What is Your Opinion of Atmos Music?

@brianlucey can you recommend a pair of headphones for atmos music? I noticed the headphones have to be enabled for atmos. Just pulled the trigger on a new headphone amp, Thanks.

@kota1 yeah so that's incorrect. For listening to Atmos, you have two general categories of options, Apple Music and Amazon/tidal.  The latter uses the Dolby Binaural, which has the 3d data included in the streaming file which means it can play on any headphones. Apple has their own proprietary spatial DSP happening when you use the high-end Apple products, which is the Apple Max or the AirPod Pro. If you don't listen with those products than Apple uses something similar to the Dolby binaural.  So where do you intend to listen? What is the DA converter and headphone amp that you intend to use? How much do you have to spend on headphones?

ima cool with checking it out... compared to the money spent on unsavory adventures that ruin one's life, this is money in da bank

@brianlucey , I have been streaming Atmos music either using Tidal through a firestick (it is not very good) OR through using the Atmos renderer in the X-Box which converts everything to Atmos once you select it as your audio output.

Either one sounds better than Dolby Surround upmixer on my processor.

I intend to listen in my main listening system (in my profile). The DAC/pre I bought is the Sony Signature TA-ZH1ES. I can use it as a DAC with my HT processor, as a 2 CH preamp connected directly with my active speakers (they have both XLR and RCA inputs with a toggle switch), and as a headphone amp. My transport/streamer is my Sony Universal/Blue-Ray player, my Onkyo DAP (android OS), or my Bluesound Node. I am thinking about Sony’s matching headphones, the Signature MDR-Z1R and have a budget of around $2K. I can get an Apple product if necessary. Thanks for any advice.

@kota1

I intend to listen in my main listening system (in my profile). The DAC/pre I bought is the Sony Signature TA-ZH1ES. I can use it as a DAC with my HT processor, as a 2 CH preamp connected directly with my active speakers (they have both XLR and RCA inputs with a toggle switch), and as a headphone amp. My transport/streamer is my Sony Universal/Blue-Ray player, my Onkyo DAP (android OS), or my Bluesound Node. I am thinking about Sony’s matching headphones, the Signature MDR-Z1R and have a budget of around $2K. I can get an Apple product if necessary. Thanks for any advice.

I have three headphones: Senny HD650, Sony Z1R and Apple AirPods Max (in order of acquisition). I reckon if you already have the Sony signature player you’d be mad not to get the matching headphones. They are beautifully constructed and detailed, light and most comfortable to wear despite the large-ish size, and of course sound very good. Bass is extended and well rendered. Detail retrieval is very nice. Voicing of the treble is exciting but can overcook things at times on modern productions with processed vocals. I usually use them at my home office desk powered by a Chord Mojo, so they aren’t getting any help. I have the recurring fantasy of running them from Woo Audio Fireflies, which I should try. But I’m not a headphone freak so it’s a ways down my listening/shopping list. My usual source is Apple Music: the spatial audio tracks play as expected but the head-tracking doesn’t, of course.

What about AirPods Max? I use them a lot: noise cancelling is effective (which also means you can enjoy listening at lower levels) and the spatial effect is better. Head-tracking is fun (when running on devices that support it, Apple Silicon Mac, iPhone or iPad in my case) and nails the illusion of audio coming from the image source (I’ve done the LiDAR thing on my ears). Despite the smaller drivers (40 mm on Apple vs 70 mm on Sony) the bass isn’t lacking in quality or quantity—I think Sony actually made the Apple drivers judging by published images. The somewhat smoother/darker/mellower high-end is preferable on certain tracks. Distortion is low and detail is excellent. They are at least as well made. And of course, wireless is very handy. But that means 24/48 tops as Apple hasn’t gone any further.

I’d get both of course (easy to say when I already did). But you’d want an Apple source device also—otherwise you are wasting usability and spatial potential—that’s a bigger decision. I gave up on Tidal/MQA for example, so my source lineup and yours don’t correlate at all. If you want to dip your toe in at less expense, most reports suggest the new series AirPods Pro are quite good.