CES 2015

A small-scaled but pleasing Dolby Atmos upmix demo unfolded in Atlantic Technology's room at the Venetian, uniting the company's new sound base and existing Atmos add-on modules.

The 3.1 HSB, as the name implies, is a 3.1-channel power assisted H-PAS sound base that's passive except for the 100-watt amp that powers its H-PAS subwoofer, which by the way is a true subwoofer, thanks to its ingenious and much celebrated waveguide. It is said to reach down to 35 Hz. Shipping in March or April for $799.

The demo juxtaposed the bar with Atlantic's 44DA Atmos modules ($500/pair) and this was the first time we've seen Atmos speakers placed alongside (as opposed to on top of) the left and right channels. The demo did not use Atmos-encoded material but did take advantage of the Dolby Surround upmixer which is part of the Atmos package. In Gravity, the simulated height effects dramatized visuals of Sandra Bullock floating around a space station gone wrong.