[phoenixdogfan]

This is a little alarming to me as using it from my PC is going to be 90% of its intended functionality. Hopefully this gets resolved or this is just some quirk with your set up. (I mean, I hope you get it working, I just mean I hope this is not a widespread issue.)

I'm thinking that something like Apple TV 4K may be what I want to use instead of my PC running Windows 10 with Dolby Access. Just too many hoops to jump through. Better to find a simple way even if it means I have to shell out another $200 or so.

 

[Got the Shakes]

I’ve had almost no issues using Atmos via HDMI with my A16 for the 8 months I had it before it got sent back for the upgrades. It worked out of the box and I only had to restart my PC a few times due to handshake issues. A few times if my PC sat idle for a few days Windows 10 would revert back to two channel stereo, but all I’d have to do to remedy that was right click on the sound properties in the task bar and select “Atmos for Home Theater.” Granted every setup is a bit different, but on my PC it worked basically as intended.

 

[esimms86]

I’ve had almost no issues using Atmos via HDMI with my A16 for the 8 months I had it before it got sent back for the upgrades. It worked out of the box and I only had to restart my PC a few times due to handshake issues. A few times if my PC sat idle for a few days Windows 10 would revert back to two channel stereo, but all I’d have to do to remedy that was right click on the sound properties in the task bar and select “Atmos for Home Theater.” Granted every setup is a bit different, but on my PC it worked basically as intended.

As an aside, I wonder if the Smyths have or will be putting time and effort into making sure that Dolby Atmos is fully functional prior to releasing all of the CanJam, etc., PRIRs that they themselves produced specifically using Atmos setups. If not, then they are potentially setting themselves up for another uproar and PR mess(if they care ) when those PRIRs hit the Realiser Exchange. Anyway, I’ll choose to think positive about it.

 

[sander99]

As an aside, I wonder if the Smyths have or will be putting time and effort into making sure that Dolby Atmos is fully functional prior to releasing all of the CanJam, etc., PRIRs that they themselves produced specifically using Atmos setups. If not, then they are potentially setting themselves up for another uproar and PR mess(if they care ) when those PRIRs hit the Realiser Exchange. Anyway, I’ll choose to think positive about it.

Eeehhh, Atmos is fully functional(?)
The problems concerning Atmos that are mentioned in this thread are mostly concerning the devices or services used to deliver Atmos to the A16...
Or are you referrring to the fact that often not all 9.1.6 channels are used, but mostly only 7.1.6 or sometimes 9.1.2?

 

[castleofargh]

@castleofargh, @Janska Thanks for your help.

I have good new and bad news. The good news is I finally experienced 9.1.6 Dolby Atmos from my Windows 10 PC to the Realiser A!6 via HDMI and it was captivating.





The bad news, the HDMI interface was difficult to install, at least with my hardware, and extremely unstable. Dolby Atmos would not continue to work across Windows shutdowns. At least I was able to recreate the the screenshot bug I mentioned previously.

While playing a Dolby stream, pressing the screenshot key would kill audio output to the headphones. The speaker map display would continue to show activity to the speakers but no audio could be heard. Reloading the user preset (in most cases, not all) would correct the problem. If reloading the presets does not work, starting over and reinstalling and rebooting everything was the only solution I found to work. I'll need to report this issue to Smyth.

In the end, I've wasted far too much time trying to get the HDMI interface to work, and ultimately fail, with Windows 10. Do I know why it didn't work? I don't have a clue. The irony is I don't even intend to use HDMI from my PC. This was just an experiment to experience Atmos on Tidal, which I didn't even get to try.

Is your problem related to HDMI in general with Win10 or to trying to use Atmos specifically?
Using HDMI, I only really had 2 issues: it's not as plug&play as usb. But the Sound control panel shortcut solved that pretty much entirely. I just open it and that reloads audio with the A16 in it.
With wasapi exclusive set to "event" in foobar, I could pretty easily crash the A16 "after a while". I used "push" and that issue was gone. TBH only one of my DACs is stable in "event", but a man gotta try.^_^

and I experienced that changing the screen resolution for the A16 to a lower value than its "native" one in my Nvidia settings was a BAD idea for audio(audible nasty artifacts). Other than that, HDMI in itself just worked for me with Win10.
For Atmos I can't help, I must have tried one time just to say I did it, but Atmos doesn't belong in my A16 routine(for now at least).

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Is your problem related to HDMI in general with Win10 or to trying to use Atmos specifically?
Using HDMI, I only really had 2 issues: it's not as plug&play as usb. But the Sound control panel shortcut solved that pretty much entirely. I just open it and that reloads audio with the A16 in it.
With wasapi exclusive set to "event" in foobar, I could pretty easily crash the A16 "after a while". I used "push" and that issue was gone. TBH only one of my DACs is stable in "event", but a man gotta try.^_^

and I experienced that changing the screen resolution for the A16 to a lower value than its "native" one in my Nvidia settings was a BAD idea for audio(audible nasty artifacts). Other than that, HDMI in itself just worked for me with Win10.
For Atmos I can't help, I must have tried one time just to say I did it, but Atmos doesn't belong in my A16 routine(for now at least).

