[Richter Di]

Looking at your a16 screen. If that is what you are seeing when playing Atmos content via Tidal... I don't think you are hearing Atmos... But instead an upmix. My screen says Dolby Atmos when playing Atmos content via Tidal... Yours says Dolby Audio.

I'm not home so I can't check for you.

You may need to update the Tidal app.

As good as Dolby Atmos music is via Tidal... I enjoy the dynamic range of the TrueHD much more.

Both Cooper albums are available here: https://pureaudiorecordings.com/en/?s=Max+cooper&lang=en

I just received them a few weeks ago.. the videos that play along with the music are really cool.

Thanks for your quick answer. I just installed the FireTV max yesterday and freshly downloaded the Tidal App.
Please check when you are at home if it shows Dolby Atmos oder Dolby Audio. At least the Tidal App does not complain that it couldn‘t stream Dolby Atmos like it did somehow with the Apple TV.
The whole reason for me to try out the FireTV stick was that I was running in sound interruptions on Tidal and Qobuz with my new PC

Windows 10 Pro 64bit
Intel i7-12700K, 8 X 3,6GHz, Typical TDP: 190 Watt Down
4TB SSD M.2 PCIe Corsair Force MP600
64GB DDR4-RAM ( 2 X 32GB ), 3600MHz, Kingston Fury Beast B. Intel UHD on Chip
ASUS TUF Gaming Z690 Plus
RTX 3070 TI

which I had never before on my Asus ROG G752VT-GC032T Gaming Laptop.

BTW, after endless tests the main reason for the sound drops seems to be the Dolby Atmos for home theatre sound layer on Windows. When I switch to 2 speaker setup the sound drops are gone.

Thank you for the tip regarding TrueHD. Just yesterday I watched this talk with Christoph Dieckmann from PureAudioGroup:

 

[Richter Di]

Also Tidal‘s Dolby Atmos keeps confusing me. Two screenshots from my iPhone with Airpod Pros.



Tidal thinks it is able to stream Dolby Atmos to the Airpods Pro Bluetooth headset.
If it would not be able it would say so.
The iPhone shows it as stereo.

 

[VandyMan]

Please check when you are at home if it shows Dolby Atmos oder Dolby Audio. At least the Tidal App does not complain that it couldn‘t stream Dolby Atmos like it did somehow with the Apple TV.

I can confirm that when Tidal and other apps on the Apple TV output Atmos, the Realiser says "Dolby Atmos."

 

[VandyMan]

For closed backs, I've tried a few different ones. So far, I've gotten the best results from the Focal Stellia. That is not surprising as it is the most open sounding closed back that I've heard. My STAX headphone is a lot better, but the Stellia works well enough to enjoy late night Realiser usage. The HD820 would probably work fairly well too, but it leaks sounds, so it is not a great choice if you are trying to not disturb people around you. I would bet that the DCA Stealth works well, but don't have one to try.

 

[Litlgi74]

Hello my friend...

Unfortunately I think something is wrong with your app or setup.





Since the other apps are working for you... I would uninstall the Tidal app and reinstall it. It's important that you see the Atmos indicator on the TV in bluish-gray when streaming. If it says HIFI... you are not streaming Atmos.

Just this morning... I had to reinstall the app today to get it to work properly.

Hope this helps.

 

[Richter Di]

Hello my friend...

Unfortunately I think something is wrong with your app or setup.





Since the other apps are working for you... I would uninstall the Tidal app and reinstall it. It's important that you see the Atmos indicator on the TV in bluish-gray when streaming. If it says HIFI... you are not streaming Atmos.

Just this morning... I had to reinstall the app today to get it to work properly.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for taking the time.
Let's start with my Tidal on Windows 10.
Just uninstalled and installed it again.
The result is still Dolby Audio instead of Dolby Atmos on the display of the Smyth Realiser A16.

I will try to report all elements of my configuration:
Left click on the loudspeaker symbol: Realiser A16 (NVIDIA High Definition Audio)
Right click on the loudspeaker symbol: Speaker setup (its in German Lautsprechereinrichtung): Dolby Atmos for Home Theatre

Extended settings: Formats: Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital
Dolby Atmos is not shown but works e.g. under Cyberpunk 2077 and also under Dolby Access App.
I just do not get it what I am doing wrong.

 

[Richter Di]

Looking at your a16 screen. If that is what you are seeing when playing Atmos content via Tidal... I don't think you are hearing Atmos... But instead an upmix. My screen says Dolby Atmos when playing Atmos content via Tidal... Yours says Dolby Audio.

I now have the Dolby Atmos symbol at least for the FireTV stick on Tidal. I have no idea why.

