How to Test Dolby Atmos on Apple TV with Surround Speaker Check
In this article, we’ll discuss how to test Dolby Atmos on Apple TV 4K hardware using the Surround Speaker Check app for iOS and tvOS.
Recommended: Surround Speaker Check
When it comes to offering a theater-like audio experience on home theater speakers, smart TVs and sound bars, Apple TV 4K largely relies on Dolby Atmos to delivery the goods. As such, those looking to get the most enjoyment out of their movies, spatial audio music, and TV shows will want to make sure their Apple TV is connected to a Dolby Atmos-compatible speaker system or sound bar.
Surround Speaker Check can provide a quick and easy way to test Dolby Atmos on your home entertainment system.
However, with a multitude of Atmos-compatible speakers available to chose from, determining whether Dolby Atmos is actually set-up and working properly is not always as straight-forward a process as it seems. Read on to learn how the free Surround Speaker Check app can provide a quick and easy way to test Dolby Atmos on your home entertainment system.
Are you ready?
Before performing any tests, you’ll want to make sure your playback device actually supports Dolby Atmos. If you’re unsure of this, check your manual or look up the speaker model online for its audio format capabilities. You can also look to see if the Dolby Atmos logo is present on the device itself, although ultimately a manual will still be useful in case you need to enable any audio-specific features or sound processing modes. Once you are sure your device is Dolby Atmos-compatible, you can proceed to use the Surround Speaker Check app to test your audio set-up.
Note: If you have the iOS version of Surround Speaker Check, tap the AirPlay button located in the upper right-hand corner of the screen to make sure your iPhone or iPad is connected and ready to AirPlay test content to the Apple TV.
Test your surround speakers
The free “5.1 Speaker Check” test track covers the majority of speaker systems on the market today, and has long proved an invaluable tool for home theater enthusiasts. The test works by using specially-produced music tracks to isolate the front and rear speakers one-at-a-time, while on-screen 3D animation coordinates with the audio to let you know which speakers are being featured. If you don’t hear music emanating from a particular speaker (highlighted as a blue speaker on the TV screen), check with your device user manual to make sure your speakers are properly connected and set to decode Dolby Digital or Dolby Atmos audio signals. Users of smart TVs and Sonos-style sound bars should make sure their firmware is up-to-date.
“4.0 Speaker Check,” also a free track, offering a similar test using a blues-style music track mixed with the ambience of a packed music hall.
Test your height channel speakers
The latest speakers systems and sound bars allow for more accurate spatial imaging by including extra speakers beyond the standard stereo or 5.1 surround configurations, in order to address the “height” capabilities offered by Dolby Atmos. Commonly referred to as height speakers, these extra speakers are typically found as the topmost, upward-firing speakers on a sound bar, or as dedicated speakers installed directly on a ceiling. Speaker configurations with height channels included are typically labeled as 5.1.2 or 7.1.4 systems, where the third digit denotes the inclusion and number of the extra height speakers. Whether your height speakers are of the upward-firing variety or consist of dedicated ceiling speakers, Surround Speaker Check’s new “Spatial Suite” section offers comprehensive testing for systems with height channels, which can be helpful when installing, troubleshooting, or just fine-tuning your audio set-up.
Included in Surround Speaker Check’s new Spatial Test Suite is a new “Manual Speaker Check” feature. The Manual Speaker Check allows you to play a continuous audio loop on any one particular speaker of your choosing, including the height channels. There are three different loops included to help evaluate and troubleshoot speaker performance. When coupled with a decibel meter, the pink noise loop offers a convenient way for users to fine-tune their surround speakers levels. This is especially handy if your sound bar lacks any on-board calibration tools!
Experience spatial audio demos
One of the key features of Dolby Atmos is that it recreates audio sources, such as musical instruments or sound effects, as virtual “objects” and uses a coordinate-style method to accurately position audio within a space. The advantage of this object-based positioning over the traditional channel-based surround formats of the past (beyond more accurate positioning of audio thanks to the new height channels), is that immersive audio can then be recreated on just about any Dolby Atmos-compatible system without requiring users to install a specific configuration of speakers.
