Piacentini, immersive mastering engineer 
Adam Alpert, Alex Pall, Jordan Stilwell & Andrew Taggart, immersive producers

(The Chainsmokers) Apple Music Atmos
 

I'd heard of The Chainsmokers for years, but had never spent time listening to the band's albums before I saw Memories...Do Not Open nominated for an immersive Grammy. I really like the music and the Atmos mix on this album. Each track ebbs and flows from a conservative mix to aggressive mix, and back again, all in roughly three minutes. This is a great use of immersive audio, without a touch of gimmickry, but tons of discrete content around the listener at ear level and overhead. 

Track five, Something Like This, is the most popular track on the album, featuring Chris Martin of Coldplay. This is definitely a track that will get more "civilian" listeners interested in immersive HiFi because they've likely heard it many times in stereo, but never experienced  it like this The track is far from an audiophile gem, but can sound pretty decent and very energetic on a good HiFi system.

Overall a really nice Atmos mix from Mike Piacentini.

Picturing The Invisible - Focus 1

Jim Anderson, immersive mix engineer
Morten Lindberg & Ulrike Schwarz, immersive mastering engineers 
Jane Ira Bloom & Ulrike Schwarz, immersive producers

(Jane Ira Bloom) Apple Music Atmos, Auro 3D Download

Now we enter audiophile territory with engineers and impeccable sound quality that many of us know and love.The music is really good, but perhaps a bit non-traditional for some mainstream listeners. 

In Joe Whip's article (link) about the stereo version of this album he said:

"July 12, 2022 marks the formal release the latest recording by Jane Ira Bloom, Picturing The Invisible-focus 1. This is a special recording in many respects. First, it features Award winning jazz soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom on what else, soprano sax, drummer Allison Miller, Kato artist Miya Masaoka and bassist Mark Helias. Recorded in February 2022, it was performed in real time while connected remotely from each artists’ respective homes in New York City, and captured in 32 bit 384 kHz DXD by Ulrike Schwarz. Given that each performer was located in various locations, one could possibly expect a disjointed performance. Not here. The recording and performances are seamless, sounding like the musicians were recording together in the same real vs. virtual space. This is a testament to the talent of the musicians, modern technology and the engineering chops of Ms. Schwarz. The stereo and multichannel versions of the album are available on Native DSD in redbook (gulp) MQA and 24/192 and 24/384 and all flavors of DSD up to 1024. The stereo versions are available as well on Qobuz and Spotify."

Joe is right on and his overall assessment carries over to the immersive mix, available in Auro 3D and Atmos. The team of Schwarz, Anderson, and Lindberg created an immersive experience on this album that manages to use discrete immersive elements and use the surround channels for reverb and ambiance that places the listener in a recording venue that never existed. It's hard for me to verbalize this one. For example, there are percussive elements in the side channels at times, and the main percussion comes from the front channels. Meanwhile, the sense of space and reverb from the main front percussion emanates from around the listener, like it would in the real world.

Listening to the album, I feel like it was recorded live in a small church, and I'm sitting dead center, fairly close to the musicians in the front. But as we know, this was recorded pandemic style and mixed / mastered by incredibly talented engineers. This immersive release is a masterpiece in creating a whole that is far better than the sum of the parts.

Tuvayhun — Beatitudes For A Wounded World
Morten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer 
Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer 
Morten Lindberg, immersive producer

(Nidarosdomens Jentekor & Trondheimsolistene) Apple Music Atmos, All Formats Download

Tuvayhun — Beatitudes For A Wounded World is absolutely stunning by any measure. Also, the recording process couldn't be more different from the aforementioned Jane Ira Bloom album. Neither style is "correct." They are both different. On Tuvayhun, Morten Lindberg placed microphones in the center of all the great musicians, capturing a live event in real space. When listening on an immersive system, it's possible to look at the recording layout (seen below), and hear exactly what was heard in Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, Norway, in November 2020 and February 2021 during the recording. 

There are no side or rear channel "fills" with different instruments or vocals that didn't exist at the live event. Everything is reproduced as captured, giving the listener an incredible view into the music and the experience of being immersed in the music.

