Dolby Digital Plus vs Atmos vs Stereo :Which Sound System Is Better?

Dolby Digital Plus VS Atmos VS Stereo most of the time, you came to these terms. Maybe you are buying some speakers or other audio equipment

Many know what they mean, and others just guess these sound formats are suitable, so they should buy. But as advanced sound formats bring revolutionary changes, and if you are an audio freak, you must know about these formats in detail.

Here you will get all the deep details about Dolby Digital Plus VS Dolby Atmos VS Stereo Which Sound System Is Better with the difference between them. So, next time you can have excellent knowledge about these formats.

Dolby Digital Plus VS Dolby Atmos VS Stereo | Table Comparison

Feature
Dolby Digital Plus
Dolby Atmos
Stereo
Multi-Channel
Yes
Yes
Yes
System
Speaker based
Object-based
Speaker based
Speaker Placement
Horizontal
Both vertical and horizontal
Horizontal
Sound Creation
2D surround sound
3D surround sound
N/A
Price
Costly
Costly
Less costly
Feature
Dolby Digital Plus
Multi-Channel
Yes
System
Speaker based
Speaker Placement
Horizontal
Sound Creation
2D surround sound
Price
Costly
Feature
Dolby Atmos
Multi-Channel
Yes
System
Object-based
Speaker Placement
Both vertical and horizontal
Sound Creation
3D surround sound
Price
Costly
Feature
Stereo
Multi-Channel
Yes
System
Speaker based
Speaker Placement
Horizontal
Sound Creation
N/A
Price
Less costly

Dolby Digital Plus

Dolby Digital Plus is the better version of Dolby Digital because more advanced technology is used here. This ensures the multi-channel audio and so much less compression in a lower bit than before.

So, this is so popular among content creators. Not only here but also in phones, tablets, computers, or other devices, DD+ is being used widely.

DD+ can rich, high defined surround sound that everyone always wish for and finally came true. Dolby digital plus in your home theater system can bring your dream come true with the excellent sound system.

What Is Dolby Digital Plus?

Dolby digital plus is a surround sound format that helps the audio file be compressed without losing its original quality. That’s why it is this popular.

It is improved, and engineers put extra effort into delivering accurate audio in the home theater system and another audio system. Firstly it was developed for Blu-ray disc formats, but later for its efficiency, now we see this format in our phones, laptops, or others. DD+ usually works with eight-channel; front left, front right, and front center, then left surround, right surround. Next, left surround back, right surround back, and subwoofer.

As a result, a whole surround sound around you gives a realistic audio interface. This also supports a standard Digital 5.1 channel bitstream. Moreover, it can work with HDMI also.

Less Data But High-Quality Surround Sound With Dolby Digital PLus

DD+ is based on the AC-3 bitstream like Dolby Digital. Both have a lossy bitstream format, but for DD+, the lossy format doesn’t cause any harm to the audio.

Mean I already mentioned that there wouldn’t be any compromise with the audio. Though it is lossy, it provides full high-quality audio than Dolby Digital does.

Another beautiful part of DD+ is that it needless data, and with limited bandwidth, it can deliver incredible audio. This has a limit of 96 kbps to 6mbps, which is much less than Dolby Digital.

The encoding method used in DD+ is so efficient that it makes the transmission rate low. And as a result, is surround sound with fantastic clarity, we can get.

Stream Many Content And Next-Gen Apps With DD+

Getting much popularity for the immersive audio quality who does not want to have access over the DD+. This has come true already as you can now stream HBO, Netflix, or Spotify with DD+ format. And after a few months, Windows 10 will be able to access Dolby Digital Plus. This was announced by Microsoft, which indicates that Microsoft edge and internet explorer will become in support of DD+.

With this path of becoming compatible with Windows 10, DD+ will soon become a digital surround sound format. This means many streaming devices or other audio manufacturers will be compatible with DD+.

The process already began many apps, and streaming providers are implementing this format. So, real soon you will see the effective result.

Who Is The Dolby Digital Plus For?

Simply Dolby Digital Plus is best for audiophiles. Or want to upgrade their Dolby Digital and get the new immersive music experience.

This sound format ensures both the audio and video experience become more realistic. Because after having this connection with your home theater, you will never feel the sound is not authentic or what.

But one thing that needs to remember when you are buying an A/V receiver next time make sure it has an HDMI 1.3 connector with a DD+ decoder.

Dolby Atmos

Dolby Atmos is now a mainly used and most fantastic surround sound system that significantly changes the sound system. I personally like this format as it provides the most realistic sound ever.

Now in every high-quality TV, phone, or even laptop, you will see that they are compatible with Dolby Atmos. This surround sound system adds an extra high channel which helps to get the room filling dramatic cinema audio around you.

What Is Dolby Atmos?

Dolby Atmos is actually an object-based surround sound that brings a revolutionary change in cinema audio. It provides a three-dimensional audio interface around so a natural and subtle sound can get.

