Surround sound technology has become increasingly popular in home theater setups thanks to the immersive audio experience offered by having multiple speakers around you. Cinematic soundtracks, intense video games and loud action movies are brought to life and made significantly more impactful.
But should music listeners invest in surround systems too for enjoying albums and playlists? Or is stereo still the ideal format for reproducing your favorite tunes at home or on the go? This comprehensive guide breaks down the key considerations.
A Brief History of Surround Sound
While surround formats feel very cutting-edge, forms of immersive audio technology have existed for over 50 years in the consumer and cinema markets.
Key Early Advancements
- 1970 – Quadraphonic sound enters the consumer audio market as the first 4 channel home listening format
- 1977 – Dolby Stereo allows analog 35mm film prints to carry 4 discrete audio channels using matrix encoding tech
- 1982 – Stereo television broadcasts begin, bringing stereophonic sound to viewers for the first time
- 1991 – Dolby develops AC-3 codec, laying foundations for future of lossy surround compression
- 1992 – Laserdiscs usher in the first 5.1 channel home releases with Dolby Digital audio
Surround sound quickly built momentum as home theater enthusiasts sought a more cinematic experience. DTS and Dolby Digital became household names in the world of immersive audio. DVD acted as a catalyst for further surround sound adoption in the late 1990s too.
Recent Innovations
We‘ve since seen considerable format enhancements that aim to create more natural, seamless soundfields by better accounting for room acoustics.
- 2010 – Dolby Atmos leverages object-based audio mixing and introduces height channels
- 2012 – DTS:X brings object-based mixing, improved height speaker support
- 2016 – Dolby Atmos finally reaches music with first immersive albums released
- 2020 – Sony unveils 360 Reality Audio music format for enhanced intimacy on headphones
The past decade points to an acceleration in music industry interest for more advanced spatial audio techniques. Streaming services are critical to exposing these next-gen formats to everyday listeners too.
Dolby Atmos Music Availability By Platform
| Streaming Service | Dolby Atmos Tracks Available |
|---|---|
| Apple Music | Thousands |
| Amazon Music HD | Hundreds |
| Tidal | None currently |
For the longest time, Dolby Atmos music tracks could only be purchased as individual song downloads. But thanks to Apple Music expanding their catalog substantially, immersive music is now more accessible than ever through streaming subscriptions.
Channel Counts and Speaker Placements
Whether enjoying movies or music, adding more speakers than a basic stereo pair helps distribute audio more accurately throughout your room. Most consumer surround configurations fall into three buckets:
- 5.1 – Left, Right, Center, Left Surround, Right Surround + Subwoofer
- 7.1 – Added Left Rear and Right Rear for greater immersion
- 9.1/11.1 – Installation of height channels above the listener enhance dimensionality greatly (known as Dolby Atmos or DTS:X configurations)
Here‘s a handy diagram outlining typical speaker placements:
[Diagram showing ideal 5.1/7.1/Atmos surround speaker positions in home theater room.]Getting speaker positioning right ensures audio imaging aligns correctly between your various channels for a cohesive, natural surround experience. Dolby has in-depth home theater setup guides available for every scenario too.
Market Growth and Adoption
Surround sound technology has come a long way. And market adoption continues trending very positively:
- 5.1 billion household devices worldwide are Dolby Atmos compatible in 2022
- Dolby Atmos Music grew from thousands to millions of tracks available in under 2 years
- 24% of iTunes music purchases now are Dolby Atmos albums, genres evenly represented
- Sony 360 Reality Audio has positional music tracks available on Amazon Music HD and Tidal too
The install base keeps increasing. While exact immersive music figures aren‘t published, consumer exposure also rises every year thanks to films mixed in Dolby Atmos hitting Netflix, Disney+ and Blu-ray.
Key Hardware Required
Here‘s a quick overview of equipment needed for setting up an awesome surround sound system:
- AV Receiver – Heart of your system, powers speakers & processes audio signals
- Speakers/Subwoofer – Dedicated drivers for bass, mids, highs improve clarity
- Speaker Wire – Oxygen-free copper cabling ensures efficient power transfer
- Source Device – Media streamer, UHD Blu-ray player, games console etc
- Cables – HDMI handles hi-res multichannel audio from players to AVR
You‘ll also want tools for running cables neatly around baseboards and comfortable seating centrally placed to appreciate the surround mix fully. Acoustic treatment panels can further enhance clarity.
Investing $1500+ is recommended for decent entry-level components that don‘t underpower your speakers. Of course, budgets can quickly run into the multiple thousands for substantial systems too.
If expanding beyond a soundbar or headphones, researching thoroughly beforehand is essential.
Why Most Music Isn‘t Surround Mixed
You might be wondering why the music industry took so long to embrace more advanced spatial techniques:
-
No Technical Limitations – Surround mixing tools have been widely available for 30+ years. The hold ups sit firmly on the business end.
