WHITE PAPER

Dolby® Atmos TM

Cinema Technical Guidelines

Overview
Dolby® AtmosTM achieves unprecedented levels of audience immersion and
engagement by offering powerful new authoring tools to mixers. Its new cinema
processor features a flexible rendering engine that optimizes the audio quality
and surround effects of the Dolby Atmos soundtrack to each room’s speaker layout
and characteristics. In addition, Dolby Atmos has been designed from the ground
up to maintain backward compatibility and minimize the impact on production,
distribution, and exhibition workflows.

The introduction of a new audio format allows for changes in the design of sound
systems without breaking compatibility with existing practices. Dolby has revisited
critical areas of soundtrack reproduction, including equipment performance, layout,
and installation for dubbing theaters and cinemas. This white paper describes how
to equip auditoriums for Dolby Atmos playback.

Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines

Table of Contents
1 Introduction
.......................................................................................................................... 3

1.1 Purpose........................................................................................................................ 3

1.2 Scope
.......................................................................................................................... 3

2 General Goals and Requirements....................................................................................... 4

3 Dolby Atmos System Design................................................................................................ 5

3.1 Screen Speakers........................................................................................................ 5

3.1.1 Speaker and Amplifier Characteristics.................................................. 5

3.1.2 Placement..................................................................................................... 5

3.1.3 Aiming............................................................................................................. 6

3.2 Screen Subwoofers.................................................................................................. 8

3.2.1 Subwoofer and Amplifier Characteristics............................................. 8

3.2.2 Placement..................................................................................................... 8

3.3 Surround Speakers................................................................................................... 9

3.3.1 Speaker and Amplifier Characteristics.................................................. 9

3.3.2 Surround Placement................................................................................10

3.3.3 Side and Rear Surround Spacing..........................................................11

3.3.4 Side and Rear Surround Elevation........................................................12

3.3.5 Side and Rear Surround Aiming............................................................13

3.3.6 Top Surround Placement.........................................................................14

3.3.7 Top Surround Aiming................................................................................16

3.3.8 Surround Speaker Wiring........................................................................17

3.4 Surround Subwoofers............................................................................................17

4 Estimating Speaker Output Requirements....................................................................19

2 Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines

1 Introduction
1.1 Purpose

This document is primarily intended to be a quick design reference for those

involved in the planning of cinemas. Its aim is to help exhibitors determine where
speakers should be installed to reproduce the highest-quality Dolby Atmos audio.

1.2 Scope

This white paper discusses speaker placement, speaker orientation, and

recommended design targets. Final placement of speakers will depend on conditions
such as the physical dimensions of the auditorium, elevation change in the seating
area, architectural and mechanical constraints of each auditorium, and mechanical
design and performance of speakers. These guidelines contain a range of options,
particularly with respect to placement of surround speakers.

These guidelines do not address auditorium design, image size, acoustics, speaker
mounting, safety, or other regulatory issues such as building and electrical codes.

Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines 3

2 General Goals and Requirements
A Dolby Atmos system shall comprise the following, at a minimum:

• Three screen speakers

• Individually amplified and wired side wall, rear wall, and top surround
(overhead) speakers
• Screen or low-frequency effects (LFE) subwoofer(s)

A key feature of Dolby Atmos is the ability to present audio uniformly from all
directions and speakers. To the extent possible, each speaker should have similar
timbre. Screen and surround speakers shall be full range, with an effective
bandwidth of 40 Hz to 16 kHz. Full-range frequency response from surround
speakers can be achieved through bass management.

Each speaker and speaker array shall be calibrated to deliver a sound pressure level
(SPL) at 85 dB(c) at the reference listening position from a wideband pink noise
source signal at –20 dBFS RMS (relative to the RMS level of a 100% modulation
sine wave).

Individual speakers shall be able to produce the following sound pressure levels.

• Screen speakers: 105 dB SPL continuous

• Surround speakers: 99 dB SPL continuous

• Surround arrays: 105 dB SPL continuous

Details are provided in the following sections.

4 Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines

3 Dolby Atmos System Design
3.1 Screen Speakers

3.1.1 Speaker and Amplifier Characteristics

Dolby Atmos does not place new demands on the screen speakers. Existing best
practice still applies. All screen speakers shall be identical. Asymmetric speakers
designed specifically for left (L), center (C), or right (R) position may be used if the
design is intended to provide uniform coverage of the seating area and maintain
similar timbre between the front speakers.