 

[Camano]

For closed backs, I've tried a few different ones.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, that's plenty to mull over. Fortunately, wife didn't set a price limit

I found new 820's on sale with return privilege, so I'm going to try those first.

 

[Litlgi74]

I now have the Dolby Atmos symbol at least for the FireTV stick on Tidal. I have no idea why.

Hi... Dolby Atmos does not work with the Tidal app on a PC or Mac... regardless of component configuration.

Atmos is only available with the compatible devices.

https://support.tidal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360004255778-Dolby-Atmos-Music

 

[Richter Di]

Hi... Dolby Atmos does not work with the Tidal app on a PC or Mac... regardless of component configuration.

Atmos is only available with the compatible devices.

https://support.tidal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360004255778-Dolby-Atmos-Music

Thanks good to know. So I can give up on this one.

 

[Richter Di]

Cool video with Ralph Kessler who developed the Auromatic. He demonstrates how he has been able to measure room fingerprints. You can put on subtitles translated into English if you are not fluent in German.

 

[Evshrug]

Also Tidal‘s Dolby Atmos keeps confusing me. Two screenshots from my iPhone with Airpod Pros.



Tidal thinks it is able to stream Dolby Atmos to the Airpods Pro Bluetooth headset.
If it would not be able it would say so.
The iPhone shows it as stereo.

I enjoy Dolby Atmos via Tidal and my iPhone/iPad. What I think is happening here is that Tidal is detecting Bluetooth headphones, and sending premixed-for-headphones “binaural” stereo audio tracks. Since the mix is done in Tidal and bypassing the iOS audio stack system, it doesn’t carry the same tags to AirPods Pro as the Atmos mixes done in the Apple Music app.

It is an enhancement for headphone imaging, but it’s a pretty mild effect compared to the Smyth Virtual Surround processing with or without headtracking, and the way AirPods Pro add spatial head tracking with the Apple Music app also helps keep the soundstage illusion more evident than with Tidal. A few tracks are recorded or remixed with binaural headphone mastering with a bit more care than just applying the Dolby processing, such as (US Tidal library):
https://tidal.com/track/150367183
and
https://tidal.com/track/9602093

So, you’re not missing out on too much… Still, I included a few in my headphone playlists, before some (not all) of them had their Dolby tag removed.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, that's plenty to mull over. Fortunately, wife didn't set a price limit

I found new 820's on sale with return privilege, so I'm going to try those first.

After I left Sennheiser amicably, I requested to keep an HD 820. I think the anti-hype is disproportionate… at the shows I attended where Sennheiser exhibited it, right after launch, we would go for hours with people pleased with their impressions, with only a handful of people saying it wasn’t to their taste (notably, a big chunk of those detractors all came to the table as one party). That’s just some objective survey observations (sorry, I didn’t count exact figures, but the response was overwhelmingly positive or at least neutral with price reservations), and aside from that I subjectively like the headphone .

Experiment with positioning a bit, I actually like it off center, YMMV. I made a playlist of songs I like with it!
Apple Music HD 820 Synergy
Tidal HD 820 Synergy
Spotify HD 820 Synergy

 

[Litlgi74]

A few tracks are recorded or remixed with binaural headphone mastering with a bit more care than just applying the Dolby processing, such as (US Tidal library):
https://tidal.com/track/150367183
and
https://tidal.com/track/9602093

Wow. This is pretty cool. Especially the second track. I've heard plenty of binaural recordings... but not one so much that has focused on putting the audio at the rear of the room. It really makes you focus on the music. Pretty wild. Thanks for sharing.

Update: I've listened to most of the Up Close album... I'm curious if others hear most of the audio coming from the rear... Starting at around ±110°? Although it was interesting at first... I'm not a big fan of the placement. I feel like I have to visualize the audio from behind my eyes. Lol

 

[Evshrug]

Chesky records has a number of albums recorded for headphones, using a head and torso mannequin mic, which places instruments wherever they were performed relative to the mannequin! It’s fun

Of course, the ideal of the Realiser was to allow any stereo-for-speakers track to make headphones sound more like speakers placed in front of you, and realistically simulate home theater surround imaging with that kind of content. Add to that, the spatial shaping was based on your torso and ear shape, not a generic “70th percentile” mannequin, so imaging would be more bespoke. It’s possible what sounds “in front of me, behind other instruments” may sound like it’s placed “behind” you. However, even if you have one, it’s an intimidating piece of kit to configure and get the full benefit out of it

 

[Litlgi74]

Chesky records has a number of albums recorded for headphones, using a head and torso mannequin mic, which places instruments wherever they were performed relative to the mannequin! It’s fun

I own most of them. They are great.

However, even if you have one, it’s an intimidating piece of kit to configure and get the full benefit out of it

Practice makes perfect.