Apple Music: Spatial Audio Dolby Atmos Review | Painfully Honest Tech

I hate it. i want the sounds inside my head. not “coming from my phone.”

I've always been a fan of mixing music in Doubly

Is This spatial audio compatible with Sony 1000XM4 360 reality audio technology?

please don't listen to this guy, he has no idea what he's talking about. if you're going to judge an albums Atmos mix you need to listen to it on proper Atmos speaker setup, just because your headphones doesn't do spatial audio well doesn't mean that the mix is bad. The mix will stay as they are (as they should) but the headphones spatial audio needs to improve

Great explainer! Dolby is the best at hyping trademarked tech and profiting from customer ignorance.

If Dolby gave away their binaural downmixer for free on all platforms, it would have a higher chance of staying popular.

What now 2 years after, continue sucking?

As you say, since stereo many formats have come and gone. There is reason for that. People have two ears. Stereo is best.

Literally just tuned it off because anAriana Grande Song sounded so awful. It was missing the chorus vocals at the end of the song. I guess it wasn’t missing but it sounded like Ariana was out in the distance on top of a mountain.

Quad forever. Don't want any fake software generated "spatial audio", just give me four speakers, and a good quad mix. And the only way a bedroom artist could release an Atmos/ Spatial Audio is by cutting a very large check for licensing.

Apple creates garbage
Atmos is overrated
Sony 360 Audio sounds better

Reminds me of people who said that the special effects in movies in the 90's were amazing. Crap script, crap acting and crap plot were irrelevant.

The problem with" streaming" Atmos is that its not real Atmos...so it has fantastic sounding MEDRANGE. That's about what you'd expect when all you have is pathetic, lossy Dolby Digital plus bitrate. Disc-based TRUE Atmos has pretty much endless bitrate by comparison.

Dolby Atmos works great with my phone plugged into my DAC for headphone listening (with my Sony Z1R). ive had numerous songs sound improved with atmos but i get that it’s not always better, some songs have been afflicted with too much bass or too little bass or muffled detail… Also spatial audio agree with your points, it doesn’t feel necessary and it doesn’t motivate me to use my Airpods

When it comes to music, I've come to the conclusion that stereo still reigns supreme. More focused, more punchy. It seems like most Atmos mixes sound like you're listening to the stereo mix over PA speakers in an empty club. Not sure why you'd want that. I think Atmos for music is a thinly veiled attempt at gatekeeping by the major labels. Yeah, you can mix Atmos on headphones but you'll never truly know what you're sending out into the world. Then add the fact that Dolby and Apple use different decoders. What a mess.

For me it has completely changed the way I listen to music. I agree with headphones statement, as its weird and isnt quite right. However through a dedicated Atmos amp with 7.1 etc plus an Apple TV 4K then its mind blowing and send shivers up your spine. I use a Denon X2800H, for dedicated music and use the Sonos Arc, sub etc for TV, and sometimes for Atmos. The difference is night and day between the Arc and the Denon, as the separation is far better on the Denon - For obvious reasons. I would check this out, then im 100% sure you will change your mind lol

I love dolby for movies. Music I hate it lol

I think it's weird that you reviewed atmos music but didn't even use a speaker setup to do so... which is weird...

Sounds like you are confusing spacial audio with head tracking. You can still experience spacial audio with head tracking turned off.

You have to wear a labcoat and hold a clip board to hear it "correctly", cant wait for all the punk classics to be remastered

Yeah..."It would have to be mixed well"...binaural audio allows for more depth. Stereo is louder...dude...please keep up...(look up Fletcher Munson)...Atmos is at -18 LUFS...louder is not better... adjust your gain, dude. bubye.

Just wait until Atmos and spatial audio are required to release music. Then you'll have a relentless amount of very low quality automated up mixes making the format even worse.

I have the newest Apple TV 4K so will probably get some Airpod Pro 2's to try it out with movies but audio only won't happen for me likely.

April, 12 of 2023 yes, i still hear Music in ATMOS like i was in a fridge of some sort. 100% no evolution in this 2 last years. Some albums like some acoustic ones sound good, but all the other stuff sound awfull (electronic, rock and metal awwfull). It doesnt matter if you listen to it using some sennheiser professional in-ears.

I like spatial audio because it brings back dynamics. I hate the volume boosting of stereo

Your snare can now sound shit in 3D

Spatial Audio/Dolby Atmos are the new "Loudness" button in order to sell more hardware.

It’s horrible on my headphones for all the music I’ve tried

How videos date so quickly. I suggest you give the Sony HT-A9 music, movies and general TV is stunning when listening.

‘Some’ tracks sounded great, most just sounded like someone had been messing with the L/R pan.. I’d like to be able to hear instruments spaced out so they’re more tangible, hearing them simply move from left to right is not very appealing

In my opinion 2/3 atmos mixes on apple music sound awful or they change the feeling of the song completely where it sounds like a completely different song. I basically turn atmos off and just listen to the High Res Lossless or Lossless and it sounds fantastic enough for me. Unfortunately I haven't been able to hear atmos in a proper environment but playing from a phone or airpods doesnt seem to sell it for me

I thought the Dolby Atmos remasters of Callas classics were absolutely breathtaking on Apple Music. Even one of her early recordings like “O mio bambino caro” which I never dreamt of hearing in such a quality has been given a new dimension and life. Would love to hear your opinion about her “Pure Maria Callas” compilation in Dolby Atmos, please!

Netflix has it now too and I hate it. Purist that I am, this is like going to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, and see a new flavour-of-the-day-instagram-filter in front of it to appease the public,.. 🤮
I’m so sick of this era’s lack of respect.

Stereo Tracks are mastered using compression, limiting and equalisation. You can't master Dolby Atmos mixes due to it having objects (sounds) that are outside the main bed so you can't apply mastering techniques.

And can you sort out the compression on your vocal. It’s hurting my ears!

Atmos adds height but if you only have 2 speakers (headphones) it’s pointless. Nora Jones looses all the cymbals and voice is too far forward. Don’t bother!

You are spot on about the quality of Atmos track. They lack the volume and quality the stereo tracks offer. I was disappointed to use the Atmos tracks and was wondering if I am doing something wrong. By the way Come away with me by Norah Jones is a good suggestion to experience Dolby Atmos on Apple Music. It sounds really good 👍.

Spatial audio is specific for VR. You turn your head, your field of view changes BUT It would be odd if the soundstage also moves... It should stay exactly where it was in the virtual soundstage just like the VR. I think your right is has no future for music only. Dolby Atmos mixes should be mixed again up from start to get the most of it. I doubt if all producers and record companies are willing to spend the extra money