[Phil A]

You should change your AC name to Lucky Phil!

(Jealous!  )

I actually a good portion of the stuff at good deals.  The Onkyo 1008 I had in my old basement system in the old house (moved the end of last year) as an example as I got a factory refurb.  Video or digital technology changes rapidly and one can get killed buying expensive stuff.  I did at one point but am retired now (2nd and hopefully last time) and learned the hard way.  If you're into movies and music and have an integrated system a 2-channel preamp with HT bypass is a good way to go.  I understand if there are space problems.  With multiple systems, upgrading one can mean upgrading another.  I don't buy and sell the way I use to.  When I get my next Oppo (maybe a couple of years as I have two 103Ds, a 93 and a modded 83), I'll move one to the bonus room and get rid of a Sony Blu-Ray player and a Marantz DV9600 universal).  When I upgrade a receiver for Atmos, I'll be upgrading the receiver in the office by moving out what is in the old system.  So if I upgrade something once a year, I'm upgrading a couple of systems.

[Phil A]

There's a bunch of expensive processors right now on Audiogon for sale.  Last week there were 4 Bryston SP-3s and it looks like one was sold or withdrawn.  It is not that old a piece.  Or something like this - http://app.audiogon.com/listings/processors-mark-levinson-no-502-media-console-av-preamplifier-240v-50-60hz-2014-08-29-home-theater-singapore

[RDavidson]

I'm actually not nearly as into HT as I am into 2 channel stuff. My systems are in separate rooms, which I think is really the best. I've tried combining the two in the past, but always felt I was compromising one or the other in some way. Plus the HT system is in a shared area of the house. So if I want to get away and listen to music, I can do so without taking over the living room.

But anyway. We'll see what happens. Perhaps there's a clever speaker design out there waiting to be created which can make a quasi-Atmos surround sound without the need to install more than 5.1 or 7.1 speakers boxes.

Here's an idea : Maybe the traditional side surround speakers could have 2 discrete sets of drivers built in? One set of binding posts (and corresponding drivers) would be used for horizontal sounds, while the other set of binding posts (and corresponding drivers) would be used for vertical sounds, all in a single enclosure.

[fmw]

One of the many problems with the audio industry is that it is a shrinking industry with a shrinking customer base.  That forces it to work hard at selling new things to the shrinking base.  Some new technologies have been important and others have not.  Stereo was a biggy because it created the soundstage and imaging.  I think surround sound was a biggy because it allowed us to have a 3d version of that image for movie soundtracks.  We went from to 5 channels to 7 to 9 to 11....... Has any of this mattered? Not to me.  I'm still content with 5 channels after 10 years of home theater.   Certainly it has been an attempt to sell more stuff to the base but I would view it as unimportant compared to the initial surround concept.

I see Atmos as another unimportant one.  If we think putting more speakers in the ceiling is going to make an epiphany when compared to regular surround speakers, i think we will be disappointed.  Atmos will sell to hobbyists who want the latest technology.  i don't think it will sell in any meaningful way to the general public.  It won't sell to me either.

[youravhandyman]

Strictly opinion from someone that has heard several manufacturer's demonstrations of Dolby ATMOS is that this IS an impressive advancement for home theater.  It has the advantage of two different speaker configurations with either in ceiling or Atmos enabled (reflective) and with products designed to add onto an existing system this is a technology that is worth an audition.  The Pioneer Elite demo that I attended at the CEDIA Expo was particularly impressive running from a receiver and what appeared to be a simple 5.2 system but with the main and surround speakers being the Atmos enabled style also from Pioneer.  The system had a very enveloping sound and a very noticeable difference when the Atmos speakers were turned off.  So addressing the initial question I do not believe that this is the next 3D.  No headache after the demo here!

Matt

[James Romeyn]

Absolutely no. 

[JRace]

But anyway. We'll see what happens. Perhaps there's a clever speaker design out there waiting to be created which can make a quasi-Atmos surround sound without the need to install more than 5.1 or 7.1 speakers boxes.

Pioneer, Triad, kef and more were showing exactly that at Ceida 2014 last week.

[youravhandyman]

I'm so compelled to say this so "Thanks for the advertisement James."

As far as TAD working on high-end applications for ATMOS, for which I do not question, I do question if you know who designs Pioneer Elite speakers?  For most that is a rhetorical question.

[RDavidson]

Pioneer, Triad, kef and more were showing exactly that at Ceida 2014 last week.

I think this is the most viable way to adapt Atmos for home use, and it's good that speaker manufacturers quickly saw the problem that many would have with installing all those discrete speakers. I mean, many people consider a sound bar an extravagance, so the idea of installing even MORE speakers for surround sound would be ENTIRELY lost on these people.......who could possibly look to upgrade from a sound bar some day especially if Atmos is truly impressive.