The frequency response of screen speakers shall conform to the wide-range

characteristic defined in ISO 2969/SMPTE 202 standards. The response shall extend
from 40 Hz to 16 kHz. The level at the reference position shall be ≥ 105 dB. If
105 dB is not achievable, select a speaker with greater maximum continuous SPL
capabilities. The associated amplifier shall have a continuous power rating sufficient
to produce 105 dB SPL. Dolby recommends an amplifier with 3 dB headroom (that
is, twice the required continuous power) for reproduction of signal peaks.

3.1.2 Placement

The center speaker should always be placed at the center line (CL) of the screen
image, and the left and right speakers should be placed equidistant from the
center speaker, regardless of the position of the screen within an auditorium.
For an auditorium with a screen wider than 12 meters (approximately 40 ft), the
addition of two screen speakers can be beneficial in creating smoother pans across
the screen. If installed, the left center and right center speakers should be placed
midway between the center speakers and the left and right speakers, respectively.

In traditionally designed auditoriums with fixed image height, the left and right
screen speakers should be positioned midway between the 1.85:1 (flat) and 2.39:1
(scope) images, as illustrated in Figure 1. The screen speakers should be positioned
vertically at the same height, with the acoustic center placed at approximately two-
thirds of the screen height.

The acoustic center will vary with speaker design type, but it is typically located at
the midpoint of the horn for a two-way screen speaker or just between the middle-
and high-frequency horns for a three-way screen speaker system.

Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines 5

Figure 1. Placement of Screen Speakers in Traditionally Designed Cinemas

In auditoriums with fixed image width and top moving masking, the Left and
Right screen speakers should be placed just inside the edge of the image. Due to
the variable height, a compromise must be made for the vertical position. Dolby
recommends positioning the acoustic center midway between two-thirds of the
screen height for the flat and scope images, as illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Placement of Screen Speakers in Cinemas with Fixed Image Width and Top Moving Masking

3.1.3 Aiming

The screen speakers should be rotated horizontally so the axis of the speaker is
oriented at a point two-thirds back in the auditorium along the center line of the
image, as Figure 3 indicates. Only the horns should be rotated horizontally for
speakers mounted in a baffle wall, keeping the low-frequency section flush with the wall.

6 Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines

Figure 3. Rotation of Screen Speakers

The screen speaker horns should be oriented to provide the best coverage over the
seating area (see Figure 4). A number of factors will affect coverage, including the
vertical dispersion characteristics of the speaker, speaker elevation, length of the
auditorium, and change in elevation over the seating area. Refer to the speaker
manufacturer’s literature to determine the downward elevation angle that will yield
the best coverage for your auditorium.

Figure 4. Rotation of Screen Speaker Horns

Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines 7
3.2 Screen Subwoofers

3.2.1 Subwoofer and Amplifier Characteristics

Dolby Atmos does not place any new demands for the reproduction of the Low-
Frequency Effects (LFE) channel. In some cases, the screen subwoofer may be used
for bass management. In such cases, it is important to use a screen subwoofer that
has low distortion in order to avoid high-frequency components that would interfere
with spatial imaging.

The LFE subwoofers shall have a flat response over the range of 31.5 Hz to 120 Hz.
The level at the reference position shall be ≥ 115 dB. If 115 dB is not achievable,
select a speaker with greater maximum continuous SPL capabilities. Alternatively,
additional output can be achieved by increasing the number of subwoofers (and
amplifiers). The associated amplifier shall have a continuous power rating sufficient
to produce 115 dB SPL. Dolby recommends an amplifier with 3 dB headroom (that
is, twice the required continuous power) for reproduction of signal peaks.

3.2.2 Placement

Subwoofers, for low-frequency effects, should be placed on the floor behind the
screen, at the rear wall junction, or flush-mounted in a screen wall, as shown
in Figure 5. When multiple subwoofers are used, Dolby recommends they be
clustered together to increase the effective efficiency through mutual coupling. The
subwoofer cluster should be placed asymmetrically with respect to the center of the
room to minimize stimulation of standing waves (room modes).

Figure 5. Placement of Screen Subwoofers

8 Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines

3.3 Surround Speakers

The surround speakers for Dolby Atmos can be individually driven, or addressed as
an array as with traditional 5.1 or 7.1 surround systems. The surround speakers can
be divided into six left/right symmetrical zones: left side surround and right side
surround; left rear surround and right rear surround; and left top surround and right
top surround. These six zones correspond to the six surround channels in the Dolby
Atmos format (abbreviated respectively as Lss, Rss; Lrs, Rrs; and Lts, Rts), with the
following exception: the top and side surround speaker zones extend all the way
to the screen wall (as described below), while the Top and Side Surround channels
are reproduced using only the speakers in the back two-thirds of the room, as with
traditional 5.1- and 7.1-channel installations.

