These 4 Premium Movie Theater Formats Use Spatial Audio

Crucial to a truly cinematic experience are immersive video and audio technologies. Video is another story entirely, but audio has advanced far beyond basic surround sound. We can now take advantage of premium audio formats that utilize spatial audio or 3D sound. Spatial audio is designed to create a bubble of sorts — a 3D field around you so that audio seems to come from all directions, not just the left, right, front, or back. Depending on the technology in question, this is achieved in varying ways. Spatial audio can be delivered through headphones, speakers, or external devices. Some smartphones, for example, allow spatial audio playback.

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

Dolby Atmos is a common spatial audio format you’ve probably heard about. But there are several others, and it helps to know what those are and what they offer, especially if you’re buying tickets at a local theater. The following are premium movie theater formats that utilize spatial audio to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience. One notable format that takes a slightly different approach is IMAX, but we’ll expand on that at the end of this article.

When stripped down to its most basic form, Dolby Atmos essentially uses height — boosting audio overhead — to increase immersion. This is also part of the “field” the spatial audio description talks about. There is a difference between Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos, by the way. Ultimately, the immersion is accomplished by hardware, like speakers, and software, the audio stream, working together. What is confusing is there are a range of Atmos-capable setups from less elaborate and cheaper to more complicated options, with the premium, most immersive, and most expensive systems reserved for high-end cinemas.

In a high-end cinema, speakers are ceiling-mounted but also receive audio streams specifically tuned for that verticality. At home, with a less complicated setup, a soundbar or speaker might instead “direct” or bounce the audio up toward the ceiling. There’s also a third option where software or audio processing handles the directional aspects. Theaters utilize more speakers and a higher-quality audio stream, which works well with a large open stadium-like space. If you’re trying to create that experience at home in a smaller room, increasing your speaker count may not be necessary. Some of the upward-firing speakers are just as capable and more affordable. Atmos works with a 2.1.2 layout and up, and Dolby recommends four height speakers for the best experience.

At home, you’ll want to look for the Dolby Atmos logo which indicates support, including on your home theater, your TV, and your media devices. You will also have to look for media that supports it, whether streaming or playing something like a Blu-ray or digitally purchased movie. As an aside, make sure you’ve set up your Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers appropriately. If you’re buying movie tickets, double check that the individual theater has Dolby Atmos.

DTS:X is very similar to Dolby Atmos in that it’s an object-based 3D spatial audio technology. They are rivaling technologies, even if 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 gear, you could very well end up with a system that supports both technologies.

But DTS:X is an object-based audio codec which aims to deliver “lifelike, multi-dimensional audio” that brings next-generation experiences into the average home. It also adds height effects to bring more room-filling audio into a viewing space. The biggest difference, however, is that DTS doesn’t require high or ceiling-mounted speakers; it can replicate the experience over standard 5.1- and 7.1-channel setups. It actually doesn’t require a specific speaker layout at all, unlike Atmos, so you can arrange your home theater however you want and find your ideal layout. With object-based formats — and this applies to Atmos, too — audio elements in a movie soundtrack are given directionality. They’re not merely placed intentionally, but also have three-dimensional movement to recreate movement in a space and across 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 simply looking for individual theaters that support the format.

Auro-3D is also similar to Atmos and DTS:X, but doesn’t require ceiling-mounted speakers (though they can improve the experience) and is tailored for home and mobile use. The official team recommends using it just about anywhere — in cars, while playing games, or at the cinema. You do still have to make sure the media being played supports the format.

What’s unique about Auro-3D is that it leverages audio streams in standard uncompressed formats, and while it works with 13.1, 11.1, and 9.1 audio channels, it’s also backward-compatible with 7.1 and 5.1 systems. You may not even need to upgrade your home theater equipment, depending on its age. Moreover, its standard configurations are channel-based rather than object-based, using multiple speaker layers and unique placements like the “Voice of God” channel, directly above the listener, along with upmixing. Do note, to take advantage of the unique Voice of God placement, you need to be using at least a 10.1 configuration. Now is probably a good time to consider how many surround sound speakers your living room actually needs to sound its best, with the maximum channels playing a big part of that.

Again, Auro-3D builds immersion by adding height and verticality to the mix. This generates what the team refers to as a “cocoon” of lifelike sound. There are hundreds of theaters around the world that already support the format, so there’s a decent chance that one is near you. It’s also available in A/V receivers, home theater systems, headphones, car audio systems, and speakers.

Most IMAX theaters use a six-channel sound system that technically qualifies as spatial audio — however, it’s a channel-based system, not object-based spatial audio like Dolby Atmos. A subset of IMAX theaters dubbed IMAX with Laser use a system that is roughly equivalent to object-based spatial audio in the experience it produces. These theaters feature 12-channel surround sound systems to provide a 3D effect for audience members.

Depending on how the theaters were built and arranged, additional formats may be used in place of IMAX’s own audio technology; for example, a select few theaters might swap in Dolby Atmos. When that happens, it is possible to find an IMAX theater that supports the object-based spatial audio in the truest sense, but because it’s not something that’s standard or common, it’s best to look at IMAX as its own cinematic experience entirely.

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