Exactly. It’s XYZ coordinates for objects mixed in conjunction with the bed layer of “normal” mixing. My problem is that you can’t phantom image into a room from a single location. DSP just isn’t that good, and bouncing of the walls and ceiling takes a good amount of effort. To me an atmos soundbar is like putting a “sport” sticker on a minivan!!!
The idea of reflecting sound and directing sound isn't new though. It's ancient. And companies which are deep into audio, like Yamaha, are pretty deep in the concept of using beamforming speakers and projecting them.
I'm not about to say that a speakerbar is going to EVER match a setup of separates, but in a decent family room which has 9' ceilings and side walls, it could very well do a lot better than a standard speaker bar and certainly can do the far more important WAF which may be required.
I'm not about to stick my nose up and say "That's not the proper way to do it.", when different situations require different factors, and there are certainly reviews which seem to indicate that some of these soundbars are pretty good at giving greater dimensionality to Atmos tracks.
I haven't heard one personally. In fact, I may never hear one ever. But, I'm willing to give some benefit to quality manufacturers and the better rated products out there and some of the better review sites that indicate some decent quality... from these soundbars.
Key word remains: soundbar.
I'm not even sure how much stereo imaging people can expect from a speaker that is a few feet wide.
