These 4 Premium Cinema Formats Use Spatial Audio

Immersive video and audio technologies are essential to a truly cinematic experience. Video is a whole different story, but audio has progressed well beyond basic surround sound. We can now enjoy premium audio formats that use spatial audio or 3D sound. Spatial audio is designed to create a sort of bubble: a 3D field around you so that audio appears to be coming from all directions, not just left, right, front, or back. Depending on the technology in question, this is done in different ways. Spatial audio can be streamed through headphones, speakers, or external devices. Some smartphones, for example, allow spatial audio playback.

Movie theaters with spatial audio systems are usually labeled as such, and tickets tend to cost a little more. It varies by location, but Dolby theaters, for example, typically cost between $7 and $14 more than standard theaters. This is because they are considered high-end cinemas and may incorporate other technologies, such as movable seats, 3D visual experiences with glasses or even larger screens. Whether it’s worth the extra cost is subjective: some might be happy to pay for it, others might not. That said, spatial audio is one of the best audio enhancements you can make to your setup, according to home theater enthusiasts.

Dolby Atmos is a common spatial audio format that you’ve probably heard of. But there are several others, and it’s helpful to know what they are and what they offer, especially if you’re buying tickets at a local theater. Below are premium cinema formats that use spatial audio to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience. One notable format that takes a slightly different approach is IMAX, but we’ll get to that at the end of this article.

When boiled down to its most basic form, Dolby Atmos essentially uses height – increasing audio overload – to increase immersion. This is also part of the “field” that spatial audio description speaks of. There is also a difference between Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos. Ultimately, immersion is achieved by the hardware, like the speakers, and the software, the audio stream, working together. What’s confusing is that there is a range of Atmos-compatible installations, from the less elaborate and cheaper to the more complicated options, with the premium, more immersive and more expensive systems reserved for high-end cinemas.

In a high-end cinema, the speakers are fixed to the ceiling but also receive audio streams specially adapted to this verticality. At home, with a less complicated setup, a soundbar or speaker could instead “direct” or bounce sound toward the ceiling. There is also a third option in which software or audio processing handles the directional aspects. Cinemas use more speakers and a higher quality audio stream, which works well in a large, open stadium-like space. If you’re trying to create this experience at home in a smaller room, it may not be necessary to increase the number of speakers. Some upward-firing speakers are just as good and more affordable. Atmos works with a 2.1.2 configuration and above, and Dolby recommends four height speakers for the optimal experience.

At home, you’ll want to look for the Dolby Atmos logo that indicates support, including on your home theater, TV, and media devices. You’ll also need to look for media that supports it, whether it’s streaming or playing something like a Blu-ray or a digitally purchased movie. By the way, make sure you have set up your Dolby Atmos compatible speakers correctly. If you’re buying movie tickets, check that each theater has Dolby Atmos.

DTS:X is very similar to Dolby Atmos in that it is an object-based 3D spatial audio technology. They are rival technologies, although some might make the mistake of using them interchangeably. In many cases, modern home theater systems that support Dolby Atmos also support DTS:X, including those from brands like Anthem, Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer, Sony, Yamaha and many others. So while it’s not always true, if you’re shopping for home theater equipment, you could very well end up with a system that supports both technologies.

But DTS:X is an object-based audio codec that aims to deliver “multi-dimensional, lifelike audio” that brings next-generation experiences into the average home. It also adds height effects to bring more room-filling sound into a viewing space. The biggest difference, however, is that DTS doesn’t require height or ceiling speakers; it can reproduce the experience on standard 5.1 and 7.1 channel setups. In fact, it doesn’t require any specific speaker layouts, unlike Atmos, so you can arrange your home theater however you want and find your ideal layout. With object-based formats – and this also applies to Atmos – the audio elements of a film soundtrack are given directionality. They are not just intentionally placed, but also possess three-dimensional movement to recreate movement within a space and between speakers.

For home setups, you’re looking for DTS:X support on your devices and media sources. If you’re visiting a theater, again, you’re just looking for individual theaters that support the format.

Auro-3D is also similar to Atmos and DTS:X, but does not require ceiling-mounted speakers (although they can improve the experience) and is designed for home and mobile use. The official team recommends using it just about anywhere: in cars, while playing games, or at the movies. You should always make sure that the media being played supports the format.

The unique thing about Auro-3D is that it uses audio streams in standard uncompressed formats and, although it works with 13.1, 11.1 and 9.1 audio channels, it is also backwards compatible with 7.1 and 5.1 systems. You may not even need to upgrade your home theater equipment, depending on its age. Additionally, its standard configurations are channel-based rather than object-based, using multiple speaker layers and unique locations like the “Voice of God” channel, directly above the listener, as well as upmixing. Note that to take advantage of Voice of God’s unique placement, you must be using at least a 10.1 configuration. Now is probably a good time to think about how many surround speakers your living room actually needs to sound its best, with the maximum number of channels playing an important role in this process.

Once again, Auro-3D creates immersion by adding height and verticality to the mix. This generates what the team calls a “cocoon” of realistic sounds. There are hundreds of theaters around the world that already support this format, so chances are there’s one near you. It is also available in A/V receivers, home theater systems, headphones, car audio systems and speakers.

Most IMAX theaters use a six-channel audio system that is technically referred to as spatial audio. However, this is a channel-based system and not object-based spatial audio like Dolby Atmos. A subset of IMAX theaters dubbed IMAX with Laser uses a system that is roughly equivalent to object-based spatial audio in the experience it produces. These cinemas have 12-channel surround sound systems to provide a 3D effect to audience members.

Depending on how theaters were built and laid out, additional formats may be used in place of IMAX’s own audio technology; for example, a few selected cinemas can switch to Dolby Atmos. When this happens, it’s possible to find an IMAX theater that supports object-based spatial audio in the truest sense, but since that’s not something standard or common, it’s best to think of IMAX as its own cinematic experience.

IMAX’s 12-channel audio incorporates new side and overhead channels, alongside the standard left, right, front and rear channels. It creates a surrounding field that is certainly much more immersive than traditional options: with the overhead speakers, this system can make it seem like sound is coming from everywhere. But if you want to know the real winner in a Dolby Cinema vs. IMAX showdown, on audio alone, it’s probably Dolby. Not all IMAX theaters use a full-size screen, which means you risk losing both the larger screen experience and the object-based spatial audio equivalent by choosing the wrong IMAX theater.