3.1.2, 5.1.2, 5.1.4, to 7.1.4 speaker set up works efficiently with Dolby Atmos. The first number is the horizontal speaker, the middle number is a subwoofer, and the third number refers to vertical speakers.

A room or house filling experience after placing the channel in the ceiling. Sound from all of the sides around you fills you with fantastic audio, and you feel you are right in front of the original content.

It helps to get the exact sound, and each sound comes detailed. Each channel does its work significantly great. To know a little deeper, let’s look at what ‘object based surround sound’ means.

Object-Based Surround Sound

Before Dolby Atmos’ concept came, there was e concept of the channel-based sound system. There were five or seven speakers with subwoofers in a channel-based sound system, and they were placed front or back.


This way, a great sound system was placed. But with the Dolby Atmos object-based system, there are extra speakers added. Speakers are called height or ceiling.

This means that ceiling speaker mounts on the ceiling would give you a full realistic sound. But as it can not happen, the manufacturer brings upward-firing speakers.

These upward-firing speakers work the same as the height channel. And you feel everything is happening right in front of you.

Excellent Compatibility Of Dolby Atmos

You already think that your TV or gaming console has a Dolby Atmos feature. But till today, you actually didn’t know what that means. And now you know you can think how excellent sound format it is.

Like your TV now, most of the TV brands like LG, Samsung, sony or orthers tv.contain Dolby Atmos. By this, they ensure the enhance in the TV audio system.

Also, in Apply TV 4K, Amazon Fire TV, Roku TV, Xbox X, Xbox One, Xbox One S, other 4K andoird TV also have Dolby Atmos.

Even on Netflix or on your phone, the laptop, you can see these features. If not, then time buying any of these makes sure they have Dolby Atmos to get the high-end sound.

For the music freak, you can have Dolby Atmos in Spotify Blu-ray. Music any like hip hop to rock, romantic to jazz you can hear excellently.

Who Is The Dolby Atmos For?

For the incredible surround sound, Dolby Atmos didn’t stay in one place. It is implementing by several manufacturers in their product. Thus you everywhere you can see compatible devices with Dolby Atmos.

The TV, streaming device, or anyone can go through with Dolby Atmos and get a pleasant sound experience.

Dolby Stereo

Before the Dolby Surround Sound format, there was a Dolby Stereo and mono sound format available. It was a basic sound system for now, but it was a significant change in the whole audio at an early age.

By following the direction of a stereo system, today’s incredible technology like DD+, Dolby TrueHD, or Dolby Atmos came. Still, Stereo is in great demand, and here many tremendous changes also came that make it perfect for many.

What Is Stereo?

A stereo system has two-channel the right one and the left one. It creates a sound filled around you when you place it in your home theater or beside your TV.

The left and right channel producing sound against each other and each channel do its significant work. So, the exact sound of getting near Dolby Digital can get to hear the high-quality sound.

Maybe it can not give the room-filling sound, but the traditional system is worth much more, you think.

Who Is Stereo For?

Stereo is still good at producing great-sounding, cheap, and other high sound formats if you think technically. There are only two-channel here, and those works efficiently.

For a pleasant audio experience, one doesn’t need more than that. Because today stereo system is no less than others. Anyone can get a fuller audio understanding except the alcoholics.

The audiophile may demand a bit more; thus, they want the DD+ or Dolby Atmos or others. But there are the expenses is closely related. Any audio freak would love to spend quite a lot of time setting his home theater with excellent sound tech.

But the rest of may don’t wish for that. It would be appropriate for those who want a fantastic sound format without spending many expenses behind it.

Dolby Digital Plus VS Dolby Atmos VS Stereo | Main Distinct

Here in this article, a very significant matter in the audio world you know about. These three formats Dolby Digital Plus VS Dolby Atmos VS Stereo holds a great place in the sound system world.

None of them are less than others; instead, they do incredible jobs in their position. So, comparing them won’t be a wise step. That’s why we will see their performance and other criteria individually so you can decide to choose the right one for you.

All About Speaker Placement

I have previously described the speaker placement in a separate section. Let me described a little bit deeper: the Dolby Digital plus supports speaker set from 2.0 to 7.1.

It means in this range you can use the 5.1 sets up or 3.1 set up or any others you want. Here the first number refers to the speaker number, and the second one is the subwoofer.

And DD+ speaker can only be placed horizontally. This way, a complete surround system you can have in your home theater.

Whereas Dolby Atmos, an object-based surround sound system, ensure both horizontal and vertical speaker set up. This is obvious as you are getting the upward-firing or height channel here.

They all need to place in a manner that is cover all your sides, the back, front, above. For the best realistic and breathtaking sound, you can set up eight channels with Dolby Atmos.

You will face these numbers if you want to have Dolby Atmos format 5.1.2, 7.1.4. You already know what these means I described before, so it would be far easier for you to select the one that matches your home theater.

Lastly, the Stereo system has only two-channel. The front right and the front left. These two speakers are easy to place right beside your home theater or your TV.

