This guide will show you how to get your Dolby Atmos setup optimised for great audio. Dolby Atmos is an immersive spatial audio format that delivers bold, beautiful sound that hits deep. This guide will help you create a Dolby Atmos speaker setup that will draw you into your favourite films or bring your music to life. You’ll learn about surround sound formats and what terms like “5.1.2” and “7.1.4” mean.
Dolby Atmos is like an instruction guide for the speakers in your TV, your home cinema, your tablet, or your laptop that tells them how to sound their best when you watch entertainment in Dolby Atmos. Best of all, it’s handled automatically. Setting up speakers enabled with Dolby Atmos involves a few easy steps:
- Choose a TV enabled with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, or a tablet, computer, or smartphone
- Connect your device to a soundbar, or to speakers enabled with Dolby Atmos
- Select Dolby Atmos as the audio format, if required by your device
- Log in to a streaming app
- Find entertainment in Dolby Atmos by looking for the Dolby badge
- Play your movie, TV show, or music in Dolby Atmos
Why speaker placement matters
Speaker placement matters because it affects the overall sound. Dolby Atmos uses surround speakers and ceiling speakers or upward-firing speakers to deliver cinema-like sound. Carefully setting up speakers with Dolby Atmos delivers benefits such as:
- Creating an immersive “dome of sound” around you
- Reducing sound reflections from walls and other hard surfaces
- Placing the listening “sweet spot” – the spot where all the speaker outputs meet – exactly where you want it
Speaker placement basics by type
When creating a Dolby Atmos installation, you’ll be using either active or passive speakers (sometimes called “channels”). Understanding what each type does helps to ensure proper placement.
Left and Right: The left and right speakers should be at the front of your viewing/listening space. They are the main speakers used for music and sound effects in movies and TV shows. Placing them to the left and right of your TV ensures that you get the proper sound.
Centre: Centre speakers are primarily used to deliver dialogue. For the best effect, the speaker should be just below or above the TV so that the sound is coming directly at you.
Surround speakers: A surround sound setup uses additional speakers to create a larger soundstage. Surround speakers are located behind or to the side of the listener and used for sound effects and music, creating a circle of sound around them. There are many configurations available, with 5.1 being one of the most common setups.
Height speakers: height speakers with Dolby Atmos are either installed in the ceiling of the listening space or are upward-firing speakers that bounce sound off the ceiling. The height speakers let audio be placed anywhere in the dome of sound and moved around the listener in three dimensions. You’ll see three numbers, such as a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos setup, with the final number indicating the number of height channels.
Subwoofers: Subwoofers are special speakers designed to deliver low bass sounds. Because bass sounds are not directional, subwoofer speaker placement can be almost anywhere in a room. Try a few locations to see what sounds best. Most setups use one subwoofer, though some will use two for a large space.
Understand your setup: What the numbers mean
Surround sound numbers in a Dolby Atmos speaker layout – like 2.1.2, 5.1.2, or 7.1.4 – indicate how many speakers, including subwoofers, are in a system. The first number tells you the number of standard ear-level speakers. This includes left, right, and centre, as well as surround speakers. The second number, after the dot, indicates the number of subwoofers (special speakers for bass). The third number, if there is one, is the number of height speakers for Dolby Atmos. This list explains the most common types of Dolby speaker placements:
2.1: Two main speakers (left and right) and one subwoofer.
5.1: Five main speakers (left, centre, right, and two surrounds) and one subwoofer.
7.1.2: Seven main speakers, one subwoofer, and two overhead or height speakers.
7.1.4: Seven main speakers, one subwoofer, and four overhead or height speakers.
The standard speakers provide the main sound – dialogue, music, and sound effects – creating a soundstage with the listener at the centre of the action. Subwoofers deliver deep bass that fills the room. Using a subwoofer means the standard speakers can be smaller and easer to place. Height speakers allow sounds to be positioned and moved anywhere in the dome of sound. You can download one of the setup guides linked above if you’d like a handy reference for your preferred Dolby Atmos configuration.
Choose the right layout for your room size
Choosing the right layout for your room size will get you the best Dolby Atmos sound without having to spend more than you need to. The placement of Dolby Atmos speakers follows some basic tips that can be applied to setting up speakers in most rooms.
Toe in, which is angling the left and right speakers to face the listening position instead of firing straight forward, is important to get the best sound. You want to create a sweet spot, where all the speakers can be heard. The amount of toe in will depend on your room and speakers. Check specifications and experiment to find the best result. A 5.1 setup in a small room can, with careful toe in and speaker height, create a sweet spot as engaging as in a larger room.
Speaker height matters for an effective Dolby Atmos speaker layout. The best height for your main speakers is about the level of your ears when you are seated. This is about 3.9 feet from the floor. Speakers with Dolby Atmos should be installed in the ceiling to fire downwards or, if using upward-firing speakers, set to bounce sound off the ceiling to the sweet spot.
Take particular care when building a bedroom speaker setup. You’ll want to make sure that speakers are high enough that they are not blocked by soft furniture, bedding, or curtains. A compact soundbar can often be the right choice. Regardless of whether you use a soundbar or a 5.1 setup, make sure you adjust the speaker height to be at ear level in your normal watching position, which may be lower than in your living room if you watch while lying down.
Use speaker stands where needed to ensure your speakers are at the correct height. You can mount speakers on or in the wall, but this limits flexibility. Using stands lets you rearrange the room as your needs change.
Reflections (also called boundary interference) are when sound bounces off of hard surfaces, such as walls, windows, and floors. Position speakers to minimise unwanted reflections and adjust them if needed. Some reflections are good. Upward-firing speakers with Dolby Atmos reflect sound off of the ceiling and back down to the listener.
These tips for setting up speakers with Dolby Atmos work in a small bedroom, a living room, or a custom-built home cinema. You can have a spatial sound environment designed around you, no matter the room.
Calibration and setup
Every room is different and knowing where to place your speakers can be a challenge. A good rule of thumb is that, in a rectangular room, your listening position should be about 38 per cent of the distance from your front wall. Speakers should be placed about 33 per cent of the distance from the front wall. Once you have your setup in place, calibration can help you get the best results. Room calibration (sometimes called room correction) can optimise your sound to get the best sound from your Dolby Atmos setup. Your ears can help you adjust speaker placement and device settings to improve audio performance. If you want more detailed calibration, many devices – including soundbars, AV receivers and subwoofers – have built-in calibration modes that listen to the audio in your room and adjust it to get the best sound. If you’re building a home cinema and want to test some Dolby Atmos content on it, we have tips that can help.
Helpful visual aids
You can download a guide for your speaker configuration if you want a visual aid for setting up your Dolby Atmos speakers. If you want help choosing a setup, our design tool can help you determine the best configuration for your needs.