-
Increased Production Expenses – Creating quality surround mixes requires extra studio time, experienced engineers and more sophisticated equipment.
-
Recouping Investment – With no platforms to sell surround music digitally until more recently, labels saw little incentive to green light additional expenses.
-
Limited Avenues to Showcase Mixes – Streaming in stereo, radio broadcasts, vinyl – all have held back immersive music until very recently.
Essentially, the production finance numbers didn‘t add up for record companies until spatial streaming tech matured. Dolby Atmos Music has been pivotal in turning the tide here from both a creator and consumer perspective.
Engineer Mixing for Dolby Atmos
"Every instrument and voice now gets its own custom positioning in space relative to the listener. No longer confined to left/right channels only – our creative palette has expanded."
For artists and producers, the creative upside is substantial when working in Atmos. The format challenges stereo music conventions, yielding refreshing sonic experiences.
Challenges Playing Stereo Music on Surround Systems
You absolutely can play non-surround content like MP3s, CDs, Spotify streams etc on fancy modern AV receivers and speaker setups. However, there are some limitations:
1. Source Material Quality – Compressed and lower-res music lacks spacial detail that could better translate.
2. Stereo Mix Limitations – Music mixed specifically for only left/right channels leaves little sound positioning that algorithms can work to expand.
3. Imperfect Upmixing – Even highly refined DSP can‘t precisely replicate a true surround mix‘s quality.
Essentially the fidelity, mix quality and lack of discrete surround channels place a ceiling on perceived immersion. Of course upmixing has improved tremendously thanks to leading brands like Dolby, DTS and Yamaha. Many modern AV receivers do combine algorithms quite well for widening fairly aggressive stereo mixes.
But again, actually taking advantage of those extra speaker channels isn‘t possible without content created specifically for surround sound systems.
Listening Comparison – Stereo vs Surround
When A/B testing a natively-produced Dolby Atmos track vs a basic stereo downmix from the same master, differences become abundantly clear:
Stereo Mix Observations
- Balanced soundstage, vocals upfront
- Instruments clustered toward middle
- Less "air" around elements
- Bass and kicks centered
Surround Mix Observations
- Vocals given central focus
- Instruments spread directionally
- More precise positioning in room
- Engulfing, ambient effect
- Kick drum moved right of listener
While a strong stereo mix holds up nicely, the discrete surround positioning creates a more compelling, three-dimensional experience. Sounds avoid competing for space, everything gets room to breathe. Upmixers attempt to simulate this, but can‘t expand what‘s not there.
Examining Key Immersive Music Formats
Multiple next-gen immersive formats now exist to deliver surround sound for music:
Dolby Atmos
- Object-based audio powered by proprietary rendering tech
- 128 simultaneous sound objects with flexible positioning
- Channels + height speakers for 3D dome effect
- Works over any speaker count/layout
- Available on Apple Music, Blu-ray, some streaming platforms
DTS:X
- Unlocked through DTS:X Pro decoder
- Lower channel ceiling than Atmos (13 vs 128)
- Similarly flexible object-based audio engine
- Focus on upfiring speakers for 3D dome
- DTS:X music not widely available yet
Sony 360 Reality Audio
- Immersive mix translation for headphones
- Creates intimate atmosphere optimally for 2 channels
- Uses object-based MPEG-H codec
- Works over compatible speakers too
- Catalog available via Amazon Music HD, Tidal
Each format brings its own unique spin on surround mixing for music. Catalog sizes vary at this stage, thanks to Dolby‘s traction with artists and labels finally embracing immersive. But over time, access and song choices will only continue improving across all three.
| Specs | Dolby Atmos | DTS:X | Sony 360 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codec | Dolby AC-4 | DTS:X | MPEG-H |
| Max Channels | 24.1.10 | 13.1 | Stereo |
| Object Count | 128 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Upmixer | Included | Included | N/A |
For home theater buffs, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are your best bets today thanks to format support and surround mixing quality. Sony 360 Reality Audio instead shines for headphone intimacy or stereo speaker playback optimally.
Over time, catalogue parity between Dolby Atmos Music and Sony 360 Reality Audio seems likely as both court labels to spatialize top hits. For now, Atmos leads the immersive charge.
Budgeting for Quality Surround Sound
Implementing a quality surround system does require reasonable investment. Here‘s a realistic minimum to deliver dramatically better audio than TV speakers or a soundbar:
$1500 – Entry-Level 5.1 Dolby Atmos System
- $500 budget AV receiver (Yamaha RX-V4A)
- $400 bookshelf speaker 5.1 package
- $100 stereo pair surround speakers
- $200 powered subwoofer
- $100 speaker wire + cables
- $200 acoustic treatment panels
Stepping up to $3000+ allows beefier hardware choices less likely to distort when home theater volume gets loud:
$3000 – Higher-End 7.2.2 Dolby Atmos System
- $1200 AV receiver (Denon AVRX-2700H)
- $800 5.2.2 Dolby Atmos speaker bundle
- $300 better subwoofer
- $100 surround speaker stands
- $400 additional acoustic treatment
- $200 8K HDMI cabling
If your budget reaches this tier, comfort knowing you have hardware that can truly do immersive surround formats justice – especially for Dolby Atmos Music playback.