Right now, I don't believe anybody is creating immersive recordings on the level of Morten Lindberg. He is creative, and not bound by traditional techniques, thought processes, or expectations. Tuvayhun is yet another example of fantastic musicianship and fantastic engineering, that brings this somewhat formal music to new heights, and new audiences. 

I also have to commend Morten and 2L for making Tuvayhun available for people to stream, or purchase in Auro 3D, Atmos, and my absolute favorite format "DXD discrete channels WAV 7.1.4 immersive." These are 12 channel WAV files that can be played by any 7.1.4 system capable of handling the sample rate. No special Auro or Dolby decoder necessary. Bravo!

Wrap Up

I honestly can't pick a favorite for the best immersive audio album. A wide range of music and recording styles are represented. I struggle with selecting a "best" of any single piece in a group of art. Each engineer was tasked with creating something unique so how can one be the best? If they all were tasked with creating the same thing, then I could possibly see selecting a best. Possibly. 

Nonetheless, it's a fantastic field from which to choose or to cheer on. 

Dolby Atmos has been a part of movies for over a decade, but it's still early days for Atmos music. Early days more so for consumers than professionals creating music, but early days for both nonetheless. Fortunately, the mainstream is well ahead of audiophiles when it comes to recognizing that Atmos music even exists. I say fortunately because changes to audio technology have a far better chance of succeeding when they come from the mass market, rather than the class market. Have you ever tried rolling a boulder uphill? HiFi companies are great at taking existing technology and making it perform at the highest levels. They aren't so great at getting the mass market to adopt what many consider esoteric ideas. Based on this, and many other factors, I believe we are in a good position. 

Audiophiles, myself included, who think XRCD, MFSL, SACD, DVD-Audio, High Resolution PCM, DSD or album releases using any of the other technologies, can be incredible, should run, not walk, to hear a proper Atmos music demonstration. Even the most uninterested listener, who may hear DSD or a great high resolution remaster, and not notice a real difference, will immediately hear the difference and likely understand the power of Atmos music after a proper demo. Just last weekend, my 10 year old daughter had a friend over. Before the friend arrived, my daughter asked if the two of them could listen to Atmos. Shortly after she arrived, they ran upstairs to my listening room asking, "Can we listen to Atmos?" Anyone wondering how to get more of the youth into our wonderful HiFi hobby, has his/her answer right there. 

I'm extremely fortunate in that I listen to Atmos music through an amazing, but quite expensive, audio system. Every day I find new albums mixed in Atmos and I pinch myself because listening is such a fantastic experience. I'm very happy that Audiophile Style writer @bobfa has enthusiastically jumped in with both feet, researching Atmos music, testing it on headphones, and working to install a reasonably priced 7.1.4 system in his house. He'll update all of us along the way through a series of articles about his journey. 

Speaking of headphones, they are obviously the easiest way to experience Atmos music. An iPhone and a pair of AirPods Pro ($249) will get people up and running. Using such a system is how most people hear Atmos music for the first time and why most people misunderstand Atmos and its benefits. Recently music industry writer and podcaster Bob Lefsetz interviewed Alan Parsons. When discussing Atmos music Bob said the vocals are mixed too low. Given that Dolby doesn't dictate vocal levels for Atmos mixes, there's no reason vocals have to be recessed, and based on my experience, this perception has a lot to do with the headphone system Bob uses. 

The headphone experience is only going to get better, a lot better. Current limiting factors are battery and processing power in most headphones and mobile devices. This is evidenced by the amazing ability of products like the Smyth Research Realiser A16, to reproduce up to 16 channels of immersive audio (Atmos, Auro, DTS). The A16 isn't hindered by battery or processing power, and delivers an experience many times better than something like an iPhone and AirPods Pro. 

In addition, new driver technology is going to enable larger batteries in smaller spaces and use less power than the drivers used today. Silicon drivers from xMEMS may even enable companies such as Apple to place multiple channels worth of drivers inside a pair of AirPods Max, for an incredible Atmos music experience. 

Here are a couple videos showing why I believe the headphone experience is going to get much better. 

Smyth Research Realizer A16

XMEMS

Atmos Auto

This week Apple, Dolby, and Mercedes announced Atmos music capabilities in several Mercedes models. "Dolby Atmos will first be available in the Mercedes‑Maybach S‑Class, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class as well as the EQE, EQE SUV, EQS and EQS SUV." Sure, not the most affordable models, but it's a great start. These models with the optional Burmester high end audio system, will stream Atmos music from Apple. I can't wait to get inside and give one a listen. 

