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Topic: ATMOS and multichannel in practice (Read 13780 times) previous topic - next topic
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ATMOS and multichannel in practice

Hi,
I have Onkyo TX-NR809 AVR that is 7.2 (without ATMOS capabilities). It has 3 possibilities of 7.2 audio configuration (with Back Surround or Front Wide or Front High). I know that those 3 possibilities (not being able to use all of those at once) is a hardware limitation.
But how should it work in practice - am I supposed to have 11 speakers  (plus subwoofers) connected and that would enable listening to 7.2 mode? That sounds quite ridiculous (expensive). Especially that I have never seen a Bluray disc that has more than 7.1 TrueHD. I take only music into consideration (audio blurays) as I am not into movies but into music. And all those discs have Surround Back channels. None has Front Wide or Front High. I checked that in foobar, VLC and MPC-HC - all those programs show Back Surround.
So another question is: are there any Bluray discs with different channel layout (Wides or Highs and not Backs)?
On the side note: I only have 7.1 speakres - so I would have to change cables every time the layout changes. Or maybe AVR has the ability to reroute the signal from missing channels into existing ones (ex. If the source is with Front Wides and I chose that I have conneted Surround Backs, the AVR would put those Wides into Backs) - I did not find such an option in the manual. Or maybe those Wides and Highs are "dead"" technology of the past and there aro no discs with such layout?
Plus how does Atmos work in practice? All those discs I have, always show 7.1 ATMOS. Does it mean that ATMOS isn't really additional channels but some matrix of 7.1 channels put to those atmos speakres? As I do not have ATMOS capable AVR and Speakres do I hear everything that is on the disk (just not in the "proper" place in the room) or do I always miss some parts of the album meaning ATMOS adds some new, different sounds above the 7.1 layout (ex. I won't hear violin because it is in Atmos part and not in any of the 7.1 channels) (Or I will hear the violin but in different position - in one of the 7.1 channels)?