The F-18 Fighter Jets track makes a great spatial audio directionality test
Surround Speaker Check’s Spatial Object tracks lets you hear how accurately your system represents audio objects by using on-screen 3D imagery to depict objects and their placement in the room. The F-18 Fighter Jets track in particular makes a great spatial audio directionality test for sound bars and speakers (and even AirPods), as it features high-resolution recordings of actual F-18 fighter jets flying by at multiple speeds and altitudes.
New demos every month
Once your system is up and running, you’ll of course want to hear content demonstrating the full power of Dolby Atmos immersive audio in your own home theater. And while there are now plenty of movies, TV shows, and music tracks on Apple Music employing Dolby Atmos audio, finding those truly exciting “spatial moments” can sometimes be hard to find, or are just too few and far between. (And rightfully so, as overuse of such effects would potentially distract the audience from the storyline or music listeners from the song lyrics.)
Spatial Lab features exciting content designed to showcase Dolby Atmos on your home theater system
To give users a way to enjoy spatial audio at its fullest, Surround Speaker Check’s Spatial Lab features regular episodes of exciting content designed specifically to showcase Dolby Atmos on your home theater system. Whether it’s a 134-ton Amtrak barreling through your living room, a eclectic music studio experiment involving delay effects, or other unique immersive audio demos, you’ll want to tune in every month to hear fresh new examples of spatial audio at it’s most extreme!
First introduced in 2015, Surround Speaker Check was the first app to feature true surround sound content in the Apple App stores, and has long since been a popular Apple TV test application for home theater enthusiasts. Surround Speaker Check 2.0 is a major update which not only brings a host of new capabilities for testing Dolby Atmos, but moves to establish the app as a premier destination for Apple TV users looking to experience rich, dramatic spatial audio content on their Dolby Atmos-enabled sound bars and speaker systems.
Surround Speaker Check is available today in the iOS and tvOS App Stores.
(In the tvOS App Store, enter “Surround Speaker Check” in the search bar.)
Surround Speaker Check 2 Adds Dolby Atmos Support, Spatial Audio Content
Surround Speaker Check 2.0 brings full support for Dolby Atmos along with all new features and spatial audio content to help users experience the full potential of their home theater audio gear.
Dolby Atmos Support
Over two years in the making, Surround Speaker Check 2.0 is the culmination of hundreds of hours of research and production work, with the end goal of creating the very best application for testing immersive audio playback on Dolby Atmos-compatible speaker systems and headphones. All test tracks now feature Dolby Atmos-format audio and are served using industry-standard streaming protocols.
Spatial Test Suite
One of the exciting new features in Surround Speaker Check is the Spatial Test Suite, where users can test Dolby Atmos playback on sound bars and speaker layouts in both 5.1.2 and 7.1.4 configurations. The Spatial Test Suite also includes a new Manual Speaker Check feature which allows users to single out a specific speaker for testing. Finally, the Spatial Objects Test Tracks page features an expanding library of spatial soundscapes where users can experience immersive audio at its most extreme.
Spatial Lab
Also new in Surround Speaker Check 2.0 is Spatial Lab, an in-app video blog where monthly episodes feature a variety of spatial audio production experiments and demos. Designed to be a fun and entertaining way to showcase a user’s home theater capabilities, Spatial Lab is truly unique in that is the very first video blog produced with a true multichannel Dolby Atmos soundtrack.
New In Surround Speaker Check 2.0
- Full support for Dolby Atmos and Apple spatial audio formats.
- Comprehensive testing for 5.1.2 and 7.1.4 speaker layouts.
- Spatial Object test tracks for evaluating immersive audio accuracy.
- Manual Speaker Check for isolating individual speakers.
- Spatial Lab video blog features monthly spatial audio demos and experiments designed to showcase home theater capabilities.
- Updated video tracks with 3D animation provide improved visualization of sound sources.
