2. amps-preamps
  3. 186058-162255

Do NOT Blow Your Entire Budget on Two Channel Audio

Yes, two channel audio is here, and is not going away. However, object based audio is delightful, widely available on Tidal and Apple Music, and should be in the listening room of every music lover on the planet, not just "audiophiles. If you plan to be a music fan a year from now start building your object based audio system today. You will need:

1) A receiver/processor capable of Dolby Atmos.

2) A subscription to Tidal or Apple music.

3) A Firestick, ATV, or Nvidia Shield.

4) A minimum of 7 timber matched speakers and a subwoofer.

Once you experienced stereo would you ever go back to only mono? No, you would build a system capable of either mono or stereo. Now that object based audio has arrived do the same thing. Build a system capable of mono, stereo, AND object based audio. When Elton John heard Rocket Man in an object based format for the first time why did he demand to convert his entire catalog to Atmos? If you don’t know, then you need to go listen to Rocket Man in a good Atmos setup ASAP.

So, take your budget, DIVERSIFY, and get a good Atmos capable receiver or processor. Object based audio is NOT last decades surround sound or home theater. It is for MUSIC first, if you need a recommendation on how to allocate your budget feel free to post a question. Most importantly, you don’t NEED two systems, one for music and one for movies. A good object based audio system can play two channel music just fine. A two channel system on the other hand can’t play object based audio without a proper processor or receiver.

Greg Penny talks mixing Rocket Man in Atmos.

https://youtu.be/ggzfcUKDqdo?feature=shared

 

kota1
kota1 OP
2,706 posts
 

@elliottbnewcombjr 

Historically ’good enough’ wins.

True, my desktop system is "good enough" but if you look at the virtual systems here WOW, I guess we all have different standards of what "enough" is. For the "good enough" community you have Spotify, a phone and ear buds. Even this community can get a "good enough" upgrade by getting an apple music subscription and some air pods.

Object Based is the opposite: very complicated,

Again, exactly why I started this thread, to raise the veil and shine a light on how easy it is to consume the object based content many members already have access to via streaming. Are atmos capable processors more complicated than a turntable? Nope, I could not install a cartridge without some type of training either.

kota1 OP
2,706 posts
 

@akg_ca

A lot of the material is distributed in 5.1format and no ATMOS.

First of all love the pics you posted and yes, I get it, channel based audio must sound fantastic on both systems. This takes me back to the OP, re: budget. When I bought a $50 Firestick that was 4K/Atmos capable recently with the wifi 6 upgrade I set a $50 expectation. Whoa! The ATV and the Shield are not capable of streaming hirez content, the firestick is. I think amazon loses money on the firestick like kodak lost money on cameras, to get you to buy the film. Martin Logan has atmos speakers on crutchfield you can audition for 60 days, might be worth checking out for the man cave:

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-u8EmbKu42oo/p_839MAFX/MartinLogan-Motion-AFX.html

or The Motion M10 mounted high on the wall near the ceiling: 

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-XrWvrG44H9e/p_839MP10GB/MartinLogan-Motion-MP10-Gloss-Black.html

kota1 OP
2,706 posts
 

@fthompson251

My dedicated 2ch system in a dedicated room is 10x the cost of the 5.1

Again, exactly why I started this thread, a question of budget. For someone with a large collection of software like LP’s, CD’s, blurays or SACD’s your setup makes perfect sense. For someone who streams their content maybe allocate some budget to try object based audio in the 5.1 channel room by making it a 5.1.4 channel room with a firestick and a tidal subscription?

jeffrey125
282 posts
 

Shouting from the mountain top but no one is listening. 5.1 has given way to a sound bar. Atamos is to cumbersome for most. 

Swing and a miss. 

kota1 OP
2,706 posts
 

@grinnell 

Do you know where i can find a Dolby Atmos tube amp?  :)

If I had an unlimited budget and the appropriate space I would use tube based monoblocks for each channel....😎

One of our members does this in a SOA atmos system using these:

https://allnicaudio.com/products-2/?ckattempt=2

 

 

 

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