Dolby Atmos Experiences..

[Quiet_Hollow]

Here's a thread to lay it all out...feel free to tell of your experience.

My first experience was the GF and I rolling on down to AMC's Downtown Disney 24 last weekend where we watched Gravity in one of their ETX cinemas.

This particular cinema represents the state of the art in 2013 for a non-IMAX theater.

-A screen not much smaller than an IMAX (ie. pretty F'n huge)

-Stadium seating with fully reclining chairs

-4K Digital 3D projection

-Dolby Atmos surround sound

I know AMC tends to favor JBL where it can, but the surround speakers weren't JBL product and the subwoofers were definitely not horn-loaded. It was difficult to tell what brand the system was...FWIW it sounded like a typical high power ScreenArray™ assemblage up front.

I could go on about the movie plot, 3D presentation, etc. but in the spirit of the thread I'll keep focussed strictly on the new surround sound technology Dolby is promoting:

In short, a little underwhelming.

I guess if you're a kid or a first time theater-goer there might some "wow" factor there. Which equates to a great sell I imagine for all the latest XX.1.2.3 home theater crap that's pervading the HT market as of late.

..but IME, my take this first time around is that Atmos just didn't add anything sonically. More of a parlor trick than anything.

Cinema surround sound is hard to pull off anyways from an acoustic POV...due to stadium seating, the extreme regions of the listening circle are always hacked, and simply tossing more speakers at the problem doesn't solve the stereo geometry issues.

[Schu]

here in vegas... I go to Red Rock Casino. They are a Regal company and use Klipsch exclusively in thier theaters... including iMax. The iMax theater at Red Rock is the most stunning sound I have ever heard... or will likely ever hear.

I dont know what they use as a front end... more than likely Atmos, but the Subwoofer low frequency effects are the most gut wrenching I have experienced.

as a matter of fact, they have a pair of speakers somewhat similar to these la scalas hanging from the two rear corners of the theater... along with the rest of the 15-20 other rear and side wall placed speakers.

I can not tell what they have behind the screen despite trying ot look thru the screen on a couple occassions.

Edited October 26, 2013 by Schu