Hello Gene & Hugo, first I would like to say thanks for the youtubes good info nice explainations well done (so few ppl speading the know how about this stuff). I just wanted to send you my humble thoughts about your atmos review. I just would like to tell you a little about me and my setup. I recently (last fall) replaceced and old Sony receiver Dolby PL-I 5.1 system with a new Onkyo TX-NR636 network 7.2.2 one. I am of modest means and old school, the onkyo lets me play my vinal lps along with all the advantages of a modern hookups, (USB,HDMI,..inputs and Digital outputs) I lucked out because I also had purchased the new Atmos technology. Needless to say but I must face it I'm a closeted audiofile. For a longtime I have enjoyed the sound from my vintage polk audio rta-12 monitor and polk audio CS-250s front speakers and AR18b as surrounds. As you problibly already know Dolby PL-I 5.1 is old technology (surrounds was mono channel) but was an large improvement over 2.0 sound by adding the center and surround channels suddenly sound is more both local and dimentional. Now with the Dolby Atmos system the sound has become 3D (by adding the Z axis to the existing X and Y). Even with old 2D sources as Stereo there is still 3D sound information in the media that gets extracted and put into the environment by modestly good equipment. Today the manufactures have tried to make the advantages of 3D sound reproduction easy to all through the flexability of the different setups. But ideally we lovers of Music,Movies, and Games want to feel lost in the experience. Implementing that is sometimes not always very cheap or simple for individuals. I like in your video you were careful to mention to match your speakers timber. And your related calibration video very helpful. I recently (last winter) purchased and installed a pair of Polk Audio RC80i in-ceiling speakers and the sound is amazing from all my sources. I am very pleased especially with my music. I love to watch the video cable channels and with digital audio steaming I am getting blown away with the multichannel artistry. All of the enjoyment from the addition the Z axis imaging helps backwards old schoolers like myself rediscover our blessings for the small addition of two speakers and a reciever. One more point that I would like to make I disagree about room size. In your video you mentioned that you thought that with Atmos a bigger room would have a more pleasing sound and less localized I think that that is the point of the Atmos technology. To orient sound to specific areas within a room the Atmos system can make a small room feel large and place sound objects at precise location to the listener and also place the ambeint sound. I noticed the reflection sound coming off the walls of my small listening area more defined than ever. Distant piano sound comes from a far off instrument not from a wall ten feet away. Granted I recommend to your patrons who have not already recently made invested purchases that don't have the Atmos technology its very new and no real need to immediately upgrade but in a short time I believe dolby atmos technology will be considered a large brakethrough IMHO for everyone that likes good sound environments. TIP for other Onkyo owners: Audio settings menu consider sources. Cinema filter balances HF rolloff for digital multichannel sources ON. Turn Off for anlog 2ch sources increases HF resolution or can be On and will have a HF filter effect to lower source noise.
