What Is Dolby Atmos?

You may have heard of Dolby before. This company is involved in everything entertainment, from classic movie theater audio to video processing and beyond. Their most popular at-home tech in recent years has definitely been Dolby Atmos. What is Dolby Atmos? It's a digital surround sound technology. Classic surround sound involves positioning individual speakers and powerful subwoofers perfectly around the listener to place them in the "center" of the audio. Dolby Atmos does the same, but instead of using multiple physical speakers, audio "seems" to surround the listener with much less hardware.

The video above helps viewers to answer the question of "What is Dolby Atmos?" and we'll dive into the science of this sonic tech more below.

Let's start at the beginning, where audio recordings are often broken apart into channels. In a typical physical surround sound system, you'll have a center channel speaker, a right speaker, left speaker, and many more, all set up around the listener. That's all because we're "untangling" the sound: instead of one big blast of noise, these audio devices pull sonic strands apart to better synthesize different elements. It puts listeners in the middle of the action, not in front of a single speaker or a stereo pair.

Dolby Atmos does the same thing, but virtually instead of physically. What does that mean, and what is Dolby Atmos? Dolby Atmos works by using the same principles. Instead of channels, sounds are applied to a place in 3D virtual space during the recording session. Drums go here, vocals go there, and bass goes in those two spots. It's all a 3D designed experience. Next, it's time to hear it in action. Many soundbars and speakers are equipped with channels that send sound up at the ceiling or out to the corners: suddenly, that dialogue in the movie you're watching is actually coming from in front of you you. Or maybe that soundbar aims orchestral music at both of the walls beside you for true immersion. With the help of proper positioning, the sonic physics of Dolby Atmos do actually place the listener in the center of all the action, sometimes with just a single, multi-channel soundbar.

In a word, yes. Dolby Atmos isn't a stunt or a one-off that's going to disappear. More and more home audio and even rare portable audio devices support Dolby Atmos. Now that we've answered the question of "What Is Dolby Atmos?" it's clear that this next-gen tech is already here. And without it, you're really missing out on the fidelity of your music, video or other entertainment. It's like making the choice between watching a movie in black and white or color, or choosing between an HD TV or one that stuns in 4K. The tech is available and it's not terribly expensive: there are many different speakers, home theater tech and soundbars that are designed to work well with Dolby Atmos here at Abt.

We've answered the question of "What Is Dolby Atmos", but you'll need more than just a speaker to appreciate most of this amazing audio effect. Maybe your soundbar or speaker system is designed for Atmos, but you'll need other entertainment components to do the same to hear the full effect. Explore the latest 4K Blu-Ray players as well as TVs to see if they, too, can deliver an Atmos audio signal from the entertainment straight to your speakers. Check out your gaming consoles as well: if you're watching or playing content here, you'll want to make sure your gaming console can deliver the audio quality you need. Content and/or home theater tech that can deliver the digital surround sound signals are both necessary components.

Complete the final link in the chain with content that is designed for Dolby Atmos. What is Dolby Atmos content? Films, TV shows, music, games and more with audio that's designed to be listened to in this digital surround system. These titles are designed perfectly, with scores of music that are untangled into digital channels by artists themselves. That customization combined with an optimized audio system will have you feel like you're literally in the middle of the action. You can find Dolby Atmos content on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, while streaming music can be found on Amazon Music Unlimited, Apple Music and Tidal. And nearly any title you see in 4K is likely to be Atmos, too.

If you listen to music at home, watch films or just casually stream TV, we recommend it. Why? Because nearly all new home theater technology comes with Dolby Atmos built in. That doesn't necessarily mean you need to go out and buy all new gear at once, but when it's time to upgrade your soundbar, check to see that it has Dolby Atmos. And if you're looking for a new TV, do the same. Soon you'll have an entire system designed for immersive listening. And once you hear how beautiful that music is, you'll never want to go back. So what is Dolby Atmos in a single word? Unbeatable.

Dolby Atmos is a surround sound spatial audio technology that adds height channels, creating three-dimensional sound. The goal of Dolby Atmos is to make the listener feel transported to the center of the music or the action on TV.

Yes, especially if you have a home theater. By creating immersive sound, everything from movies to TV shows to music sound better and more lifelike with Dolby Atmos.

Yes, Netflix provides content in Dolby Atmos, so long as your setup includes a Dolby Atmos-enabled device.

YouTube does not currently support Dolby Atmos.