Recommendation for a Dolby Atmos Setup

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  Madao on 15/04/2022 - 07:07

  I got a couple Amazon Studios when they were on sale. Pretty happy with them. Considering going full Sonos but not very Cheapies

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  Hayce Irri on 15/04/2022 - 10:19

  Maybe checkout orb audio

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  kaminokyoku on 16/04/2022 - 10:02

  For soundbar I suggest Samsung Q950a

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    Alex on 17/04/2022 - 17:34

    I just bought the Q900a for $944. Is the Q950a worth an extra $1,100?

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      kaminokyoku on 17/04/2022 - 18:15

      if extra $1100 maybe not worth it, but i guess it’s actually around 1500?

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        Alex on 17/04/2022 - 18:24

        My bad - it’s $1,649 at JB. Still, you can get a Q900a for <$1,000 + SWA-9500S if you want rears later for $375ish. 9.1.4 vs 11.1.4, but impossible to differentiate from what I’ve read.

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  Madao on 16/04/2022 - 10:27

  Rtings is a great site for reviews and technical detail….

  https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/reviews/best/by-type/dolby-a…

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  [Deactivated] on 18/04/2022 - 15:43

  If you have the room forget about a soundbar and buy a dedicated Atmos amp, you can pick up cheap Sony and Denon ones for around $750 - $800 new, then use Trade Me to get some good 2nd hand speakers. You don't need to buy all the speakers at once, start with a couple of decent towers for the front so you at least have some sound then add more as you come across good deals. I have Klipsch fronts and center and Wharfedale rears (they're floorstanding speakers that I used to use at the front), along with Wharfedale height and sub, all bought separately apart from the sub which came with the Wharfedale towers. All up the speakers cost me around $550, I live in Dunedin and they were all bought locally off Trade Me apart from the center speaker which I got from the NI, all up a conservative estimate that I came up with is that the speakers I currently have would have cost me over $3000 if I purchased them new, I think the Klipsch floors used to retail for around $1500 - $1600 by themselves.

  By no means is my setup fancy, I recently upgraded to a middle of the range Yamaha amp that retails for $1600 which I got for a lot cheaper than that, the Klipsch Synergy F1's at the front and Wharfedale CR30.1 towers at the back aren't top of the line by any stretch of the imagination, in fact they're near the lower end of those companies ranges and sell for dirt cheap on Trade Me, but the good thing is I can always upgrade to better speakers if I want, and even though I don't have the fanciest amp or speakers in the world the sound separation that I get from the different channels trumps anything that I've heard from Atmos soundbars at friends places, and listening to music through them is just, [chefs_kiss.gif]

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    Alex on 19/04/2022 - 11:57

    I agree a decent setup with a dedicated amp can give you better sound, though it’s not always the most practical. It’s not always practical to run speaker cabling to each point, and Atmos takes a lot of work. Ceiling mounted speakers are difficult to install, and no amp manages the sound reflection like the dedicated processor in a soundbar. I use a Sony STRDN1080, large speakers, and Atmos up-firing speakers. Unless you’re well skilled at cabling, or willing to spend a lot more on installation, I’d argue that a setup with an amp is by no means a “cheap” setup.

    I’ve just had a Q900a delivered for the bedroom, and the Atmos sound that provides is as good as what I get from my living room setup, albeit without rears that I’ll probably buy later. I’m not saying soundbars completely replace dedicated setups, just that soundbars can sound almost as good with less effort, are easier to install, take up less space, and are “good enough”.

    I’d compare it to using a mobile phone vs a DSLR - I’m not a good photographer, so my phone’s exponentially more powerful processor and built-in algorithms take a better picture than what I could take with a pro camera. In capable hands, at greater expense, obviously a DSLR can take MUCH better photos. Soundbars just work.

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  jimpappa on 25/04/2022 - 09:08

  Thanks all, I’m leaning towards the av receiver setup. Seems like that’s the better option even though I’ll have to manage the wiring.