Of course costs quickly scale beyond this too!Audiophile-grade systems with high sensitivity speakers, Class A/B amplifiers and extensive room tuning can demand $10,000+. Generally look to pay at least $3000 if pursuing a serious surround setup for multimedia.
Ideal Speaker Placements
A key component of immersive audio is precise speaker positioning to take full advantage of directional effects and pans.
While guidelines exist, ultimately room dimensions dictate optimal placement. Here are general pointers:
Ear Height
- Front L/R speakers should live at seated ear height
- Surrounds just above ear level enhances hemispherical effect
Equidistant
- Listener distance to L/R and Surround L/R should match closely
- Reduces volume/timing issues from non-matched placements
Angle Surrounds
- Surround speakers work best angled inward toward central seat
- Creates focused triangle effect when sound pans
Atmos Enabled
- Ceiling speakers or up-firing modules recommended for Atmos
- Overheads create stunning 3D dome immersion
Getting distances and speaker positioning right from the outset guarantees a cohesive, natural surround soundstage.
Tweaking is expected – but optimal alignment avoids distracting audio imaging and phasing problems.
Surround Sound Receiver Advice
The AV receiver acts as mission control for serious surround sound setups. What specs should buyers evaluate with music listening in mind?
Audio Formats
- Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoding is essential
- Ensures properly rendering latest object-based tracks
Room Correction
- Audyssey, MCACC etc tune speakers to room
- Corrects phasing, levels, delays, bass response
Post-Processing
- Upmixing tech like DTS Neural:X is ideal
- Expands plain stereo music mixes outwards
Wireless Streaming
- AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect for convenience
- Easy music playback from phones/tablets
Amplification
- 100 watts x 5 channels minimum recommended
- Adequate "headroom" for clear, loud playback
Sticking to well-known brands like Denon, Marantz, Yamaha and Onkyo ensures reliably processing the latest music and movie formats. Paying more brings component upgrades like better DACs and capacitors too.
Music Listening Room Setup Gallery
Surround sound setups can be implemented quite subtly too thanks to compact speakers and thoughtful acoustic treatment:
Minimalist Atmos Music System
[Photo 1 – Shows sleek white surround system blended into living room with acoustic panels]Discrete Basement Rock Music Hub
[Photo 2 – Dark treated basement with surround speakers built into walls]Open Kitchen/Lounge Design
[Photo 3 – Light wood floor speakers complement open kitchen, entertainment unit]With floorstanding towers for the front three channels plus satellites making up surround arrays, rooms of any size can accommodate solid speaker counts without dominating space.
If short on real estate, soundbars plus wireless satellite speakers also discretely bring Atmos surround to apartments.
Closing Recommendations
There‘s no denying that having songs and albums support new spatial audio formats like Dolby Atmos Music introduces thrilling opportunities for more immersive playback. Streaming services expanding their surround song catalogs accelerates this trend towards effectively utilizing all the speakers in home theater setups too.
Yet from a pure musical perspective, unless you‘re streaming Dolby Atmos Music from Apple Music specifically, the reality remains that 99% of available content is still traditional stereo only. While upmixing and virtualization features continue improving on AV receivers, true discrete channel use really requires mixes actually engineered for surround speaker layouts to shine.
If using a quality pair of headphones or accurately placed stereo speakers, traditional two-channel music can still translate wonderfully. So there likely isn‘t an urgent need to rush out upgrading your entire listening rig solely for musical purposes currently.
That said, as immersive music gains momentum across labels and platforms, it absolutely makes sense equipping your room with the latest Dolby Atmos and DTS:X-compatible gear. This prepares you to make the most of upcoming releases leveraging more advanced object-based spatial audio techniques. Music mixed natively for surround feeds every speaker properly for unprecedented clarity and depth.
For home theater buffs enjoying films too, adding more channels pays instant dividends thanks to decades of movie history boasting multichannel surround mixes. Though costlier than a simple soundbar, speaker packages from quality brands deliver substantially better dialogue articulation, seamless panning and truly floor-shaking bass visceral punch too. If room and budget permit, graduating from basic TV audio via an AV receiver and 5.1 speakers takes movie nights to the next level.
The same gear likewise futureproofs your setup for the inevitable surround music revolution ahead. Even if listening tastes remain purely stereo for now, there are still definite merits in equipping your space with an Dolby Atmos-ready multi-channel configuration from the get-go. Doing so guarantees absolutely maximizing the listening experience as more of your music library transitions to immersive over the coming years.
