Install Dolby Atmos For A Superior Home Theater Design

Whether you’re watching an action-packed epic or a heartfelt romance, having quality sound in your home theater matters just as much as your visuals. Hearing that gigantic explosion and feeling the bass in your chest, or a well-timed musical cue when our leading couple finally admits their love for each other, helps to bring you into the scene.

These factors are why your choice of sound system makes such a crucial difference in your home theater design. And for the most immersive audio experience available, Dolby Atmos is what you want in your Santa Monica, CA home. This blog will walk you through how Dolby Atmos systems work and why you want Atmos in your home theater. Read on to learn more.

SEE ALSO: Does Laser Projection Make A Difference for Home Theater Design?

TRADITIONAL SURROUND SOUND

You likely have an idea of how most surround systems work; the name is pretty self-explanatory, after all. But in case you need a refresher, here are the basics.

Surround sound aims to capture the experience of watching a movie in a commercial theater by placing speakers in front of you as well as behind you or to the side. When you’re using your home theater, the sound from whatever it is you’re watching is funneled into the different audio channels. Because you have speakers placed all around your viewing environment, you are surrounded by the sound, hence the name.

THE DOLBY ATMOS DIFFERENCE

The basic principle of Dolby Atmos is the same as your usual surround sound setup: Speakers placed in different spots around your home theater to funnel sound in multiple directions for a more immersive experience. Atmos systems use more speakers, including speakers mounted overhead and to the side of you, but what really makes these systems special is how that enveloping effect is achieved.

Standard surround systems funnel audio into different channels, but each channel is still working with multiple audio elements that have been mixed together on the soundtrack. This process somewhat limits what the audio engineers can do with the sound, but that’s not the case with Dolby Atmos.

Instead, each individual sound and piece of dialogue is a discrete audio object in a Dolby Atmos system. These objects can then be more precisely placed in a three-dimensional soundscape generated by the speakers all around you. You feel like you’re literally in the middle of whatever’s happening on screen, resulting in a more immersive listening experience. If you want a taste of what a sound system with this technology feels like for yourself, schedule a visit to our showroom.

We have extensive experience installing Dolby Atmos systems at ZHiFi; you can see some of our work in our project gallery. You’ll need some specialized equipment to create an Atmos system in your home, and we work with the best audio brands in the business. With Atmos-specific processors from Datasat and Trinnov Audio, as well as speakers from JBL Syntheses, we can bring new levels of immersion to your home theater.

Ready to experience the Dolby Atmos difference firsthand? Santa Monica residents can call us at (626) 437-4441 to get started on their project today. You can also visit our contact page.