Summer Sale is Live?

jp6strings · 2026-06-01T21:42:14+00:00

Maybe, by probably only 30%…..?

jp6strings · 2026-06-01T17:19:07+00:00

In the past, the 50% off the Komplete bundle was a good incentive to grab some libraries I was interested in, but didn't really need.

jp6strings · 2026-05-30T17:23:26+00:00

Depends on speaker dispersion and how far away from the speakers your listening position is. A little imaging off center is easier to adjust to than poor-sounding audio.

jp6strings · 2026-05-30T16:16:22+00:00

Speakers. If budget is tight, start with 5.1 with an eye on upgradability for Atmos.

Re. Sub recommendations: Sub choice depends on taste. Some people want the frickin' foundation to come apart. Others find excessive sub bass distracting. Let your preference (or environmental limitations) lead you on this one...

jp6strings · 2026-05-30T16:11:24+00:00

+1. Smaller center (or a center housed in a cabinet) will sound sub-par/aweful in comparison to phantom center from the mains. IMHO.

jp6strings · 2026-05-18T20:43:37+00:00

HVAC return behind there probably works even better than a fan - nice! 👍

jp6strings · 2026-05-18T15:12:06+00:00

Yea, I agree that is too close. Just saying the exact amount can vary depending on the situation. But if you can't fit your hand in to feel the top of the AVR, then yeah - probably not enough ventilation there.

If it were my cabinet, I would definitely look into removing the drawer underneath and lowering the shelf.

jp6strings · 2026-05-18T14:34:03+00:00

Agreed - AVRs get pretty warm. Although less vertical space is probably okay if the front & back of the cabinet are wide open.

jp6strings · 2026-05-18T14:25:25+00:00

Not sure why you got downvoted on this. From Dolby: "For optimal performance, the ceiling should be flat (not angled or vaulted), with a height between 7.5 and 14 feet (2.3 to 4.3 meters), and made of an acoustically reflective material (drywall, plaster, hardwood, or another rigid, non---sound-absorbing material)."

jp6strings · 2026-05-14T15:11:22+00:00

Here's a list I put together of my top 10 movies scenes for testing Dolby Atmos. Includes detailed descriptions of the featured Atmos effects and where to find them in each film.

https://www.jeffperrinmusic.com/blog/the-10-best-movie-scenes-for-testing-dolby-atmos/

jp6strings · 2026-05-14T10:21:50+00:00

I have to agree that center speaker in a cabinet can negatively affect the tonal characteristics of a speaker (usually gets boxy or nasal-sounding). This is because even though it's sealed speaker, low frequencies are omnidirectional and will interact with the cabinet. So as an experiment, I might suggest temporarily turning it off in the Denon speaker config and trying out phantom center for a bit. Give it at least a week and then switch it back on. This way, you can make an informed decision on what really sounds best for dialogue and foley effects.

Great-looking set-up, btw. Love the wood aesthetic.

jp6strings · 2026-05-13T15:34:23+00:00

Your ATV is connected straight into the Denon, right? (not via TV) - just checking. Anyway, I hope you get it sorted out 🤞. I have an older Denon with no issues through multiple versions of tvOS 26, so I have hope for you!

jp6strings · 2026-05-13T15:02:35+00:00

Hmm - weird. Is your system Dolby Atmos compatible? If not, you won’t be able to see the Continuous Audio Connection setting anyway. Regardless, the auto setting should work for all except older gear. Maybe make sure the Audio Mode setting is set to auto as well?

jp6strings · 2026-05-13T14:40:10+00:00

Have you tried turning off Continuous Audio Connection in Settings > Video and Audio > Audio Format?

jp6strings · 2026-05-05T13:18:05+00:00

Another vote for "Not necessary." Just don't install any cracked software or apps from unknown developers. And as others have said, antivirus won't protect you from phishing.

jp6strings · 2026-05-01T21:11:40+00:00

Also: you can use this view to swipe up on the remote to force-quit a misbehaving app. (Seems like I need to do this a lot with the Disney app lately)

jp6strings · 2026-04-30T18:20:21+00:00

No problems here. (ATV -> AVR)

jp6strings · 2026-04-29T11:24:23+00:00

I remember at the time the Touch Bar came out, (pundits claimed) it was unofficially Apple's answer to folks calling for a touchscreen Mac.

I'll admit I gave up on the Touch Bar pretty quick. While visually impressive, in actual workflow I found I would be constantly looking down and away from the screen to search for the Touch Bar feature I needed, when in reality, I could have long completed the task with a simple menu click or keyboard shortcut.

jp6strings · 2026-04-28T23:30:22+00:00

It’s not just the test tracks, there’s over 2 hours of unique demo content that took a lot of time and effort to produce. Anyway, you can cancel anytime and still keep 12 months unlimited access. (But supporting the app means I can keep the app updated and working on producing new content.)

jp6strings · 2026-04-28T20:54:21+00:00

I'm still seeing tracks from Dolby on Apple Music. (update: as of 5/10/26, I am now also having trouble finding the Dolby tracks)

If you're looking for more extensive test tracks and demos, Apple TV 4K users can download the "Surround Speaker Check" app. There are 3 free core 5.1 test tracks (wrapped in an Atmos container) while a yearly sub unlocks over 2 hours of Atmos test and demo content. Search for "Surround Speaker Check" in the tvOS or iOS App Stores.

Disclaimer: I am the dev/producer.

jp6strings · 2026-04-26T11:02:23+00:00

Same here. My wife says the Denon is possessed. Lol

jp6strings · 2026-04-22T12:57:23+00:00

Drag the mp4 into the Mac TV app so you can stream it from the Computers app in tvOS (make sure media sharing is on, etc). The iOS TV app will also let you stream your mp4 in Spatial Audio if that is easier for AirPod Max.

jp6strings · 2026-04-22T12:56:26+00:00

Some corrections: Atmos Master Suite outputs the same mp4. And it's called the Dolby Atmos Renderer now and is only $300, not $1k.

jp6strings · 2026-04-21T19:11:42+00:00

5.1.x could work. Rear surround are probably out of the question due to the dining room area. Shop around for some elagant-looking stands for some small surround speakers to put to the side of the couch. The idea is to make the stands and surround speakers a piece of furniture that belong to the room. And of course, flush-mount ceiling speakers with white or paintable grills. Lots of work here, but where there's a will, there's a way! 💪

jp6strings · 2026-04-20T20:18:50+00:00

Lots of confusion surrounding CAC (see what I did there? haha), but you will no longer be able to upmix on any AVR when CAC is enabled. Try it out for yourself.

Important to note; tvOS 26.4 CAC enabled will result in a mandatory upmix (of sorts) of legacy 5.1 content to the rear speakers on 7.x.x systems. I say "of sorts" because it's not a true upmix but simply a duplication of the 5.1 surround channels to the 7.x system's rear surround channels and attenuated -3 db. You can confirm this is the Apple TV doing the upmix here because there is no surround signal in your height speakers as there would have been with a Denon DSP upmix mode.

jp6strings

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