3.3.1 Speaker and Amplifier Characteristics

The frequency response of surrounds (with or without bass management) shall

conform to the wide-range characteristic defined in ISO 2969/SMPTE 202 standards.
The response shall extend from 40 Hz at the low frequencies and ideally up to 18
kHz. Surrounds for Dolby Atmos require greater maximum SPL from each speaker
when compared to Dolby Surround 7.1 or 5.1. The reference level for the surround
channels is 85 dB (rather than 82 dB), and each speaker is individually controlled
and must meet minimum levels as follows:

• Each surround speaker shall be capable of producing ≥ 99 dB SPL continuous. If

99 dB is not achievable, select a product with greater maximum continuous SPL
capabilities.
• Each surround channel shall be capable of producing ≥ 105 dB SPL continuous.
Note: if the individual channels meet the 99 dB requirement above, then this
requirement can be assumed to be met for all but the very smallest rooms with
fewer than four speakers in any one surround channel.
• The associated amplifier shall have a continuous power rating sufficient to
produce 99 dB SPL continuous. Dolby recommends an amplifier with 3 dB
headroom (that is, twice the required continuous power) for reproduction of
signal peaks.
The SPL output requirements for the surround speakers are greatly influenced by
distance attenuation. To most effectively and efficiently meet the SPL requirements,
different speakers and amplifier models can be used, depending on the speaker
location relative to the audience members. In particular, the speakers (and associated
amplifiers) that are adjacent to the listening area can have relatively modest power
capability—in line with existing surround speakers—while the front-most side and
top surrounds have greater SPL-generating capability. In such cases, the speakers
should be selected to have similar voicing. For example, higher output capability can
be achieved by using the same high-frequency driver with a narrower coverage angle
waveguide (55 ± 5 degrees), and a higher power-handling low-frequency driver.

Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines 9

For the speakers adjacent to the listening area, it is important to use surround speakers
with wide dispersion (≥ 100 degrees) so that each speaker covers the entire listening
area. If side wall or rear wall surrounds are close to listeners, then speakers with
narrow vertical dispersion (55 ± 5 degrees) are desirable.

3.3.2 Surround Placement

One of the main differences between Dolby Atmos and Dolby Surround 7.1 or 5.1 is the
position of surround speakers. In order to precisely position sound from anywhere in an
auditorium, additional surround speakers are added to the side walls and ceiling. Side
surround arrays should extend closer to the screen than previous recommended practices
of speaker placement, starting at one-third the distance to the back of the auditorium.
Top surround speakers are mounted as illustrated in Figure 6 and as described in the Top
Surround Placement and Top Surround Aiming sections of this document.

Figure 6. Placement of Surround Speakers for Dolby Atmos

10 Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines

Top and side surround speakers should always be placed as left-right pairs, with the
left and right speaker at the same distance from the front wall. The top surround
speaker pairs should be placed symmetrically with respect to the screen center line.
In rooms where the screen is not room centered, the side surround speakers pairs can
be placed symmetrically with respect to the room (that is, mounted to the walls in
the traditional fashion).

3.3.3 Side and Rear Surround Spacing

As a rule of thumb for an average-sized cinema, the spacing of surround speakers should
be between 2 and 3 meters (6′6″ and 9′9″). However, the spacing of surround speakers is
most effectively considered in terms of angles subtended from a given listener between
adjacent speakers, as opposed to absolute distances between speakers.

For optimal spatial resolution throughout the auditorium, the angular distance between
adjacent speakers should be 30 degrees or less, referenced from the midpoint between
two speakers at the edge of the central listening area. The central listening area is defined
as those seats more than one-quarter room-width from the nearest wall, as represented
in grey in Figure 7. Speaker spacing should remain linear along the side and rear walls,
where possible.

Figure 7. Prime Listening Area and Angular Distance Between Adjacent Speakers

Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines 11

3.3.4 Side and Rear Surround Elevation

The side and rear surround speakers should be mounted subject to the
following constraints:

• The elevation of the surround speaker closest to the screen should match the
elevation of the acoustic center of the screen speaker.
• The elevation for the speakers along the rear wall should:

○○ Be consistent with the relative elevation of the surround closest to

the screen: as the seating elevation increases toward the rear of the
auditorium, the surround speaker elevation should similarly increase.
○○ Be out of the reach of patrons, where possible, to prevent damage, theft,
and so on.
○○ Be sufficiently high to maintain good coverage across the seating area
according to the directivity of the speaker. One-quarter room-width is a
good guideline.
• The vertical placement of the side surround speakers should form a straight line
from the speaker closest to the screen to the speakers along the rear wall of the
auditorium (see Figure 8).

