Answered Dolby Atmos With Linn Exotik/Akurate 7.1 System?

Wints57

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I have a new LG OLED B7V 4k TV which I play Netflix through, some films which have Dolby Atmos.

I have a legacy Linn Exotik Pre Amp which has 7.1 analogue audio inputs and outputs and a TOSLink input (amongst others). This enables me to switch between hifi level sound using a Linn Klimax streamer and Linn Silver RCA cables and a compressed 5.1 audio signal from the TV to Exotik pre amp using a dig opt cable.

I also have an OPPO 103 BDP which is connected via 5 RCA cables to the Exotik to achieve Uncompressed Dolby True HS and DTS Master Audio. There is no HDMI input into the Exotik.

I have 3 channel and a 2 channel Akurate amplifiers which feed the 5 speakers, the front 2 Akurate 242s serving as hifi and surround speakers, and an active REL 500 subwoofer.

I would really like to upgrade to Dolby Atmos as the new TV can play Atmos but would also like to keep my legacy Linn Exotik. Not sure of the best way to achieve this or whether it is even possible? It is great using hifi level equipment for my surround sound so wouldn’t want to loose this facility, but would love to get a 5.1.2 System up and running.

This is my first post so I hope I have made sense and someone is able to point me in the right direction or suggest I give up and stick with what I have got. (I also have a matching Linn Akurate 252 centre speaker which goes well with the 242 main speakers).

Looking forward to your responses.

Wints57
 
You would need to add in to your system a pre-amp that has the capability of decoding Atmos metadata (and DTS:X), and that would need to be done via HDMI.

So, to get atmos from your TV you would need to use the HDMI ARC connection back into your atmos capable processor, where it would extract the Atmos soundtrack from the Dolby Digital Plus stream of Netflix. If you wanted to watch Blu Rays / UHD's with Atmos, you would also need to connect your player to the processor via HDMI where the Atmos metadata would be extracted from the Dolby True HD soundtrack, and DTS:X from the DTS HD MA soundtrack.

You could get an entry level / midrange Atmos processor or AVR with pre-outs / multi channel inputs and connect everything together in such a way as you can still use some of your existing kit (eg use the Linn Exotic pre-amp for music).

How much are you looking to spend?
 
I had a similar problem with my 5.1 Linn system, which used a Kinos pre-amp to process inputs from Linn and non-Linn components and output via a stand-alone Audyssey Multi-EQ processor to multichannel amplifiers driving the speakers.

My main problem was that the Kinos had no HDMI support, which meant using separate paths for video & audio (including an HDMI switch) and both RCA & TOSLINK to the Kinos. This was complicated, fiddly to control, and needed a mass of cables. Also, the Kinos didn't support the latest surround formats. However, I wanted to keep the stand-alone amplifiers as the three front speakers are driven actively via Linn modules (3 channels per speaker), so a multichannel AV receiver wouldn't do the job.

My solution was to buy a Marantz AV7704 pre-amp. This allowed me to use all HDMI (with the option of multi-channel RCA input for the Unidisk player), and mothball the Kinos, the stand-alone Audyssey processor, and the HDMI switch.

I don't really see myself as an audiophile these days, but now I'm accustomed to a slightly different tonality, to my - admittedly ageing - ears, it sounds just as good (if not better for some formats), and if I want I can still get the 7.1 Linn sound from my Unidisk via the Marantz 'pure' option. I've removed a bunch of kit & cables and overall system control is massively simplified. YMMV.
 
You would need to add in to your system a pre-amp that has the capability of decoding Atmos metadata (and DTS:X), and that would need to be done via HDMI.

So, to get atmos from your TV you would need to use the HDMI ARC connection back into your atmos capable processor, where it would extract the Atmos soundtrack from the Dolby Digital Plus stream of Netflix. If you wanted to watch Blu Rays / UHD's with Atmos, you would also need to connect your player to the processor via HDMI where the Atmos metadata would be extracted from the Dolby True HD soundtrack, and DTS:X from the DTS HD MA soundtrack.

You could get an entry level / midrange Atmos processor or AVR with pre-outs / multi channel inputs and connect everything together in such a way as you can still use some of your existing kit (eg use the Linn Exotic pre-amp for music).

How much are you looking to spend?
 
Just completed refurbishing the house thus the considerable delay in responding. Back to more important matters.

I will pay whatever it takes to get the thing set up after months of getting to know the ins and outs.

I would like to pay about £300k or less but in reality I will probably have to pay around the £500 mark.

The decoder would need hdmi inputs for my tv and bdp which are both atmos enabled. It would need analogue outputs but no amplification as this will be done by my high end Linn amplifiers, a bit over the top for a surround sound system but excellent in 5.1 mode. So I will consider something that won’t let down the rest of the system even if I have to pay a bit for it.

Any advice would be welcome.

Thanks for your help Rambles, very much appreciated.
 

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