CUSTOM INSTALLATION HOW-TO

Look out below!
First up was the Dolby Atmos Demo Disc from August 2014 (widely distributed at last year’s CEDIA Expo) that shipped to me with the Marantz AV8802. The disc includes a Dolby Atmos retail loop, a number of Atmos-enabled trailers, a short film, a music video of Enrique Iglesias hit song “Bailando,” a Red Bull video clip of F1 Racing, a trailer for On Any Sunday, and a time-lapse clip of the Napa Valley. I jumped right to the “Amaze” trailer as my family and I sat on the couch in tense anticipation. Needless to say, we were all blown away—especially when a bird circles the room from overhead. The sound definitely encompasses the room, giving a three-dimensional audio experience.

All of the specific Atmos trailers have their high points, but my favorite is probably the Unfold trailer in which a diamond shaped object transforms into the Dolby logo. The audio hits you from all directions and definitely makes your jaw drop. When a guest comes over, this is always the first trailer I put on to impress them. I’ll then jump to the music video from Iglesias. This really shows off how well multichannel audio can take advantage of all of the channels in an Atmos system.

Unfortunately, the list of Atmos-enabled discs available in North America remains pretty sparse at this point, but there are a few that are definitely worth watching—namely John Wick, The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 1, and Unbroken. LionsGate is certainly embracing the format out of the gate, but Universal and Warner have also shown some support as well. Let’s hope more are on the way. [Editor’s note: Warner’s Gravity has also just been released with Atmos, but was not available for David’s first demos; he’s reviewing that title for us now.—RS ]

John Wick is arguably Keanu Reeves best movie since The Matrix. He plays and ex-assassin hell-bent on exacting revenge on a gang of thugs who picked the wrong guy to piss-off. The violence is over-the-top and isn’t necessarily the type of movie I enjoy very much, but I have to admit that the Atmos track dragged me into the film, especially during the third act. Raindrops felt like they were falling from above, and when a helicopter swoops over you can really sense that it’s coming from the sky. Furthermore, when bullets and glass start flying through the room, the Atmos definitely helps give you that “being there” feeling.

I tried out the Dolby Surround Upmixing mode as well. This allows Atmos-enabled prepros and AVRs to process existing 5.1- and 7.1-channel tracks to make use Atmos height speakers. Disney’s Big Hero 6 has a DTS-HD 7.1 track on it, which in and of itself is very impressive, but engaging DSU definitely added something extra to the proceedings. As Hiro takes Baymax for a ride around San Fransokyo and zooms between buildings as he tours the city, I felt more a part of the action on screen than I did with traditional 7.1-channel playback.

So, would I do it all again? One of the major concerns I had going into this upgrade was whether I would pay some sort of significant sonic penalty in the end by not being able to comply fully with the Dolby spec for speaker placement, which recommends direct radiating speakers for side and back surrounds and lowering them to ear level. I even woke up once or twice at night during the upgrade process worried about it! But I’m happy to say the system sounds great, and I would do it all again without no hesitation whatsoever. I ended up going over my budget on equipment, but I don’t have a speck of buyer’s remorse.

With DTS’s DTS:X object-based audio format on the horizon, I’m sure the next 12 months will bring more Dolby Atmos and DTS:X discs and open the floodgates for years to come. Furthermore, I’m sure the streaming services will follow—Vudu already has the Dolby Atmos trailers available through its service, and I’d bet Netflix and Amazon Instant Video aren’t far behind. It’s going to be an object-based audio world in no time at all, and I’m glad to be living in it.