Figure 8. Elevation of Side and Rear Surround Speakers

12 Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines

3.3.5 Side and Rear Surround Aiming

Side surround speakers should be tilted to orient the axis of each speaker to the
seated ear height of a listener in the farthest seat at the opposite side of the room,
as illustrated in Figure 9.

Figure 9. Aiming of Side Surround Speakers

Rear surround speakers should be tilted to orient the axis of each speaker to the
seated ear height of a listener in the front row, as illustrated in Figure 10.

Figure 10. Aiming of Rear Surround Speakers

Horizontal aiming of the side and rear surround speakers (see Figure 11), relative to
the plane of the wall, should follow the following guidelines:

Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines 13

• Side and rear surround speakers adjacent to the primary listening area should
aim directly into the room (that is, 0 degrees from perpendicular).
• Side surround speakers in front of the seating area and surround speakers in
the rear corners of the auditorium should be angled horizontally toward the
center of the seating area.
• Abrupt changes in horizontal aiming (≥ 30 degrees) from speaker to speaker
should be avoided.

Figure 11. Angling of Side Surround Speakers

3.3.6 Top Surround Placement

Top surround speakers should be installed in two arrays from the screen to the back
wall (see Figure 12). In a typical auditorium, the top surround speakers are placed
in alignment with the Left Center (Lc) and Right Center (Rc) screen channels. The
number and spacing of the top surround speakers should be based on the position of
the side surround speakers. It is important to ensure that the projection-light path is
not obstructed by one or more of the top surround speakers.

14 Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines

Figure 12. Placement of Top Surround Speakers

The lateral position of the arrays should be chosen to optimize spatial immersion
and uniformity across the listening area. As stated earlier, placing the top surround
speaker arrays in alignment with Lc and Rc screen channels will generally produce
good results. For rooms in which the seating area is significantly wider than the
screen, or in which the top surrounds are mounted significantly higher than the
level of the top of the screen, it is desirable to have the overhead arrays more
widely spaced. The minimum width for spacing of top surround speakers conforms
to the spacing of the Lc and Rc screen speakers. The maximum width between top
surround speakers should be determined based on elevation angles as follows.

Let E be the elevation angle of the nearest side surround speaker measured from
the reference position, a point two-thirds back in the auditorium in the middle
of the seating area. The elevation angle of the corresponding top surround array
should be greater than or equal to 45 degrees plus half of angle E, as shown in
Figure 13. For example, if E is 20 degrees, then the elevation angle of the top
surround array should be greater than or equal to 55 degrees.

Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines 15

Figure 13. Maximum Width Between Top Surround Speakers

3.3.7 Top Surround Aiming

In order to provide optimum coverage, the top surround speakers should be angled
laterally (across the auditorium) to a position halfway between the top surround
speaker’s lateral position and the screen center line, as illustrated in Figure 14.

Figure 14. Lateral Angle of Top Surround Speakers

16 Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines

Top surrounds should be angled longitudinally (along the length of the auditorium)
in a manner similar to angling of the side surrounds (see Figure 15). Taking 0
degrees as aiming vertically downward:

• Speakers over the central listening area should aim neither forward nor backward
(that is, they should be aimed at 0 degrees).
• Speakers in front of and behind the central listening area should aim toward the
back and front, respectively.
• Abrupt changes in aiming (≥ 30 degrees) from speaker to speaker should be avoided.

Figure 15. Longitudinal Angle of Top Surround Speakers

3.3.8 Surround Speaker Wiring

All surround speakers should be individually wired back to the location of the
amplifiers and individually powered such that one speaker is directly connected to
one channel of amplification.

3.4 Surround Subwoofers

The timbral consistency of objects panned from the screen speakers to surround
zones is improved when bass performance remains consistent from speaker to
speaker. However, surround speakers are typically not designed for the reproduction
of frequency much below 100 Hz. The Dolby Atmos team has found that the
low-frequency performance for surround speakers can be improved by using bass
management to redirect the bass information from surround speakers to subwoofers
at the back of the room.

Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines 17

Bass information from surround zones in the left half of the room is redirected
toward one or more subwoofers in the rear left of the auditorium; likewise, bass
information from surround zones in the right half of the room is redirected toward
one or more subwoofers in the rear right of the auditorium (see Figure 16).