- The popular Subwoofer Check and Center Speaker Check test tracks have been updated for Dolby Atmos compatibility.
Pricing and Availability
Surround Speaker Check 2.0 is available as a free download on the iOS and tvOS App Stores. The app retains two free test tracks from the original version and now offers a low-price, yearly subscription for unlimited access to all Spatial Suite test tracks, spatial soundscapes, and free monthly downloads of Dolby Atmos content in the Spatial Lab.
Vermont Sleep Sounds & Music Brings Relaxing Spatial Audio Soundscapes to the Apple TV
Vermont Sleep Sounds & Music for tvOS and Apple TV features original recordings of music, nature and white noise sounds, meticulously hand-crafted for quality and produced for spatial audio to take advantage of home theater equipment such as surround speakers, sound bars, and even Apple HomePods.
Spatial Audio for Relaxing
Vermont Sleep Sounds & Music is the first app of its kind to include support for spatial audio with Dolby Digital surround sound, allowing Apple TV users to effectively transform their living room or home theater space into the ultimate relaxation getaway.
The app is also unique in that many of the sounds offer variable options to allow user to customize their own sleep soundscape. For example, fan sounds all have various speed settings and the rain sounds are offered as with or without thunder. A mixer page allows users to blend sounds and set custom audio levels, and the sleep timer features a slow, gentle fade.
Vermont Sleep Sound & Music Features
- Configurable sounds let allow adjustment of fan speeds, selection of wind intensity, or even allow the user to toggle thunder on or off for rain sounds.
- Spatial audio with Dolby Digital surround sound support enhances the listening experience to help users escape their surroundings.
- Music tracks feature a soothing mix of tranquil piano and classical guitar melodies. Perfect for meditation or drifting off to sleep.
- Mixer page lets users blend white noise, rain, or other sounds as desired to create their own personal mix.
- Users can save their custom soundscapes to create playlists for any occasion.
- A single in-app purchase unlocks all current and future sounds.
Subscription-free Pricing
Vermont Sleep Sounds & Music is available as a free download where users can try out all core sounds sounds, explore the customizable options, and even audition Dolby surround options. A single in-app purchase unlocks all available and future sounds.
Vermont Sleep Sounds & Music is available for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV as a free download on the Apple App Store.
Test Spatial Audio on AirPods Pro with Surround Speaker Check
In this article, we’ll discuss how to test spatial audio on Apple’s AirPods Pro, AirPods Max headphones and new 3rd gen AirPods using Surround Speaker Check app for iOS.
Recommended: Surround Speaker Check [Free]
With iOS 14, Apple introduced a new audio option for AirPods Pro and AirPods Max products called spatial audio, a feature designed to bring a theater-like surround sound experience to movies and videos. However, determining whether spatial audio is actually enabled and working is not always as straight-forward a process as it seems. Read on to learn how Surround Speaker Check provides a great way to try out and experience the amazing sound of spatial audio! Update: Surround Speaker Check spatial audio tracks are also compatible with Apple’s new 3rd gen AirPods!
How it works
Spatial audio works by converting Dolby Digital 5.1, 7.1, and even Atmos soundtracks into a virtualized soundstage for headphones, complete with dynamic head-tracking to keep content “locked in place” to your mobile device. However, since the effect of spatial audio can vary greatly depending on the media source, many people are naturally looking for content which can best showcase the effects of spatial audio and Apple’s head tracking feature. Enter Surround Speaker Check.
Test your spatial audio
Originally designed as an Apple TV app for testing home theater systems, Surround Speaker Check is finding a new calling as a test platform for spatial audio. Only instead of testing speaker functionality, the app’s isolated speaker tracks allow users to experience exactly how Apple’s spatial audio feature can process surround sound on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, and whether spatial audio is working properly.
