Auro 3D Makes Music and Movies DA BOMB!

I am not really into format wars, I am more into SQ and convenience. For me an Auro 3D setup was more convenient than atmos because:
1. I already had a matching set of 4 book shelf speakers ready to mount as height channels.
2. The configuration meant I didn't have to drill holes and/or, run wires across my ceiling.
3. I mounted my speakers on tall stands like a DJ uses, no drilling brackets into the walls.
4. I stream nearly everything for convenience which means native auro or atmos content is a non issue. Those BRD are too damn expensive which means upmixing was the way to go for convenience and budget.

I feed my processor a 192/24 PCM signal that is upconverted by my PC's Xonar U7 soundcard (review posted in PC forum of this site).

Now for SQ Auro 3D makes all of the other formats I have heard in my room on my system sound like a toy. Don't get me wrong, before getting auro they sounded great but after they are just so so in comparison. You "think" you have heard a good soundstage when you get left to right width and front to back depth but that is based on everything else you have heard. Wait until you hear a soundstage that extends top to bottom with precision as well. To hear an acoustic bass players fingers move "up and down" the frets, to almost "see" Benny Goodman's clarinet being waved around in the air as your ears track the position of the horn as he waves it around. Movies are "another level" literally. Auro describes it as being enveloped in a bubble of sound. I would describe traditional surround as speakers pushing sound toward you. With Auro 3D it feels as you are being "pulled" into the sound and you can't tell where it is coming from, it is just everywhere.
Now caveats, I have not listened to an an atmos layout in my space, only used the atmos upmixer through my auro layout. I like atmos use of the rear surrounds in movies but for me it isn't like being pulled into a bubble of sound, just more sound being pushed down from above. Another thing about auro is you can tailor the surround parameters and tweak them for the room, the type of content, and your taste.
For me once I engaged auro it sounds like i upgraded everything not just a $200 codec.
Auro is very specific about speakers. Ideally the same one or at least the same brand all around and preferably full range. I use Paradigm Active 40's as bed channels, active 20's as height channels, an active CC center channel and an active Shift A2 as VOG. All of them extend below 40 HZ so that;s where I crossed them over to get as close to full range as possible. I don't know if I could have gotten such good results without the right speakers.
Hearing a soundstage extend top to bottom as well as front and back and left to right with precision is exactly why I would consider this a truly "3D" experience and it literally made stereo. atmos, etc seem like toys in comparison.
I wanted to post pics but they seem way to large, I will try and figure it out.

Thanks for the videos, the effort and expense to setup an auro layout is minimal compared to the SQ and convenience. If you ever consider it the one piece of advice I would give is to try and select speakers that extend at least below 50 hz for your height channels. I know the Dolby reference is a cross over of 80 hz for home theater but Auro recommends full range. If I were selecting speakers today I would look at active speakers first (Paradigm no longer makes the Active Reference series) so maybe JBL LSR or PRX 700 series or QSC K series. The only passive book shelves I know that extend below 40 hz are the DefTech Studio Monitor series (SM 45,55 and 65) but I am sure there are others.

Well said, I love 2 channel stereo but after 3D audio it is lackluster in comparison. As for the crossovers if you are using a dolby layout being fed a dolby digital signal there is no reason not to use the recommended 80 hz crossover. The LFE channel is designed that way. Auro recommends a PCM signal which does not use a LFE channel. I think the crossover point is room and system dependent and there is no one right setting for everyone. My height channels have internal amplification so high sensitivity and power handling are entirely different from passive speakers. I can't really compare to an atmos layout but in the end I would prefer either codec over traditional stereo. Thanks audioguy. Can you post a pic of your setup?

Wow! That looks like an amazing theater, It must be great to have a dedicated space like that. You really made an interesting comparison when you said your wife liked the upgrade to 3D sound more than upgrading to that datasat processor. Installing 4 height speakers costs a lot less than $20K! Of course if you asked me I would prefer to have both