Dolby Atmos at home, explained simply
What Dolby Atmos is, how height speakers work, how many speakers you need, and whether your room is suitable.
4 min read
What Atmos adds
Traditional surround sound places sounds around you. Dolby Atmos adds height, so rain, aircraft or ambience can come from above. Sounds are treated as objects that move through the room, which makes effects feel smoother and more real.
How the speakers are named
Systems are described with three numbers, such as 5.1.2 or 7.1.4: main speakers around you, subwoofers for bass, and height speakers above. A 5.1.2 system has five main speakers, one subwoofer and two height speakers.
- 5.1.2 — a strong start for most living rooms
- 7.1.4 — fuller surround and height for dedicated rooms
- In-ceiling speakers give the most convincing height effects
Is your room suitable?
Most rooms can support height speakers. Ceiling height, false-ceiling space and seating position decide whether in-ceiling or upward-firing speakers are the better fit. Acoustic treatment often improves clarity as much as adding speakers.
We check this during the site visit and design the speaker layout around your seats.