Tim Stevens form Ars Technica is a big fan - Why Dolby Atmos in a car is more than a gimmick.

A bit more hidden than the Mercedes announcement, is the Polestar 3's Dolby Atmos music capability. The 3 with optional B&W audio system, will play Atmos music. I talked with a representative from Polestar about this, because the car's Android Auto operating system seems antithetical to Atmos at the moment, and was told the cars are a ways away from being built. A demo sometime late 2023 may be possible. 

Current Atmos Music Favorites

I've listened to more music lately, through my Atmos system, than I ever did through my two channel system. Plus, much of the music I'm listening to is music I either tried to like, but didn't, or music I bypassed because I didn't think I'd like it. This includes albums from Frank Zappa and even a Country artist or two. Strange times indeed. Below are some gems from Apple Music. 

Because a good Atmos mix provides such a different listening experience that really can't be fairly compared to a stereo mix, I often listen to albums just because they are available in Atmos. The difference isn't like a new remaster or high resolution version, it's an immersive apple to a stereo orange. Take for example Frank Zappa's album Grand Wazoo. I tried my hardest to like Frank Zappa. When his catalog was released in high resolution, I asked friends where to start, and jumped right in. After a week or so, I jumped right out. The music wasn't for me, or so I thought. 

Recently the Atmos mix of Grand Wazoo was released to streaming services, before the deluxe edition box set with Blu-ray containing the lossless TrueHD Atmos version, is released. Based on some positive reviews, I decided to give it another spin, solely because it's in Atmos. Wow, this album is fantastic in Atmos. The music and musicianship come through in ways that I couldn't grasp via the stereo version. The album contains some seriously complex compositions, that are very enjoyable and sound great. To me, the stereo version sounds like the music was made complex just to be complex. The Atmos version has such an expanded palette in which to place instruments, that they are all accessible and enable the listener to much better understand what's going on. Squeezing all of this musical mastery into two speakers doesn't do it justice in the least. 

The Blu-ray containing a lossless TrueHD Atmos mix of Grand Wazoo and Wake/Jawaka is available as a presale right now. I've ordered one and look forward to receiving it. 

Seal's 1991 self-titled album has been a favorite of mine since it was released. The track Crazy was played on the radio more times than I care to remember, but was never one of my top picks on the album. The best track, by far, is called Killer. I can't get enough of the Atmos version of this track. The vocal focus is always in the front, as is the main drum beat. Other sounds emanate from all over the room, in a way that compliments the song tremendously. The side channels are used heavily throughout the track, in an enveloping way and reinforcing the front performance. At about 1:50 into the track, the mix contains percussion in the rear and height channels that expands the soundstage in the neatest way. This is incredibly far from gimmicky, rather it raises the stage and drives home the immersive effect. I've said this over and over, but it bears repeating, an Atmos music mix like this really needs to be experienced to fully understand. One can't imagine a color s/he has never seen.    

The War On Drugs album I Don't Live Here Anymore has a much more reserved Atmos mix than that of Seal, but it also serves the music very well. On my favorite track, Living Proof, the main focus is the front, with most content in the left and right channels. The piano however is very much in the side channels throughout the opening couple minutes. This really expands the soundstage in a beautiful way. When the electric guitar kicks in for the lat minute of the song, it's in the side, front, and front height channels quite a bit. The makes the soundstage massive and enveloping from my listening position to the front (floor to ceiling). It's a beautiful song, made even better through technology. 

Another band that many of my friends love, and I tried my hardest to like over the years, is Grateful Dead. Sure, I like Touch of Gray, but that song is incredibly accessible. The rest of GD's catalog remained a bit to out-there for me, until American Beauty was released in Atmos. I thought there was never a better time to attempt to get into the band than now. It worked! I love the entire album so much I even listen to the stereo version in the car now. I think the Atmos mix really broke out the individuals and instruments for me, so much so that understand the music and can pick out items and enjoy it as a whole, very easily now. 

