Dolby Labs developed an algorithm that is able to allow audio producers to record multi channel audio information into a standard audio recording and then encode it into a single stream of audio. In order to decode the multi channel information one requires the use of a decoder. AV receivers (Denon, Yamaha, Marantz etc) have this decoder as part of their circuits. Dolby Labs was started in 1965 in London and their first claim to fame was of course the tape noise reduction system.
Dolby's surround sound system all started with Dolby Pro Logic which allowed for the recording of 5.1 channels and has since evolved to Dolby Atmos which allows up to 9.1.4 channels. Dolby Atmos is object based which basically just means that in addition to the front and surround speakers, over head speakers are added and in the 9.1.4 Atmos terminology the ".4" refers to the number of overhead speakers. As you now have speakers that cover front, back and up, you have a 3 dimensional plane in which sounds can be positioned. This is of course similar to the sound stage that you get out of stereo where instruments are placed between the speakers. Atmos obviously creates a larger sound stage as you have speakers all around you.
So for Dolby Atmos to work the source audio requires that the multi channel info was recorded into the audio stream by the producer. Dolby also has a decoder that is able to take standard two channel audio and, using fancy algorithms, split the two channel audio stream into multi channels. This is called Dolby Surround and it is able to split the audio stream even into over head channels. So you can get the same effects from Dolby Surround as from Dolby Atmos. It is surprisingly effective.
In order to use the various Dolby decoders that Dolby Labs have created, one needs to pay Dolby Labs. It would appear as if the Dione does include the Dolby Atmos decoder. HOWEVER, it does not include the Dolby Surround decoder. The way that I understand Devialet's "SPACE is that they effectively wrote their own version of the Dolby Surround that is able to take a standard two channel signal and splits it into 5.1.2 (which is the number of speakers the Dione has) channels.
This has nothing to do with SPATIAL AUDIO from Apple which is headphone audio reproduction system as Struts correctly explained in his OP. Devialet uses the terms "spatialized" which is where the confusion comes in. It has nothing to do with Apple SPATIAL AUDIO but is simply the word that they chose to describe how "SPACE takes a standard two channel audio stream and "upmixes" it into 5.1.2 multi channel audio - exactly what Dolby Surround does.
The Dione does not support Apple SPATIAL AUDIO as it is for headphones and irrelevant to scenarios using fixed position speakers with a listener whose head is facing the front all the time.
Further, Airplay2 does support the transfer of Dolby Atmos signals over its protocol, so in theory you should be able to get the Dione to decode Atmos from an Apple TV that is not directly connected to the Dione via HDMI but is streamed wirelessly using Airplay2. The movie that you are watching obviously need to have a native Atmos soundtrack for this to work. If it does not have a native Atmos soundtrack, The Dione will apply "SPACE" to "simulate" a native Atmos soundtrack.
Dolby is of course not the only company that has created a form of multi channel audio encoding and decoding. DTS has its own version and we also had multi channel DVD-Audio as well as multi channel SACD which both kind of died quiet deaths. Auro Technology also a system that is called Auro 3D. In addition to these native multi channel capacilities, they have all also created algorithms to split standard two channel audio into multi channels. Dolby has its Surround system, DTS calls their NEO 6 and Auro also does this. Seems like Devialet has now added their name to this list with "SPACE".
I hope this explanation helps ......
Dolby's surround sound system all started with Dolby Pro Logic which allowed for the recording of 5.1 channels and has since evolved to Dolby Atmos which allows up to 9.1.4 channels. Dolby Atmos is object based which basically just means that in addition to the front and surround speakers, over head speakers are added and in the 9.1.4 Atmos terminology the ".4" refers to the number of overhead speakers. As you now have speakers that cover front, back and up, you have a 3 dimensional plane in which sounds can be positioned. This is of course similar to the sound stage that you get out of stereo where instruments are placed between the speakers. Atmos obviously creates a larger sound stage as you have speakers all around you.
So for Dolby Atmos to work the source audio requires that the multi channel info was recorded into the audio stream by the producer. Dolby also has a decoder that is able to take standard two channel audio and, using fancy algorithms, split the two channel audio stream into multi channels. This is called Dolby Surround and it is able to split the audio stream even into over head channels. So you can get the same effects from Dolby Surround as from Dolby Atmos. It is surprisingly effective.
In order to use the various Dolby decoders that Dolby Labs have created, one needs to pay Dolby Labs. It would appear as if the Dione does include the Dolby Atmos decoder. HOWEVER, it does not include the Dolby Surround decoder. The way that I understand Devialet's "SPACE is that they effectively wrote their own version of the Dolby Surround that is able to take a standard two channel signal and splits it into 5.1.2 (which is the number of speakers the Dione has) channels.
This has nothing to do with SPATIAL AUDIO from Apple which is headphone audio reproduction system as Struts correctly explained in his OP. Devialet uses the terms "spatialized" which is where the confusion comes in. It has nothing to do with Apple SPATIAL AUDIO but is simply the word that they chose to describe how "SPACE takes a standard two channel audio stream and "upmixes" it into 5.1.2 multi channel audio - exactly what Dolby Surround does.
The Dione does not support Apple SPATIAL AUDIO as it is for headphones and irrelevant to scenarios using fixed position speakers with a listener whose head is facing the front all the time.
Further, Airplay2 does support the transfer of Dolby Atmos signals over its protocol, so in theory you should be able to get the Dione to decode Atmos from an Apple TV that is not directly connected to the Dione via HDMI but is streamed wirelessly using Airplay2. The movie that you are watching obviously need to have a native Atmos soundtrack for this to work. If it does not have a native Atmos soundtrack, The Dione will apply "SPACE" to "simulate" a native Atmos soundtrack.
Dolby is of course not the only company that has created a form of multi channel audio encoding and decoding. DTS has its own version and we also had multi channel DVD-Audio as well as multi channel SACD which both kind of died quiet deaths. Auro Technology also a system that is called Auro 3D. In addition to these native multi channel capacilities, they have all also created algorithms to split standard two channel audio into multi channels. Dolby has its Surround system, DTS calls their NEO 6 and Auro also does this. Seems like Devialet has now added their name to this list with "SPACE".
I hope this explanation helps ......
Devialet 440PRO CI/ Mola Mola Tambaqui + Kalugas / Vivid Audio Giya G2
Cape Town, South Africa
