Do you need eARC to enjoy Dolby atmos?

[Adsibob]

I like my tv. It is a Sony KDL W905 which I think was manufactured in 2013. I bought it in 2014 for that year’s World Cup. The only thing that has been bad about it is that over the years the app support has dwindled, such that the Amazon app and bbc iplayer no longer work on it, however this was easily fixed by buying an Amazon firestick.

 

I have been excited about getting a Sonos ARC sound bar and a couple of Sonos Ones to get improved sound as well as surround sound. We would probably use the Sonos Ones elsewhere in the house and move them to the TV room only when we watch a movie (which is maybe once a fortnight). I was also looking forward to experiencing the Dolby Atmos that is provided by the Sonoc Arc.

 

 However, I’ve just realised that my a Sony TV only has one HDMI ARC port and no eARC ports. Just wondering how much this matters. 
 

sonos says this: 

 

The main difference appearing to be that with ARC only, it will output Dolby Atmos when the content is playing Dolby Digital Plus, but not when the content is Dolby TrueHD.

 

So the first query I have is whether this difference in content is significant.

 

Second query I have is if I’m playing content from the firestick HD and that is just plugged into a regular HDMI port (not even HDMI ARC) will that content have a very basic sound output?

[SteamyTea]

I always thought that ARC was Amey Roadstone Construction.

 

If you have to pay extra for it, then definitely.

If, it is included as standard, then it is probably something that makes no difference.

[MJNewton]

1 hour ago, Adsibob said:

The main difference appearing to be that with ARC only, it will output Dolby Atmos when the content is playing Dolby Digital Plus, but not when the content is Dolby TrueHD.

 

So the first query I have is whether this difference in content is significant.

 

That's right; it's an issue of bandwidth. TrueHD is uncompressed and so requires eARC (and its higher bandwidth) however you'll only find such content on BluRay discs (rather than streaming services) and I can't imagine you'd be able to tell the difference between it and compressed Dolby Digital on a soundbar-based setup. Similarly, don't expect too much from Atmos itself, particularly from speakers that attempt to reflect the effect off the ceiling (rather than utilising ceiling-mounted speakers).

 

Quote

Second query I have is if I’m playing content from the firestick HD and that is just plugged into a regular HDMI port (not even HDMI ARC) will that content have a very basic sound output?

 

No, it'll still be full surround (e.g. DD+ 5.1) if that's what the source material has.

[Adsibob]

14 minutes ago, MJNewton said:

I can't imagine you'd be able to tell the difference between it and compressed Dolby Digital on a soundbar-based setup. ).

I agree with this. I’m not knowledgeable enough about sound to tell the difference.

16 minutes ago, MJNewton said:

Similarly, don't expect too much from Atmos itself, particularly from speakers that attempt to reflect the effect off the ceiling (rather than utilising ceiling-mounted speakers).

This I’m not so sure about. One of the reasons I singled out the ARC over the cheaper Sonos soundbars, is that the atmos is meant to be very good. Granted, it won’t be as good as ceiling mounted speakers, but apparently it is almost as good.

[MJNewton]

8 minutes ago, Adsibob said:

This I’m not so sure about. One of the reasons I singled out the ARC over the cheaper Sonos soundbars, is that the atmos is meant to be very good. Granted, it won’t be as good as ceiling mounted speakers, but apparently it is almost as good.

 

I think it's all relative i.e. how effective the Arc might be when compared to other upfiring soundbars. Mine certainly won't be helped by the vaulted ceiling, but even so from many a comment I've read people have been quite underwhelmed by Atmos in general and so I'm just trying to temper expectations. It's certainly not the step change that side/readr surround sound introduced but then Dolby didn't really have many options left to them to increase their revenue stream further than attempt to add something up top too.

[Adsibob]

@MJNewton I wonder how you feel about the new Sonos Era 300 speakers as a pair of rears for surround sound. Reviews say that in combination with a Sonos Beam Gen 2 or a Sonos Arc, they work wonderfully to envelope you with sound from all angles.

[SteamyTea]

8 hours ago, Adsibob said:

they work wonderfully to envelope you with sound from all angles

Phil Spector created the wall of sound, look what happened to him.

 

There is a bit here about how we hear.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct4y3s

[MJNewton]

19 hours ago, Adsibob said:

@MJNewton I wonder how you feel about the new Sonos Era 300 speakers as a pair of rears for surround sound. Reviews say that in combination with a Sonos Beam Gen 2 or a Sonos Arc, they work wonderfully to envelope you with sound from all angles.

 

In all honesty I'm not well informed about them and haven't really been following their reception since being released so not well placed to comment.

 

I don't know if I've already mentioned but I've got a pair of Ikea Symfonisk speakers for surrounds and they were only £79 each at the time so a relatively cheap way to get the rear channels which made all the difference for movies (I have them turned down relatively low for music sources as I still prefer stero for that). They're a bit on the bulky (ugly?) side compared to some of the Sonos offerings but for the price I couldn't really say no and we've got them tucked behind the sofa so they're not particularly visible.

 

To fully realised the spatial sound offerings of the Era 300's you'd need the right source material, which we don't have (we are on the free-with-Prime Amazon music package but I think you need Unlimited).

Edited April 3, 2023 by MJNewton

[MikeGrahamT21]

I have 5.2.2 setup with downward firing speakers in ceiling, and an AV receiver, so don’t have the issue of eARC, but I can tell you there is definitely a big difference between my AV receivers emulated atmos vs the real thing.

 

a friend has the same issue with his TV and sonos arc, he said there was a HDMI splitter which would overcome the issue but at a cost!

 

https://www.techhive.com/article/579105/hdfury-4k-arcana-review.html
 

it seems to be the only thing around which does this at the moment.