Is Dolby Atmos Really Worth It?

Whether you’re a fan of surround sound or streaming music, you have probably heard of Dolby Atmos. With Apple Music moving toward using it for their music, it leaves fans wondering if Dolby Atmos is worth it.

Dolby Atmos is definitely worth it. It provides listeners with a unique spatial experience. Movies using Dolby Atmos give you that movie theater sound. For music, it allows you to hear music as the artist truly intended. Overall, it is worth your time.

Let’s take a closer look at Dolby Atmos and talk about what makes it so worth it.

Also read: Does Dolby Atmos Work With Bluetooth Headphones?

Is Dolby Atmos Really Worth It?

To figure out whether the money you invest in Dolby Atmos is well-spent, we need to consider how the technology works and what options it provides.

Dolby Atmos creates a 3-D experience with audio by putting you in the middle of the sound. Atmos has been able to create surround sound within just one or two speakers. It provides depth to music and audio that has previously been inaccessible. Listening with Dolby Atmos will allow you to hear everything happening around you.

The integration of Dolby Atmos with Apple Music allows you to experience the effects of surround sound without multiple speakers. In the way that surround sound gives each sound its own speaker, Dolby Atmos gives each sound its own space in the audio output.

Gone are the days when guitar strums are drowned out by drums. Dolby Atmos allows you to hear it all in its own space.

Music fans know that artists put a lot of work into their music. As fans, sometimes we miss the intricate details of a song that the artist spent so much time creating. Dolby Atmos is a great, innovative way to ensure that we can hear every detail of the music that the artist intended.

Dolby Atmos uses the idea of audio objects to create this experience. Rather than focusing on one sound coming from each speaker, Dolby has created a way to allow space for different parts of the audio to be spread around like objects.

Dolby Atmos can work with most home speaker setups. It can run through up to 34 speakers in your setup, giving you the most accurate audio experience possible. However, it still works well with fewer speakers.

Do I Need Special Headphones or Speakers for Dolby Atmos?

You do not need special headphones or speakers to use Dolby Atmos. To get the most out of your experience, you can use Dolby Atmos headphones and speakers, but it is not necessary to enjoy the audio.

Plug-in and Bluetooth speakers both work well with Dolby Atmos. You may need to adjust the settings on your device. For example, Apple Music doesn’t default to Dolby Atmos unless you have certain headphones connected. This can easily be fixed in your settings.

During the initial release of Dolby Atmos with Apple Music, many people believed that you would need certain headphones to use the new audio experience.

But a later update from Apple let us know that wasn’t the case. This works for other devices as well. Dolby Atmos was made to be used on many different headphones and speaker systems.

To get Dolby Atmos in your home, you don’t need a brand new set of speakers either. It can work with your existing surround sound setup, but it is recommended that you add a ceiling speaker to bring the audio together nicely.

Adding just one speaker above you makes a big difference in your experience with Dolby Atmos. If hanging from the ceiling is not possible, some speakers are angled to provide a similar experience.

Most people think they need to replace their surround sound speakers completely to get Dolby Atmos, but that is not the case.

Adding that additional ceiling speaker will tie your system together nicely. So, it’s worth considering to get the most out of your audio experience.

Where Can I Watch or Hear Media Compatible With Dolby Atmos?

For music choices with Dolby Atmos, check out Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music. For watching, you have more options like BluRay and many different streaming services.

Dolby Atmos has taken the music world by storm since Apple announced its integration. Since then, Tidal and Amazon Music have followed with their own integration of the new audio experience.

While music fans are still waiting for Spotify to announce their plan to integrate Dolby Atmos, it probably won’t be long before all major music streaming services offer it.

Dolby Atmos is more commonly available in movie and show streaming. It can be found with BluRay versions, as well as certain streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Disney Plus.

It is important to note that Dolby Atmos is not available for every program or song on these platforms.

Older movies, shows, and songs were not made with spatial audio in mind. So it is not always possible to integrate Dolby Atmos with older media because it was made with different audio options.

So, when looking for music or media on the above platforms to enjoy your Dolby Atmos, be aware that not every movie, show, or song you come across will have the capability. To see if your chosen media is compatible, always look for the Dolby Atmos logo.

Streaming services don’t yet have a list of all media that offer Dolby Atmos. So, you’ll have to go a little digging.

The best practice in this scenario is to focus on content that is original to that platform or new, higher-budget programs. That will be the best way to quickly find compatible programs.