“Center Speaker Check” provides a great in-your-face example of Apple’s head-tracking feature in action
The free “5.1 Speaker Check” test track demonstrates the surround sound capabilities of spatial audio by using specially-produced music tracks to isolate the front and rear speakers one-at-a-time. During playback, on-screen graphics coordinates with the audio to let you know which speakers are being featured. “4.0 Speaker Check”, also a free track, offers a similar test using a blues-style music track mixed with the ambience of a packed music hall. “Center Speaker Check” (a 0.99 IAP) focuses on dialogue anchored to the center channel, resulting in a great way for viewers to clearly experience Apple’s spatial audio head tracking feature in action.
Compare and hear for yourself
To best hear the difference between regular audio and spatial audio, users can toggle the spatial audio feature on and off during playback via the Spatial Audio button in the iOS volume control page. To find the Spatial Audio button, swipe down from the upper right corner of your iPhone or iPad to get the Control Center overlay. Next, touch and hold on the volume control until the volume control page opens to fill the whole screen. Here is where you’ll find the spatial audio buttons (see image below). Alternatively, you can access the spatial audio controls in the Settings app, under the Bluetooth tab. Note, however, that the iOS spatial audio buttons will only appear when your AirPods are connected to a compatible iPhone or iPad.
While Apple’s new spatial audio feature for AirPods Pro and AirPods Max offers an unparalleled listening experience when watching movies and videos, be aware that not all content will support spatial audio even if the feature is turned on for your device. (You can see if content supports spatial audio by checking the volume control page described above.) Furthermore, streaming service apps such as Netflix or Disney+ sometimes experience bugs which affect audio quality. Since Surround Speaker Check uses the same Dolby Digital surround sound file format as Apple’s movies and TV shows, the app can help you troubleshoot whether or not spatial audio is working properly on your device, or if the problem lies with the streaming service.
Surround Speaker Check is available as a free download in the iOS and tvOS App Stores.
Vermont Sleep Sounds & Music Adds Spatial Audio Support for AirPods Pro
The latest update to Vermont Sleep Sounds & Music adds support for Apple’s Spatial Audio feature, giving AirPods Pro and AirPods Max users the ability to enjoy relaxing soundscapes in an immersive surround sound experience.
Spatial Audio is a Game-Changer
Vermont Sleep Sounds & Music is a pioneering app in being the first iOS app of it’s kind to provide support for Dolby Atmos, an audio format designed to to present a richer, more immersive listening experience. Up until now, however, playback of Dolby Atmos content within the app was limited to an iOS device’s own speakers, with headphones defaulting to a stereo or binaural mix of the multichannel audio source. With the new Spatial Audio feature added in iOS 14, Vermont Sleep Sounds & Music users with AirPods Pro can finally take advantage of Dolby Atmos when creating their own surround soundscapes for relaxing. (Apple is expected to expand support for Spatial Audio to other devices in the near future.) Update: Vermont Sleep Sounds & Music Dolby Atmos spatial audio tracks are also compatible with Apple’s new 3rd gen AirPods.
Spatial Audio expands the level of customization within the app
Users of iPhones and iPads often seek out white noise, nature, or other similar ambient sound relaxation apps for a variety of reasons, be it to help cope with stress and anxiety, to help them unwind before bedtime, or as a means to aid in mindfulness or meditation. Whatever the reason, everyone seems to have their own favorite sound which helps them best unwind. Vermont Sleep Sounds & Music offers a large variety of sounds and relaxing music, and the app gives users an unprecedented level of control in creating their own sonic soundscapes. Many sounds have selectable parameters such as variable speeds for fans, different size waterfalls, and even the option to toggle thunder on or off during rain sounds. The addition of Spatial Audio expands the level of customization within the app by giving users yet another variety of sound to select from when building their own personal soundscapes.
New features for iOS 14
Along with Spatial Audio, Vermont Sleep Sounds & Music has recently gained additional features for iOS including support for Dark Mode, the ability to save custom playlists, and support for Siri Shortcuts. Custom shortcuts are even compatible with the new Wind Down feature added to the Health app in iOS 14. A full list of app features is available on the Vermont Sleep Sounds & Music App Store page. (see link below)
Vermont Sleep Sounds & Music is available as a free download for iPhone and iPad on the Apple App Store.