Kinda think the goal here is to use a Windows PC to push 16 channel atmos (over something like Netflix,Tidal Atmos, or Amazon Prime Video) to the A16 via HDMI. Question is whether that's a smooth process, and what do you need to do it (Dolby Access)?

 

[jazzfan]

Is your problem related to HDMI in general with Win10 or to trying to use Atmos specifically?
Using HDMI, I only really had 2 issues: it's not as plug&play as usb. But the Sound control panel shortcut solved that pretty much entirely. I just open it and that reloads audio with the A16 in it.
With wasapi exclusive set to "event" in foobar, I could pretty easily crash the A16 "after a while". I used "push" and that issue was gone. TBH only one of my DACs is stable in "event", but a man gotta try.^_^

and I experienced that changing the screen resolution for the A16 to a lower value than its "native" one in my Nvidia settings was a BAD idea for audio(audible nasty artifacts). Other than that, HDMI in itself just worked for me with Win10.
For Atmos I can't help, I must have tried one time just to say I did it, but Atmos doesn't belong in my A16 routine(for now at least).

At the moment, I'm inclined to believe I have an HDMI hardware/software driver issue with Windows that is causing the Atmos reliability issue. I've ordered a new graphics card with an Nvidia chipset to help sort out the problems. Resetting the Spatial sound format to "Dolby Atmos for home theater" is not sufficient to correct the no audio issue I'm experiencing with the Realiser. What is also strange is, when in the problem state, Windows appears to output some Dolby demos and not others. For instance, when I try the Atmos Explainer demo from the Dolby Access Homepage I can see the output meter for my AMD HDMI Output device moving. Still, when I play the Overwatch Animated Short, there is no meter movement whatsoever. In both cases, the Realiser is not registering any signal activity, and there is no sound from the headphones. When the system is in this state, all other sound apps (i.e. YouTube or Tidal) generate meter movement in Windows, but again no audio from the Realiser. Power cycling the Realiser has no effect, nor does rebooting Windows. Hopefully, the new Nvidia card will solve all of the issues.

Kinda think the goal here is to use a Windows PC to push 16 channel atmos (over something like Netflix,Tidal Atmos, or Amazon Prime Video) to the A16 via HDMI. Question is whether that's a smooth process, and what do you need to do it (Dolby Access)?

Correct.

 

[Got the Shakes]

Kinda think the goal here is to use a Windows PC to push 16 channel atmos (over something like Netflix,Tidal Atmos, or Amazon Prime Video) to the A16 via HDMI. Question is whether that's a smooth process, and what do you need to do it (Dolby Access)?

With Netflix it should be smooth with their Windows 10 app. Also I believe the Dolby Access app is required, but to use Atmos for Home Theater there is no charge (they do make you buy a license for Atmos for Headphones). Also PC games work fine as well in my testing.

Prime Video and Tidal I’m not sure about. There is currently no Prime Video app so you’d have to stream through a browser and I’m not sure they support Atmos through a browser. Also I’m not a Tidal subscriber so I can’t speak much to that.

 

[audiohobbit]

Guys, this will be totally offtopic (sorry):
Is there a section on headfi about Noise Cancelling, where I can pose my very special question:
On weekends I use to sleep for a few hours during the day since I stay up long (watching movies with the Realiser) or I come back from cycling and am exhausted.
During these naps the TV in my bedroom is running usually.
My new neighbors have two little very loud kids.
And they changed their room next to my bedroom into a playroom for the kids. Usually this should also be a bedroom.
The wall is thin like paper.
You can imagine the rest...
For me it is like hell, the absolute worst case scenario.
And I do hear them everywhere in my appartment, I can not escape.

So I thought about some noise cancelling gear.
Problem: I sleep on the side with one ear on the cushion.
I saw that there are noise cancellig in-ears but they are even more bulky than normal in-ears.
I wonder if there is a separate noise cancelling device where you can plug normal headphones into?
Or something like this.

 

[You Gene]

I wonder if there is a separate noise cancelling device where you can plug normal headphones into?
Or something like this.

I know it is off topic, but have you tried headphone headbands ? Otherwise, no experience on the subject.

 

[audiohobbit]

Not sure what you're talking about.
I mean a device (amp?) as a separate box with a microfone that does the noise cancelling and you can plug a normal headphone into it.
Lying on my ear on the cushion I can not wear a headband.
If there would be such an external device I only need to find in-ears that are small/flat enough so I can lie on them so to speak.

PS: Now I think I know what you mean, s.th. like this: https://de.sleepphones.eu/collectio...y-of-sleepphones-wireless-headband-headphones
?
ok, then I still need the noise cancelling, AND the ear-buds would have a great advantage as they already suppress a lot of noise (the TV sound/music etc. would play very silent)

Anyway thanks for the tip.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Guys, this will be totally offtopic (sorry):
Is there a section on headfi about Noise Cancelling, where I can pose my very special question:
On weekends I use to sleep for a few hours during the day since I stay up long (watching movies with the Realiser) or I come back from cycling and am exhausted.
During these naps the TV in my bedroom is running usually.
My new neighbors have two little very loud kids.
And they changed their room next to my bedroom into a playroom for the kids. Usually this should also be a bedroom.
The wall is thin like paper.
You can imagine the rest...
For me it is like hell, the absolute worst case scenario.
And I do hear them everywhere in my appartment, I can not escape.

