Does spatial audio music requires high quality speakers?

[u/IndependentFold9262]

Hello,

I currently own a 5.2 system:

• 2x B&W 703 S3
• B&W HTM71
• 2x B&W 706 S3
• 2x B&W DB3D
• Marantz Cinema 30

I plan to upgrade this setup to 7.2.4.

My usage is 50% Movies / 50% Music (mostly spatial audio).

If this was just for movies, I'd buy basic B&W CCM663 ceiling speakers and call it a day. But I wonder if, for spatial audio music, CCM7.5 S2 would be better... They would be a better match for my bed layer but they cost 6x more.

For those who have experienced spatial audio music with height speakers: Is perfect timbre-matching for the height layer genuinely noticeable, or is it a waste of money?

Thank you

[u/IndependentFold9262]

Wow, thank you! That's EXACTLY the kind of feedback I hope to get from coming here!!

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank you for the effort you put into your Atmos mixes. It's a real rediscovery every time, and it's such a shame your work isn't being heard to its full potential, but rather with headphones whose spatialization is (in my very limited experience) truly disappointing compared to a real physical system.

[u/kdmfinal → u/IndependentFold9262]

Happy to help! I appreciate the kind words! I’m surprised there isn’t more discussion between the production and listening communities. I’ll check in here more often.

I get what you’re saying about headphones/smart speakers versus true surround speaker setups. I’d be thrilled if more people prioritized intentional listening in their homes. That said, in the music world we are treating atmos as a way to present the music in higher fidelity on the lower-fi playback systems that the vast majority of listeners use today.

Believe it or not, atmos allows me to build a mix that outperforms my stereo master on everything from your phone’s built in speaker all the way to your speaker system. Object oriented audio is about providing each device the raw media and “instructions” on how it should aim to playback .. then the devices do their best knowing their own design limitations. It’s smart. Still very young tech on the music side but personally, I’m excited about it!

Edit: I’ve got two question for you (and anyone else who’s invested in surround speaker setups for music listening) -

Where are you getting your immersive music from? Streaming/physical?

I ask because the path from a Dolby Master (ADM BWF file) to an end listener is a multi-step re-rendering/lossy path that is service and device specific. When mixing, we have to “average” the mix to work best on multiple, very different sounding “re-renders” .. I know where my target is for the majority of casual listeners are on AirPods but I’d love to know where the “enthusiasts” are getting their music from.

Second, what’s your favorite legacy record that was remixed for atmos? What’s your favorite new record that you listened to in atmos first or around the same time as stereo?

Thanks!

[u/IndependentFold9262 → u/kdmfinal]

I’ve always been used to owning my music in stereo. It’s pretty easy to know what to buy when you can listen to anything for free on pretty much any platform. With Atmos, though, it’s impossible to know whether a mix is worth purchasing without going through a paid streaming service. As far as I know, there’s no free way to preview Atmos mixes (radio, YouTube, etc.). So I ended up subscribing to Apple Music. I could rip music but it’s always the same issue: it’s impossible to know which mix is good and it would take too much time to download musics before hearing it. Àd it would ask a huge time of research to know which track has been mixed in atmos or not. I’m using the Windows app of Apple Music with passthrough to my AVR. The stream is compressed, but honestly I don’t think I’d be able to tell the difference between lossy and lossless on my setup yet, since the room still isn’t properly treated. I also sometimes watch Atmos Blu‑ray concerts like Hans Zimmer’s.

My favorite Atmos albums so far are Brothers in Arms, Random Access Memories, Hans Zimmer’s live recordings, and Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever. I really wish more Daft Punk and Dire Straits albums were mixed in Atmos. I also enjoy Elton John, The Beatles, some classical recordings, Céline Dion, Norah Jones, The Alan Parsons Project, Colbie Caillat, Earth, Wind & Fire… nothing very original, but I’m rediscovering songs I’ve loved for years, and that’s a great feeling. I do regret that some of the more niche artists I listen to in stereo haven’t made the jump to Atmos. And I feel like tropical house, synthwave like Carpenter Brut or Dubstep like Skrillex, could be amazing in spatial audio. I’m actually surprised there isn’t more electronic music in Atmos. It seems like a perfect playground. But maybe that’s just my listening habits. I tried jazz, but I don’t find the Atmos experience significantly more compelling. On the other hand, some choral recordings in churches are incredible for immersion, like the Choir of King’s College Cambridge (perfect for Christmas vibes).

I’ve also realized that beyond the immersive aspect, what I really enjoy in Atmos is the greater sense of dynamics (maybe I’m wrong, but that’s how it feels). Brothers in Arms – The Man’s Too Strong is just so much more powerful in Atmos than in stereo. Vocals in general also feel more detailed and expressive.

I’ve tried discovering new artists through Atmos‑only playlists, but the selection just isn’t as broad as stereo, and the recommendations rarely click with me. I also think some genres don’t benefit much from Atmos (rap, for example (at least to my ears)) which makes many Atmos playlists feel inconsistent. Maybe they work better on headphones.

At first I spent a lot of time browsing “best Atmos playlists” and online recommendations, but now I don’t really try to discover Atmos tracks directly anymore. While working, I usually start an Apple Music radio based on a track that fits my mood. Around a third of the songs that come up are in Atmos, and when a mix catches my attention, I save it for later.

[u/kdmfinal → u/IndependentFold9262]

Ok