My Dolby Atmos Setup
How hearing a tiny speaker in a Paris café turned into a full home theater obsession. This is the story of every purchase, every upgrade, and every "okay, just one more speaker."
Photos by Ida Wrzesien
Where It All Started
I was sitting in a café in Paris when I heard it — this incredibly rich, full sound filling the room. I turned around expecting to see some massive speaker setup. Instead, there was a tiny Sonos Era 100 sitting on a shelf.
That moment stuck with me. How could something that small sound that good? I went home and started researching Sonos. That was the beginning of the end for my wallet.
The First Sonos
After weeks of research and going back and forth (it's not a cheap speaker), I went for the Move 2. When it arrived and I played my first song, I knew I made the right call.
The deep bass, the clarity in the details — I started replaying songs I'd listened to hundreds of times and hearing things I'd never noticed before. Some tracks were genuinely rediscovered. The Move 2 became my daily driver, sitting right on my desk.
Home Theater Begins
Once you have one Sonos speaker, you start thinking about the next one. I wanted to build a proper home theater. The Arc Ultra was my dream, but it was way out of budget at the time. So I went with the Beam Gen 2.
The Beam was a great surprise on its own, but what really blew my mind was multi-room audio. Playing music across the Move 2 and the Beam simultaneously, perfectly in sync — I couldn't believe how seamless it was. That's when I understood the Sonos ecosystem.
The Foundation
From here it got addictive. I started planning my next steps, and because I've always loved deep bass, I decided to go big — Sonos Sub 4.
It was also my reward for running a marathon. I bought it the same day I crossed the finish line. One of the best decisions I've made. The Sub 4 added a whole dimension to everything — movies had that visceral rumble, and music gained weight and presence I didn't know was missing.
The Height Channels
When I heard Dolby Atmos for the first time on the Beam + Sub combo, something clicked. The spatial effect was incredible even without dedicated height speakers. But I craved more.
The Era 300 was expensive though, so I waited for a price drop. My expectations for the upward-firing speaker were sky-high. When it finally arrived... honestly, my first impression was mixed. It didn't immediately blow me away the way the Sub had.
But then I kept listening. And listening. The more music I played through the Era 300, the more I fell in love with it. The way it places sounds around you, the width, the height — it became my favorite speaker in the entire setup.
Surround Complete
At this point there was only one piece missing — a second Era 300 to complete the surround setup. Again, I waited for a good occasion and price.
When I finally got it, I tried every possible configuration. Stereo pair, rear surrounds, with sub, without sub. The stereo pair with the Sub was surprisingly amazing — I didn't expect that combo to hit so hard. But in the end, I settled on the full surround setup. Movies in Dolby Atmos and spatial music — that's what this whole journey was building toward.
The Full Picture
But it didn't stop there. I had a projector, but to properly enjoy movies on my surround setup, I needed a real TV. I went with the Samsung S85 77" — a more affordable alternative to the S90 and S95. I don't play games or watch sports, so for movies and shows it's a sweet spot.
And the final touch — two PUTORSEN stands for my Era 300 rears. They look clean and put the speakers at the perfect height.
The Missing Piece
For a seamless experience I also got an Apple TV 4K with ethernet. Being able to AirPlay Dolby Atmos directly from my iPhone is so much better than opening the Sonos app every time. It ties everything together — one remote, one interface, and lossless Atmos streaming without any hassle.
Analog Meets Digital
Here's a fun one. I have a record player, and thanks to a simple 3.5 mm to USB-C Line In adapter, I can pipe vinyl through my entire Sonos setup via the Move 2. Old-school records playing through a modern spatial audio system. Best of both worlds.
The Streaming Stack
A setup like this "requires" a few subscriptions. Okay, more than a few. For music I use Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal. For movies and shows: Apple TV+, Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and Canal+. Yes, it adds up. No, I'm not cutting any of them.
The Sonos Bug Spreads
My brother loved my setup so much that he started building his own. He's currently at one Era 100, one Era 300, and a Sub Mini — and I have a feeling it won't stop there. The upside? I got to test those speakers too.
What's Next
I'm on the hunt for a Sonos Arc Ultra. It's the final piece to make my home theater truly complete — replacing the Beam Gen 2 with the flagship soundbar. When the price is right, it's happening.
The Workspace
This setup is the reason Hello Atmos exists. After building all of this, I wanted a way to find which albums and songs are actually available in Dolby Atmos. Nothing good existed, so I built it myself.
Explore the biggest library of Dolby Atmos albums
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