Figure 16. Placement of Surround Subwoofers

The following guidelines pertain to placement of surround subwoofers in

auditoriums:

• Use an even number (minimum: two) of subwoofers placed symmetrically with

respect to the center line of the auditorium.
• Locate subwoofers in the back half of the auditorium along the side walls, rear
wall, or ceiling.
• Provide sufficient separation between the subwoofer(s) for the left surround
zones and subwoofer(s) for the right surround zones.
• Avoid placing subwoofers in the rear corner of the auditorium—this will
prevent maximum excitation of room modes. The minimum distance from a
surround subwoofer to the rear corner should be approximately one meter.
• Avoid placing the subwoofers near any listening position. High on the side walls or
on the ceiling is best. For a steeply racked theater (with rear seats near the ceiling)
placing the subwoofers closer to the front-to-back halfway point is recommended.
18 Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines
4 Estimating Speaker Output Requirements
The performance guidelines for SPL in this document are given with respect to
the reference listening position and are based on the capabilities and demands of
a calibrated cinema auditorium. Many variables affect playback levels, including
B-chain processing, amplifier and speaker capabilities, and the room itself. Existing
standards for the specification of speakers and amplifier performance cannot take
into account the unique characteristics of each cinema auditorium (screen loss, room
equalization, SMPTE standards for level calibration and characteristic amplitude
response, and so on). As a result, it is impossible to state with certainty the speaker
performance requirements to achieve standard cinema levels in all cases; one can
only estimate.

To assist you in determining the speaker output capability required, the Dolby
Atmos team recommends the following:

1. Determine the speaker’s maximum continuous output SPL (SPL max). This is
often quoted in the speaker manufacturer’s literature. If SPL max is not stated,
compute it using the speaker’s rated sensitivity (1W at 1m) and power handling
(IEC noise, with AES duration of two hours) as follows:

SPL max = Sensitivity + log10(Power Handling)

2. Measure the distance in meters (D2) from the speaker to the reference position,
a point two-thirds back in the auditorium in the middle of the seating area.

3. Using this distance information, calculate the attenuation of sound pressure

from the speaker to the reference position as follows:

Distance Attenuation = 20*log10(D1/D2)

where D1 is one meter, D2 is the distance from step 2, and Distance Attenuation
is a negative number representing level change in decibels.

4. Add Distance Attenuation and SPL max.

Dolby Atmos Cinema Technical Guidelines 19

 Notes on Sound Pressure Level
Achieving sufficient sound pressure levels (SPLs) from each speaker can be a challenge.
The critical factors in achieving the specified SPL at the reference listening position
include the following:

• Distance: The distance from the speaker to the reference listening position.
• Speaker power.
• Speaker sensitivity: This takes into account speaker directivity. Directivity can
increase the SPL at the reference listening position, but only for higher frequencies.
The LF transducer should be specified to produce sufficient output without any gain
assumed based on directivity.
• Speaker aiming: Quoted speaker sensitivity and maximum SPL is based on on-axis
response. To achieve rated performance and uniform coverage, it is essential to aim
each speaker toward the listening area.
• Bass management: Generating sufficient SPL at low frequencies is a particular
challenge, so Dolby Atmos supports bass management of the surround speakers.
Most installations should use a minimum of two surround subwoofers.
• Room loading: Screen speaker sensitivity can be increased by mounting in a baffle
wall (1/2-space loading). Subwoofer sensitivity can be increased by clustering
multiple subwoofers and by mounting at the junction of the wall and floor. Surround
speakers should assume full space loading unless they are flush mounted to a wall
or ceiling surface. Note: flush mounting of surrounds is not generally possible due to
the need to properly aim each surround speaker through the listening area. See the
manufacturer’s guidelines for guidance on resulting gain.
• Speaker and room correction:
○○ The frequency response of the speaker and room requires compensating
equalization to be applied. Large compensation gains will result in an additional
load on the associated amplifier and speaker, limiting overall SPL capability.
○○ Application of EQ according to SMPTE 202 will decrease the output
requirements above 2 kHz. This is a small effect for surround speakers, but it
can significantly ease the requirements for the screen speakers, which must
overcome screen losses.

The following factors should not be assumed to contribute to increased SPL at the
reference listening position:

• Loss of less than 6 dB per doubling of distance: All real sources, including line arrays,
are subject to the inverse square law.
• Room gain: Modern cinema auditoria have low reverberation.

Dolby Laboratories, Inc.

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