So I thought about some noise cancelling gear.
Problem: I sleep on the side with one ear on the cushion.
I saw that there are noise cancellig in-ears but they are even more bulky than normal in-ears.
I wonder if there is a separate noise cancelling device where you can plug normal headphones into?
Or something like this.

The solution is to talk to your neighbors and/or your landlord. Alternatively if they can let their brats get as loud as they want, then you can play your sterreo (the one with speakers) as loud as you want as well.

 

[audiohobbit]

Of course I will also talk to them.
But I think this won't help much.
Would you for example rearrange your apartment/rooms just because your lazy neighbour is complaining that he can't sleep all day? And he don't even work in the nightshift.

Plus I know the neighbours apartment very well, the room I mean is relatively small. It was initally meant as the parents bedroom, but there are bigger rooms in the house and so they chose one of the bigger rooms as parents bedroom.
And if they make a childrens bedroom out of this room it won't help much because then the child will also be in this room (and more often presumably than in the separate playroom) and be loud.
And you can't silence 1-2 year olds. And I can't tell them how to raise their children.. such things are delicate matters.

I already talked to them and said that my bedroom is adjacent to their playroom. But didn't tell them that I sleep during the day there. That's the next step (however, the noise starts on saturday 6.30-7 am! Even many "normal" people won't get up that early at the weekend).
They seem to be nice, but seems they don't care. (for example regurlarly been drilling holes in walls on sunday/holidays)

Alternatively if they can let their brats get as loud as they want, then you can play your sterreo (the one with speakers) as loud as you want as well.

Well, no. That is no solution at all.
People keep telling me this: "If the neighbor is loud you can also be!"
I value my quietness, I don't want to be disturbed and don't want to disturb anyone else.
If I am loud at time A and the neighbor is loud at time B, when I want not to be disturbed what does this help me??
And if I am quiet I can always say to the neighbor "Look I am not bothering you, so please don't bother me". If I am loud I can't go to the neighbor and tell him to be quiet because than he can say "You are also loud at times, so what do you want anyway?"

Sorry to bother you with that, it's the wrong place here.

 

[esimms86]

Eeehhh, Atmos is fully functional(?)
The problems concerning Atmos that are mentioned in this thread are mostly concerning the devices or services used to deliver Atmos to the A16...
Or are you referrring to the fact that often not all 9.1.6 channels are used, but mostly only 7.1.6 or sometimes 9.1.2?

I'm talking about compatility with devices. While I plan to use the Atmos capabilities of the A16 to use with movie and music rips, I can't speak for how to others plan to use it.

 

[castleofargh]

At the moment, I'm inclined to believe I have an HDMI hardware/software driver issue with Windows that is causing the Atmos reliability issue. I've ordered a new graphics card with an Nvidia chipset to help sort out the problems. Resetting the Spatial sound format to "Dolby Atmos for home theater" is not sufficient to correct the no audio issue I'm experiencing with the Realiser. What is also strange is, when in the problem state, Windows appears to output some Dolby demos and not others. For instance, when I try the Atmos Explainer demo from the Dolby Access Homepage I can see the output meter for my AMD HDMI Output device moving. Still, when I play the Overwatch Animated Short, there is no meter movement whatsoever. In both cases, the Realiser is not registering any signal activity, and there is no sound from the headphones. When the system is in this state, all other sound apps (i.e. YouTube or Tidal) generate meter movement in Windows, but again no audio from the Realiser. Power cycling the Realiser has no effect, nor does rebooting Windows. Hopefully, the new Nvidia card will solve all of the issues.




Correct.

Just got my unit back(before everybody loses it, it was a repair without any upgrade. My international prestige as Sound Science modo had nothing to do with how fast it went. That really only helps with pretty girls, and so far, only in my head).
So I downloaded some dolby atmos demo, got the atmos app on windorzk store. Went to setting it with the playback system shaped icon in the app instead of the BS 7day trial for the headphone thingy we do not care about. And after setting my video player to audio pass through to avoid any chance of stuff being altered, the A16 just detected the demo as Atmos after a few seconds of playing it. I won't pretend like it's easy for everybody because it would take 3 lives for my mother to do the same, but at least on the A16 side, I saw nothing that was needed so long as the right HDMI input was selected as source.

Is there nobody here using AMD and HDMI to share if there seem to be a problem with that? Or maybe something to do with certain standards of HDMI cables or connections(2 out of my 3 HDMI cables are cheap amazon ones so I doubt it)? Do the MDP output on a graphic cards work like the HDMI ones for the A16, or any other stuff that you guys happened to notice by chance that could explain @jazzfan's difficulties?

edit: the windowz app for atmos doesn't seem to do anything. I removed it and so long as I play the video with audio pass through, the A16 handles the rest and spread the atmos stuff to whatever how many speakers I have in the selected room.