Supporting Platform

Mainly Dolby Digital Plus format is for Blu ray and works with HDMI 1.3. It also declared that very soon, Windows 10 will also be able to access DD+. And in the future, many manufacturers will use this format in their sounding system.

Besides, this format works with HBO, Netflix, or many mobiles or laptop sound compression platforms.

But Dolby Atmos gives a huge compatible platform for us. You can see in the high tech TV feature, mobile, laptop, blu ray, Netflix, and many more platforms using Dolby Atmos.

Dolby Atmos creates a 3D sound so you can feel you are right in front of them. Even with your phone and pair of headphones, you can enjoy the most realistic Dolby Atmos sound.

And as far concern about home theater, it has now become a needy feature to add.

This same more comprehensive platform goes for Stereo. Many still have a misconception about Stereo that it can not serve as well others. But the big misunderstanding may end here.

The stereo system gives full sound coverage around you, but the sound only performs in front of you. Otherwise, it works the same as DD+ and Atmos.

So, you can set up for home theater or only a music system. Firstly it was used for movie theater and now used wider range.

Breathtaking Sound Quality With Dolby Digital Plus vs Atmos vs Stereo

There is a sharp difference between the sound technology used in Dolby Digital Plus VS Dolby Atmos VS Stereo. These three two different mechanisms, but the goal is to produce the best sound.

Firstly Dolby Digital Plus is mainly based on the speaker. It creates an illusion through the speaker and gives the surround sound. So, you get the room-filling audio experience.

Speakers are placing in such a way that you feel the sound is coming from behind of you, in front of you, and cover the whole room. The waves of sound give an illusion-sounding effect.

The sound becomes so defined, rich, beautiful, and subtle. If you listen to some rock music, you will feel a live concert happening in front of you.

Or if you are enjoying any drama or movie entire environment converts into a dramatic field. Live actions or fighting scene right beside you gives the most realistic feel.

This thing also goes for the Stereo system. Stereo makes the room environment like a movie theater. It gives the atmosphere a punch of sound and creates an excellent performance right before you.

The front right and left speakers produce the sound front of you of high quality. You feel things happening before you. Only a simple difference you won’t feel anything happening above or behind of you.

Otherwise, the whole movie theater experience in your home is outstanding. A beautiful movie night or a music evening party anything you want can be splendid.

And lastly, Dolby Atmos creates a 3D audio experience for giving the viewers or listeners a realistic field. The main goal of Atmos is to take the audience into the movie or before the music creator.

Simply an example, if you see a helicopter scene, you will feel the aircraft is in your house above your head. Or some gunshot battle is happening in your room.

It basically depends on both software and hardware. The software makes the surround sound with the 3D effect. And the speaker placement means the hardwire set up does the rest of the work.

Winner: Both Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos as they offer the advance sound system with incredible performance.

Other Superb Sound Formats That Mostly Used

Like Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, other sound formats also give an immersive sound experience. You may also go through with those terms. So, it is better to have a bit of knowledge about them also.

Dolby TrueHD

Dolby TrueHD is a lossless audio codec. It is kind of Atmos but Atmos mainly lossy format. There is no chance of losing any data in a lossless format, which means you will have the original content as same.

It supports up to 8 channels and UHD, HD Blu ray disc. The sound quality of TrueHD is so detailed and defined.

DTS Virtual X

It mainly works inside the soundbars. The technology makes the sound surround without any ceiling channel. It produces a kind of illusion of room-filling sound around you.

Dolby Digital

Dolby Digital is the predecessor of DD+. It works the same as the DD+, as the small amount of data can produce more expansive surround sound. But the DD+ is the updated version more efficient.

Final Verdict

Dolby Digital Plus VS Dolby Atmos VS Stereo three most significant sound formats connected to our day-to-day life. Almost in audio devices, we came to see these terms, and because of them, we get the incredible sound.

Dolby Digital Plus and Atmos are both fantastic for home theater. And they are now widely used in streaming devices. An entire vibrant and rich sound system they turn into.

Whereas Stereo is old sound format but no less than gold. It was firstly used in movies till now in great demand.

So, I hope now you have the knowledge to find the right one for you and experience the outstanding music experience ever.

FAQs of Dolby Digital Plus vs Atmos vs Stereo

This section is going to provide you some solutions. And these problems are collected from all over the internet to give you a better understanding.

Do Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos make a difference?

The way we were listening to music or watching movies and other things is changing widely. Now there is no time where the film feels artificial. With the blessing of modern technology, we can now have a tremendous realistic audio experience in our home.

And Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos just do this for us. Both of these products sound of high quality; thus, we are experiencing high-end audio. So, they matter.

Which is better, Stereo or Dolby Digital?

There is a mixed confession about what is better, Stereo or Dolby digital? Some say stereo sound better, and others are on the Dolby digital side.

But the fact is previously movies or kinds of music were recorded in a stereo format so it would listen better with Stereo. But today, for high-end music or movie Dolby Digital is far better.