5.1 surround sound speaker layout diagram
Standard 5.1 surround sound speaker arrangement — the most common channel-based audio format · Photo: Daniel Christensen (talk) · Source · CC BY-SA 3.0

What is it?

Channel-based audio assigns each audio track to a specific loudspeaker. The most common format is 5.1 surround (L, C, R, Ls, Rs, LFE) — the de facto standard for fulldome delivery worldwide.

Formats in Dome Use

FormatChannelsHeight?
Stereo2No
5.16No
7.18No
7.1.412Partial (4 height)
Custom (17.3)20Yes

Limitations

5.1 provides no height information — a significant gap in a hemispherical venue. Tom Ammermann suggests adding 4 height speakers to any 5.1 system (creating 5.1.4) as a cost-effective spatial upgrade.

See also: Spatial Audio → · Object-Based Audio → · Ambisonics →

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