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Hi-Fi

Arguably not “hi-fi” by purist definition, but has anyone else tried the new Dolby Atmos tracks on Tidal yet?

I had a go today after having read some good reviews on AVforum.... but I though it sounded toss. For object based surround, the rears didn’t do much and my overheads were hardly noticeable. I even reconfigged to boost the height channels by 5db each!
But the final straw was the subs seemed to be miles off the pace. Really lagging.

Will try again when I get more time to look at configurations.

(Source Tidal premium account on appletv4k > HDMI> Yamaha RX-A3060 AVR > Dali speakers and Rel T9i sub.
Atmos indicator showing correctly on the Yamaha)
 
upload_2020-6-14_22-21-44.gif

I nearly forgot, I said elsewhere this thread lacked sexy aliens.

Princess Ardala (Buck Rogers of 25th century fame)
 
Arguably not “hi-fi” by purist definition, but has anyone else tried the new Dolby Atmos tracks on Tidal yet?

I had a go today after having read some good reviews on AVforum.... but I though it sounded toss. For object based surround, the rears didn’t do much and my overheads were hardly noticeable. I even reconfigged to boost the height channels by 5db each!
But the final straw was the subs seemed to be miles off the pace. Really lagging.

Will try again when I get more time to look at configurations.

(Source Tidal premium account on appletv4k > HDMI> Yamaha RX-A3060 AVR > Dali speakers and Rel T9i sub.
Atmos indicator showing correctly on the Yamaha)


What's the music?
Is recorded for atmos or re engineered?
 
Arguably not “hi-fi” by purist definition, but has anyone else tried the new Dolby Atmos tracks on Tidal yet?

I had a go today after having read some good reviews on AVforum.... but I though it sounded toss. For object based surround, the rears didn’t do much and my overheads were hardly noticeable. I even reconfigged to boost the height channels by 5db each!
But the final straw was the subs seemed to be miles off the pace. Really lagging.

Will try again when I get more time to look at configurations.

(Source Tidal premium account on appletv4k > HDMI> Yamaha RX-A3060 AVR > Dali speakers and Rel T9i sub.
Atmos indicator showing correctly on the Yamaha)
I don't have Tidal anymore, but have you tried it (if available) directly from a smart TV? I've experienced some weird sound related issues with apps on apple TV, that do not occur when running the same apps with the TV. And writing that, I realise that you can't get dolby atmos through most TVs, as they usually only run sound through optical, which only supports Dolby Digital....
So there goes that idea.
 
I don't have Tidal anymore, but have you tried it (if available) directly from a smart TV? I've experienced some weird sound related issues with apps on apple TV, that do not occur when running the same apps with the TV. And writing that, I realise that you can't get dolby atmos through most TVs, as they usually only run sound through optical, which only supports Dolby Digital....
So there goes that idea.
Got an LG E6 OLED - no tidal app.
I normally output Tidal from my Arcam CDS-50 into the Roksan amp. So, going multichannel meant having use the home theatre AVR as well with all its horrible non-pure processing and nasty excess gadgets inside!

I do get the impression from forums that “people” are streaming it out of their phones and then commenting on the sound quality.... Which at best shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what Dolby Atmos is and how object based surround works!
 
Got an LG E6 OLED - no tidal app.
I normally output Tidal from my Arcam CDS-50 into the Roksan amp. So, going multichannel meant having use the home theatre AVR as well with all its horrible non-pure processing and nasty excess gadgets inside!

I do get the impression from forums that “people” are streaming it out of their phones and then commenting on the sound quality.... Which at best shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what Dolby Atmos is and how object based surround works!
Well, not necessarily. On modern receivers and other streaming devices, you don't transmit the sound from your phone. The phone kind just works as a remote. The device you "stream" to, downloads all the data, so there is not sound transfer going on between the phone and the device. The phone just sends instructions of what to play.
 
Well, not necessarily. On modern receivers and other streaming devices, you don't transmit the sound from your phone. The phone kind just works as a remote. The device you "stream" to, downloads all the data, so there is not sound transfer going on between the phone and the device. The phone just sends instructions of what to play.
Sorry, what I mean is that they are just playing the sound out of their phone speaker.

Which definitely isn’t the way Atmos works.
 
Arguably not “hi-fi” by purist definition, but has anyone else tried the new Dolby Atmos tracks on Tidal yet?

I had a go today after having read some good reviews on AVforum.... but I though it sounded toss. For object based surround, the rears didn’t do much and my overheads were hardly noticeable. I even reconfigged to boost the height channels by 5db each!
But the final straw was the subs seemed to be miles off the pace. Really lagging.

Will try again when I get more time to look at configurations.

(Source Tidal premium account on appletv4k > HDMI> Yamaha RX-A3060 AVR > Dali speakers and Rel T9i sub.
Atmos indicator showing correctly on the Yamaha)

Doesn't sound too bad to me, different songs on the Dolby Atmos playlist seem to up the level to Master otherwise its Hi Fi. I'm just using Sony over ear headphones. Thanks for posting that link to the trial. It really doesn't seem any better than Spotify though this Tidal shlt.

for example, the is supposedly Master level;

https://tidal.com/browse/track/121012115
 
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Doesn't sound too bad to me, different songs on the Dolby Atmos playlist seem to up the level to Master otherwise its Hi Fi. I'm just using Sony over ear headphones. Thanks for posting that link to the trial. It really doesn't seem any better than Spotify though this Tidal shlt.

for example, the is supposedly Master level;

https://tidal.com/browse/track/121012115
It should show an Atmos symbol when you play it - and your AV receiver/decoder must by Atmos capable - and showing Atmos on the screen when it decodes?

If the audio kit isn’t Atmos enabled then it will default back to Master or Hi-fi etc.

If it is Atmos but you’re using headphones, you won’t be able to get the ‘benefit’ of the object based surround firing from the rear and overhead speakers though either? Can you run it though your speakers - ideally a 5.1.2 room set up minimum. Although 7.2.4 would be ideal if you have the space for 13 speakers!

Master level is hi-resolution - so you need some high end kit to really pick up the difference of the added bit rate. CD quality is 16bit whereas Master is 24 bit. Also the frequency range increases from 44khz to 96khz - hence debate about whether or not the human ear can pick up a lot of the added detail so me saying top end kit helps a lot!

Also Spotify files are about 320kbps, compressed. Tidal hifi is uncompressed at around 1411kbps (CD quality).
 
£3 for 3 month trial now on for Tidal. All packages.

I’ve recalibrated my AVR today, and tried Tidal Atmos again. Better, but then I switched on the Pure Audio option on the avr to supposedly cut out additional circuitry.....

Massive difference. Sounded great. I’m converted now.

Still think anyone trying to listen on their phone is a dumb clam though.
 
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