Improved Height Channel Audio on Sonos Arc

Funny, I was doing the exact same thing last night and thought the same.  Can I be sure it’s different?  No.  But it did seem like the height effects were . . . uhhh . . . heightened.

Interesting what do you have the height channel set to?

Mines on +4, I just put it to that based on feedback back when it was introduced, might need to lower it if its improved in V14 though.

@ledzep1 I have had mine set to +6. I have 8-foot ceilings and sit about 6-8 feet from the Arc. I didn’t need to lower it after the 14.0 update.

Never heard any height effects to date, even at +10  just gets louder overall. Sonos app shows Dolby Atmos is being received. Tried most of the recommended movies Netflix Apple TV Disney+ 4K UHD discs via Panasonic DP-UB 820 player. Arc sited on console 2ft high, 8ft ceiling  MLP 6ft 6inches away. Full system Arc/ Sub/one rears/LG C1 OLED/AppleTV/Panasonic disc player all connected by Belkin 4K HDMI cables.Any suggestions?

Thanks for replying, yes Netflix premium tried Roma sound comes from front of soundstage similar story with Wandering Earth sparks.Sonos App reports Dolby Atmos being received but no height heard. Dolby Atmos Blu-ray Discs as follows  Saving Private Ryan/Blackhawk Down/Blade Runner/Everest/Unforgiven/Apocalypse Now/The Patriot/Venom/Hacksaw Ridge/War Of The Worlds/Blade/13 Hours/Interstellar, again no height sounds heard.Have run Trueplay multiple times without improvement ( App version 14.2 ) and yes my ceiling is flat no obstructions, clad with dense glossy hardwood panels. Excellent 5.1 sound effects but my “Sound Bubble” is flat to date.Given the considerable cost and care taken I feel some disappointment overall.

Sorry, my mistake but I also have Top Gun. TV settings exactly as you say but if App reports Dolby Atmos signal the settings are unlikely to be wrong or it would say Dolby 5.1/PCM/True sound or some such. I have searched the Web and tried various ideas ie tilting the Arc forwards ( Peter Pee) turning loudness off etc without improvement. It would be interesting to conduct a Poll on this Community as to how many get any height effects. After 8 month of use I so far conclude for me at least I am chasing Unicorns. Any further suggestions?

If your TV or streaming device can play MP4 files via USB, go here:

https://download.dolby.com/us/en/test-tones/dolby-test-tones_5_1_2.mp4

Go to the three dots on the lower right, choose ‘Download’.  Get that file onto a USB, and connect it to the TV.  The individual tones sent to each speaker will let you know if your Atmos speakers are actually working. 

Thank you GuitarSuperstar will try your suggestions but as the Arc App always reports Atmos when Atmos content is played I do not expect any major changes. Do you think a diagnostic report to Sonos worthwhile? Living in Ireland with its antique power supply system cuts are common and so everything has reset a good few times over in 8 months of use.

The height audio level has no effect on non-Dolby Atmos content since the upward-firing drivers are only used when playing Dolby Atmos audio.

From your MLP, +10 is probably too loud. I keep the height audio level set at +6. But experiment with the setting. Start at 0 and move it to +10 and listen for the difference. Then try different levels in between 0 and +10 until it sounds balanced with the rest of the drivers in the Arc and the surround speakers.

If you have an Apple TV 4K and an iPhone, you should be able to AirPlay the Dolby Atmos Test Tones file from your iPhone to the Apple TV, and it should play in Dolby Atmos. Check the Sonos app to verify.

https://download.dolby.com/us/en/test-tones/dolby-test-tones_5_1_2.mp4

Here are a couple of more Dolby Atmos trailers you can test with:

http://media.developer.dolby.com/Atmos/MP4/Universe_Fury2.mp4

http://media.developer.dolby.com/Atmos/MP4/shattered-3Mb.mp4

I dunno, without physical speakers on the ceiling, my expectations are pretty muted. I do find that Atmos tracks on the Arc have a bit more dimension to them, but I've never really noticed specific sounds overhead. 

I mean if you're really after perfect dimensionality and soundstage, than I would have thought separates would be a better bet than a soundbar, regardless of what Sonos or any soundbar manufacturer says.

Overall the Atmos content that I’m discovering is not stunningly game changing. When you think of an actual concert experience we don’t normally have instruments hanging in the air or flying overhead. Action movies, of course, can be in a different league. I’m not sure what it means when legacy content, such as The Beatles and other 60’s content is reissued in Atoms because this was recorded prior to Atmos being a concept. Certainly, the new release could take advantage of better processing of the original master tape, but 3D effects would not be part of the original tape.

That said, there could be opportunities. For example large concert halls might have a pipe organ that occupies all or most of the stage (floor to ceiling) behind the orchestra and Atmos could capture this dimension. I’m also noticing some of the legacy remixes will pull out some instruments to the rear channels, probably attempting to simulate the listener being central to the session, rather than seeming to observe the session through a window using stereo speakers.

I use what I call the “next room” observation to evaluate how “real” the presentation sounds.  In almost all cases if you listen to an audio system, from the next room, regardless of its pedigree, it simply sounds like a nice stereo in the next room. I’ve been down the hall and around the corner from a world class concert hall stage and there is no question about the music being “real or Memorex”. Turned around, standing outside the concertmaster’s suite, it was very obvious that there was a nice stereo system inside. I can recall waling down a city street and remarking that there was a live band down the street. Ultimately I walked past a bar and a small group was playing inside with the doors and windows closed. I’ve also had a few experiences with recordings made using experimental 3D microphone techniques and there was an intriguing “next room” experience. The playback equipment was nothing spectacular.

Atmos holds promise, but we’ll need more recording experience before being able to take full advantage.

Using different recording and processing techniques, we don’t need a zillion speakers to provide a 3D experience.

Here is a thoughtful discussion.

And, if you’d like some test tones to play with try these. 

I believe others when they say they hear height, my problem is I don't. Would agree source material is important but I want to watch movies not demo’s. Have Dune 2021 on order and will report back but am not hopeful as every other “ recommended “ movie so far has been disappointing. Of course rooms are important, but mine and M.L.P match closely to others reporting good height which remains a mystery to me.

Hi thanks for the above suggestion. MLP started at 8 ft when first installed moving forward in 6 inch increments retuning each time finally arriving at 6 ft 6 inch. Never once heard much in the way of height, maybe a suspicion here and there but that's it. As for Dune 2021, watched on 4K UHD disc last evening, with 2 other persons present. Great 5.1 sound track I admit but nothing heard from above from start to finish by anyone in the room. As its unlikely we are all deaf I can only conclude there's nothing there to hear!  Will probably move the MLP backwards in the future as I feel too close at present to the TV.screen for comfortable viewing. Thanks again for your help.