This year i made the effort to renew my home audio.
New speakers and receiver.

Still a center speaker short of my dream setup but also noticed those Atmos speakers that aim for the ceiling and bounce the sound. I might get the center speaker soon… hopefully.
Wonder if it makes a difference or just a way to sell more speakers. Worth it?


Basically, my sound source would be streaming signals and blurays.

0-0

With Blu-rays, potentially. Blu-Rays typically have uncompressed/lossless audio, so they can fully take advantage of more elaborate audio setups.

But with streaming movies, the audio - even when it's Dolby Atmos audio - is compressed, to limit the size of the data stream. As a result, you can't get the full theatrical/source audio experience while streaming. (And not all streaming services/content supports Atmos anyway.)


Personally, I don't notice that much difference with my home 5.1.2 Atmos setup, compared to a quality traditional 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound setup. Audio "height" just doesn't seem to be that impactful to the audioscape in most cases. (Upgrading from 5.1 to 5.1.2 will definitely not be as big of a difference as upgrading from Stereo to 5.1, for example, or from a bargain bin "5.1" soundbar setup to a quality surround sound setup.)

That lack of Atmos impact at home is likely due to the fact that nearly all at-home Atmos systems will only have 2 additional "height" speakers, compared to the 50+ height speakers in various positions inside a movie theater Atmos setup. So the impact of the audio "height" from a +2 speaker Atmos home system is greatly diminished compared to a movie theater Atmos system.


Bottom line: You might notice a difference, especially when viewing Atmos Blu-Rays, but you still are unlikely to get the same "fully immersed" feeling as going to an Atmos movie theater with their many dozens of strategically positioned height speakers. It's up to you whether it's worth the extra money for a potentially marginal audio upgrade.

Nicky,
I agree with RogueJSK being a "bang-for-the-buck" guy. I've felt absolutely no need to upgrade from my dated 7-2 surround system. There are better ways to spend money.
That said, and I know this doesn't apply to either of us, if we were building a new home with a dedicated home theater room, then yes provided the room acoustics were properly designed for Atmos.

I too agree with RogueJSK

I think I also agree with RogueJSK. I don't notice my reflected speaker. Might depend on ceiling heights, materials etc. I think it's overkill for a home IMO.

Thank you guys, will scrap that idea.

Struggling to get the last remaining Center speaker in the country that could fit my living room.
Nothing has been imported since 2019 and stock is almost completely gone.

Saw the reflecting speakers advertised (doesn´t mean they have them) and thought it could be the last opportunity to grab them too.

0-0

I had a 7.1 system for years. We stream most of out stuff on an Apple TV 4K. I added a set of Atmos speakers a year ago when I updated to a new Denon receiver and OLED TV. I can’t really hear the Atmos speakers specifically but the overall sound immersion is great. I probably wouldn’t buy them again.

Awesome info in this thread as always. Was thinking of doing the same as 0-0, but now rethinking it.

Keep in mind it is optimized for mostly recent material.
My opinion is that YES it is IF you have:
* the room that will make the most out of it
* can properly fit all those speakers in to the area

In my case my room has a very high ceiling making it less beneficial and/or making it hard to place speakers properly

But with all the boxes checked then it can be pretty spectacular.

Excuses, excuses…

Once i have more speakers than breathing space i can agree with the wife’s idea of moving to a new place. Basically doing all this for her

0-0

Yeah, yeah, what I was talking about was the room acoustics part.
Uneven rooms, super high ceilings make the sound can come out improper for Atmos.

I agree with all the fellas. Save your money for something more bang for the buck. Upgrade your sub or add 1 more if you haven't already. I'm a sucker heart pounding and house shaking sound effects.