Grateful Dead has a lot going on in its seemingly simplistic music. The Atmos three dimensional sound palette is perfect for this band because every instrument is much better separated, not always surrounding the listener, but in its own space. On Attics of My Life, things are taking a step further, with supporting vocals coming from the height channels. Each of my four height channels on the ceiling has a vocal track, raining down vocal harmonies. The track still retains focus up front, but the height channels are used so beautifully they could easily be seen as a major focal point on much of the track.  

Honorable Mention 1 goes to Talking Heads album Speaking In Tongues. I'm not a fan of the music, but the Atmos mix of Burning Down The House is impossible to ignore. It's brilliant. 

Honorable Mention 2 goes to Rhiannon Giddens album Freedom Highway. It's another great Atmos mix that serves the music very well. Nothing too "crazy" but plenty of content to immerse the listener. 

Last Note: Podcasts are now available in Atmos. Wondery studio offers Atmos mixes, of some podcasts, through its iOS app. If you haven't heard Wondery's productions, such as Blood Ties, you should know they aren't just a couple guys talking. They are full-on "movies" without video. Very well done, theater of the mind. I installed the app on my Mac Mini (M1) and output the audio through my main Atmos system via Ravenna. So far I've got 5.1 audio working, and I suspect the audio isn't correctly being decoded by the macOS built-in Atmos DD+ decoder. The Atmos mix plays just fine on an iPhone. Again, this is early days. 

Jeff Schmidt is the audio engineer who created the Atmos podcast mixes. He has an interesting post on his site about getting into Atmos production and his studio system - Link.

Wrap Up

Atmos music has really changed my life. Supplementing my two channel listening with a completely different and immersive option is truly a game changer, in a way that makes all other "game changers" deserved of quotation marks. Atmos music is the real deal that even the most cynical of listeners can easily identify, if not thoroughly enjoy. This really is the music industry's HDTV moment. Everyone who saw HDTV for the first time, after living with standard definition, new immediately that it was something different and special. If that initial experience would've been had on a mobile phone, I'm not so sure the response would've been as enthusiastic. The same can be said for Atmos music. If you can, experience it on a system with loudspeakers or at least an advanced headphone system like the Smyth Realiser A16, it will be unforgettable. 

Complete Audio System Details with Measurements  - https://audiophile.style/system

Installing an immersive audio system for Atmos music can certainly be done on the cheap, but members of the Audiophile Style community are usually willing to spend a bit more to get better sound quality, as long as it makes sense. When it comes to Atmos music, finding what makes sense is the hard part. One of my goals with my Atmos music system, is to educate people and give them information they can use to decide for themselves. 

I absolutely think every speaker in my 7.1.4 system matters immensely. I'd previously thought about installing speakers much less capable than the Wilson Audio Alidas, at least for height channels, but I'm thrilled I elected to go with my gut on this one, and install the best speakers I could for all the surround and height channels. Members of this community can take my word for it, or listen to excerpts below, that provide examples of why I think every surround and height channel is critical for Atmos music. 

Key Questions

As audiophiles think about Atmos music, trying to create a hierarchy of component importance, and figure out what really matters to us, a couple questions seem to be the most critical. First, does it makes sense to install high end speakers for surround channels? Second, are the height channels really important or even used very much? 

The answer everyone wants to hear is, of course one can use inexpensive "acoustic wallpaper" for surrounds, throw a few Monoprice satellites up on the ceiling, and call it a day. Unfortunately, the laws of physics still apply to even the most nonconformist of audiophiles. Speaker design, drivers, enclosures and product support, all matter. To show people that this all matters, at least to me and likely to most audiophiles, I've created some videos. The videos are simple illustrations, that both show visually and audibly, the importance (or lack there of for some people), of surround and height channels in an Atmos music system. 

In an unscientific fashion, I setup my iPhone 12 Pro to record video of my Merging technologies Anubis Premium, while recording the sounds from my 7.1.4 Atmos music system. To see how the system performs objectively and subjectively, here's a detailed article (link). Both the iPhone and Anubis were on a table immediately next to my listening chair. The iPhone 12 Pro's internal microphone was used because this exercise isn't about absolutely fidelity. The only way to really experience this system's potential is to sit in the chair and press play. 

