Atmos height - does sound come from above?

I have a double loft ceiling in the entire room where the ARC is so I am also interested to hear what the answer is to this before I shell out @ some point on an earc capable TV for Atmos

I moved from a Playbase and the difference with Atmos, without the height, has won me over. It sounds really great! I am just missing the height after reading so much about the bouncing sound. I am wondering if Trueplay has tuned the speakers quieter. I would love a slider like the rear surrounds have for TV to boost it to see.

Exact same experience here.

The width of the soundstage on the arc vs the playbase is in a totally different universe.

I find myself constantly switching between tur ing my surrounds on and off in an attempt to decide whether I still need them or not sometimes. I'll have the surrounds off but still be hearing sound that seems to be coming from the disabled play 1s! (I'm definitely keeping the play 1s though as the arc isn't so hot for.music).

However as you say, I'm also not really able to perceive sound from above despite having a solid, unhindered concrete ceiling with shiny gloss paint on it.

Being able to have some way to be able to isolate what sounds are coming from the atmos speakers and being able to tune them as I do.with my surrounds would help a whole lot.

As per warnings that have been posted before. Dolby Atmos will never sound convincing or good coming from a soundbar unless the soundbar is used in a small room with low ceilings and you must sit in the correct spot.

Have you tried the S2 app? Maybe you can change the volume of the up firing drivers and that might help if you bump themup in volume?

But all in all, the only way to grauntee a perfect Atmos experience is sticking a speaker on your ceiling that fires sound down. Trying to bound sound off anything is something that isn’t going to work well for most people

Nothing in the S2 app. I don’t expect anything comparable to having speakers in the ceiling, but I wasn’t expecting nothing at all. It plays such a large part (for me) in the marketing and to have the dedicated speakers as well. I’m just wondering if this is something in the tuning.

I live in apartment, with a low-ish, flat and smooth ceiling so I though I had somewhat ideal conditions. It’s even mentioned in the community post “Understanding Dolby Atmos and Sonos Arc” as “Dolby Atmos (as in “atmosphere”) is a format that allows sound to be heard three-dimensionally —including from above! (Arc achieves this by bouncing sound off of the ceiling).”

Granted I have missed the warnings posted here, but I do believe I should be hearing something from above? I’m extremely happy with the rest of the soundstage and clarity of dialogue otherwise.

You can try this 5.1.2 testifies with DD+ Atmos to see if the up firing drivers are fine. 
For me unfortunately it doesn’t sound good … it mostly comes from infront or if I connect rear speakers it comes from behind … never from above :(

https://we.tl/t-tMrhDvuhno

I need to tilt the Arc forward to maximise the height channels effect. Try that.

Details below:

In youtube, someone mentioned that:

“Until last night I wasn't hearing much from the Atmos effect, but now I am. I had to move my listening position forward 6 inches then the bar forward 6 inches. I then used the brown spacers (second from the thickest) under the rear of the bar, Atmos effects kicked in. The bubble for the effects seems rather narrow. I am now sitting 9 feet from the bar. 8 feet is where the top firing speakers are the strongest. I just can't justify shrinking the room another foot .”

It seems, as I always thought, that due to the fixed angle of the upward firing woffers, there must be a sweet spot for the maximum height effect.

At the moment, I am settled with lifting the rear of the Arc by 10mm.

Before, I could not tell any difference between DD5.1 and Dolby Atmos when I switch between the two.

Now, I can feel I am in a sound bubble instead of a sound ring. Happy with Atmos, finally.

I find that the sounds from the forward firing speakers are not noticeably affected in this angle of tilt.

The ceiling height is 2500mm, the seating position to the Arc is 2400mm, the height of the Arc from the floor is 550mm ang the ear level is 1000mm above floor. That is my sweet spot for Atmos. The ceiling is uniform, level and flat.

I have the Sub and two One SL’s as rears.

@ekwok thanks so much for explanation! How high is the angle of the arc roughly or how high are the spacers you used?

i will try at home with my demo file.

IThe height of the spacer is 15mm. So practically, the rear edge is raised 15mm. I tried 20mm as well once but I find 15mm works best in my room. 

@ekwok 

i tried the described setup at home and unfortunately I couldn’t replicate the good results :( 

i have nearly the same dimensions like you, but did not hear sound coming from the sealing. 
Strangely when I connect my rear (play:1) the sound which should come from the sealing (acc to the 5.1.2 file I posted) is played by the rear speakers only, arc is completely silent.

can you confirm that you hear sound from above playing the file I posted ? This Info would help a lot, knowing that it should work in general 

thanks