DTS:X headphone for Win10 is 1/2 off / Dolby Atmos headphone is $4.50 off

Both Windows 10 enhancement for Headphone users (also good for those with external decoders) is discounted on MS Store. DTS:X is normally $19.99, Dolby Atmos is $14.99 normally.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/dts-sound-unbound/9pj0nkl8mcsj?activetab=pivotverviewtab $9.99

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/dolby-access/9n0866fs04w8?activetab=pivotverviewtab $10.49

For DTS:X, you may need to install the app first and purchase through the app to get the pricing, which is what I did.

 

Does it actually work (shows in Windows as a 5.1/7.1 playback device), and how convincing is the surround sound effect?

 

@yrekabakery

It sets Windows to 2.0, and the application is handling the surround. In games, it does work, even if it doesn't support Dolby or DTS out, as i tested this with an old game (Divinity 2) and standing near a fireplace, I was able to spin around, and the audio was directional relative to the fire. I believe Win10 enables virtualization to apps despite it being set to 2.0 in the controls when you enable Spatial Sound.

In videos, it is spot on. Watching "The Madalorian" in 4K with 5.1 Dolby Atmos is a real treat with it enabled. Very immersive.

Now movies can come with Dobly and/or DTS encoding, which is why I recommend getting both. This way you can experiement which works best for your games (some games even support Dolby Surround or Atmos, same for DTS:X). You can also get the apps as a demo, and try them before buying.

 

Unfortunately this won't work in games which don't allow you to manually specify multi-channel audio from within their options, which is the majority of games. The app needs to create a virtual audio playback device that shows up as a 5.1/7.1 output in Windows. Otherwise most game engines will feed the DSP only a stereo signal. While virtualizing a stereo signal does improve the soundstage, you're not getting the accurate positioning that you would with real 5.1/7.1 surround emulation.

I was curious because when I first looked into these apps years ago at release, they had this problem, and I was curious if it had been fixed. It appears that is not the case.

 

Spatial Sound when it first was introduced had a checkbox for enabling 7.1 Virtualization. The checkbox is now gone, because it enables it by default. So yes, the games ARE configured for 7.1 if they use Windows settings.

 

Only if Windows is set to 7.1 also, otherwise the engine feeds the virtualizer a stereo signal.

 

that is incorrect. The Spacial Sound will show applications that it's 7.1, however, in Windows Controls it will list Stereo only. This is why the older version had a 7.1 Virtualization toggle in Sound ... Properties. In essence, when Spatial Sound is On, 7.1 Virtualization is enabled for games and other applications, which then outputs a HTRF embedded Stereo mix. Why there is no indicator for the 7.1 Virtual, I don't know, and does cause some confusion, unless you remember how it worked before.

Yeah, it's cludgey in how it's done, but it does work. It would be utterly pointless to NOT have 7.1 Virtualization with a Surround Virtualizer.

I've tested this with SBX 7.1 vs DTS:X vs Atmos, and I found the results are very similar to spatial cues, even with above/below. Each Spatializer has their own nuances, as some like to have a stronger center channel than another, and depending what options are enabled.