The video of my Merging Anubis is nice because it displays the music in each channel, relative to the other channels. What I mean by this is, if I only showed the audio in surround and height channels, but not in the main or center channel, it could be very misleading. If the surround and height channel audio is present, but down by 50 dB from the main speakers, it's far less critical than if it's around the same volume level. 

My Merging Anubis screen displays both a CAPS 20 (Windows 11 PC) and MacBook Pro as sources. Under the Monitors section, my Atmos system is listed as the output. The MacBook is highlighted because that's the source I used for playback. In very small letters, above the word MacBook, one can see L R C LFE Sl Sr Ls Rs Tl Tr Trl Trr for the 12 channels in my Atmos music system. Above each letter(s) is the musical content being sent from the MacBook to the Anubis. Above the corresponding letters over the Atmos output on the right, is the same musical content, but at a lower volume because I like to save my ears and turn the volume down a bit. 

Speaking of volume, -15 dB is a pretty "normal" level in my system, I often listen low and higher, depending n the content. I selected this level as a happy medium.

Last, I could've spent much less time by just extracting the audio from the surround and height channels, and posting them as WAV files, but that would've provide the entire picture. Or at least, not the picture I believe will help people on their way to Atmos music or not. 

Technical note: The videos below were created by combining two separate video and audio captures. This is because convolution filters cause the Anubis to display the audio correctly, but with dB subtracted here and there. The audio captured when using the convolution filter is correct, as it's what I hear at the listening position, but the Anubis display isn't accurate because it doesn't display what's heard in this case. So, I captured the Anubis video without using convolution, then added the audio with convolution, to show what it looks and sounds like accurately. The convolution filter enables the listener to hear the album as it was intended by the "artist" which is what is shown on the display when you see it without the filter. 

Perhaps an example is helpful: If the front channels are reduced by 25 dB (example only) in a convolution filter, they will appear 25 dB down on the Anubis display. However, they would be reduced by 25 dB only to correct for an issue. Once corrected by 25 dB, the audio would sound just like the actual album because without the filter, there'd be a 25 dB boost caused by at the room, that wasn't in the album.

Sounds convoluted I know, but this is how it works. I can explain more in the comments if needed. 

Let The Show Begin

Here we go with the first portion of a track. I only recorded partial tracks because that's all that's really necessary to show what I'm talking about and I like to stay within the bounds of copyright law, whatever that means.

Elton John - Rocket Man (Surround and Height Channels Only)

Here is the first couple minutes of the track that has everyone in the music business talking. However, I muted the front Left, Center, and Right channels for this recording. What's on the video is only the surround, LFE, and height channels. Even I was surprised to hear all the content that's in the surrounds and heights, in the first minute of the track. At about 58 seconds into the track, the mix turns legendary. Side and rear channels are used even more, to great effect. Have a look and listen. Remember, this is only the surround, height, and LFE channels in the audio recording. Nothing from the front left, right, or center. 

Aretha Franklin - Amazing Grace (Live 1972) (Surround and Height Channels Only)

This is a fantastic album, recorded live at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, Los Angeles 01/13/1972. With the front left, center, and right channels muted, one can really hear the audience and Aretha's voice as it was reverberating around the church. One important item here is how close in volume many of the channels are, according to the Anubis display. The center (muted) and top left and top right are definitely used in this mix, more than many of the other speakers. This is a fantastic track that I wish everyone could hear in its entirety. 

Beatles - Come Together (Surround and Height Channels Only)

I know many people have never heard this track. Only kidding. Giles Martin mixed this one really well, using all the channels. The front right, center, and left are more present in much of the mix, but the surround and heights are absolutely critical. Have a listen to what's in the surround, height, and LFE channels only. It isn't just a little reverb. 

Billie Eilish - Bad Guy (Surround and Height Channels Only)

Here's a pop song that I really like. The Atmos mix uses all the channels, while focusing mostly on the front right and left (as seen on the Anubis display). I'd say much of the audio in the surrounds and heights is fill-in, that ads to the immersive presentation. 

Fleetwood Mac - Gold Dust Woman (Surround and Height Channels Only)

Another classic we've all heard a million times. I never get sick of this track. While Stevie's vocal is mainly in the front channels (muted), she can be heard in the other channels. Other audio is much more apparent in the surrounds, especially at 1:20 into the video when Christine McVie's vocals are in the height channels. This really solidifies the importance of good height channels.