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expired Posted by goosedude • Nov 24, 2020
expired Posted by goosedude • Nov 24, 2020

Dolby Atmos for Headphones Add-On (Xbox / Windows Digital) for Dolby Access App

$11

$15

26% off
Microsoft Store
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Deal Details
Microsoft.com has Dolby Atmos for Headphones Add-On (Xbox / Windows Digital) for use the Dolby Access app (free download) on sale for $10.49. Thanks goosedude

Note, requires installation of the free Dolby Access app (free download) to use this add-on feature.

Description
  • "Dolby Atmos for Headphones is an add-on for the Dolby Access app, Dolby Atmos for Headphones enables your Windows 10 PC to deliver a premium, immersive headphone experience. You’ll get the full Dolby Atmos moving audio experience with games, movies, and shows designed for Dolby Atmos, and an enhanced surround sound experience for all your favorite 5.1- and 7.1-channel content."
Compatibility:
  • Windows 10 PC
  • Xbox One / One S / One X
  • Xbox Series S / Series X

Editor's Notes

Written by RevOne | Staff
Offer ends 12/3/20.

Original Post

Written by goosedude
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Microsoft.com has Dolby Atmos for Headphones Add-On (Xbox / Windows Digital) for use the Dolby Access app (free download) on sale for $10.49. Thanks goosedude

Note, requires installation of the free Dolby Access app (free download) to use this add-on feature.

Description
  • "Dolby Atmos for Headphones is an add-on for the Dolby Access app, Dolby Atmos for Headphones enables your Windows 10 PC to deliver a premium, immersive headphone experience. You’ll get the full Dolby Atmos moving audio experience with games, movies, and shows designed for Dolby Atmos, and an enhanced surround sound experience for all your favorite 5.1- and 7.1-channel content."
Compatibility:
  • Windows 10 PC
  • Xbox One / One S / One X
  • Xbox Series S / Series X

Editor's Notes

Written by RevOne | Staff
Offer ends 12/3/20.

Original Post

Written by goosedude

Community Voting

Deal Score
+136
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Top Comments

vwbeetlvr
1794 Posts
1397 Reputation
The x-box comes with real dolby atmos for real speakers. This is simulated Dolby Atmos for headphones only.
BrainDoc
2936 Posts
932 Reputation
You can. I have it installed on two computers and use it with multiple headphones on those devices.

EDIT: I wouldn't pay for this. I received it free with a headset purchase but it's not that much better than Windows Sonic. For $11? Maybe worth it but I'd rather spend my money elsewhere.
66Days
413 Posts
77 Reputation
I just did a quick test of both Atmos and DTS. Testing left right audio was useless as off provided sufficient information. Depth (distance from me) and angle (above or under me) were the values I ended up testing. I thought about making a more detailed youtube video, but since SlickDeals brought this deal to my attention I figured I would share my early results and then let you all tell me if it's worth making an longer video.

Headphones: Corsair VOID wireless and ATH-MX50
Game: Assassin's Creed Origin. Selected because it is marketed as a game for Atmos for headphones.
Method: I went into a city with a lot of ambient noises and found a donkey. With my eyes shut I ran away while pressing left and right and spinning my mouse for 5 to 10 seconds. I kept my eyes shut and then when the donkey started walking I would follow the sound and try and track back to the animal.

I repeated this for off, sonic, Atmos, and DTS for both headphones.

Then I climbed a building and stood by the edge. With my eyes shut I waited for a hay cart to come by and tried to jump into the cart.

Again I repeated this for all four for both headphones.

Results: Keep in mind the subjective nature of this and the very limited testing sample.

Overall sound quality. While the overall sound was marginally better with any 3D sound tech vs off I couldn't really tell much difference between the quality of the three options.

Non-voice sound effects had a better sense of depth with DTS than the other two 3D solutions. Noticeable but not significant (subjective use of the word, not statistical). I was repeatedly closer to the hay cart with DTS than the other two options.

Voice sound effects were identical for characters that were walking about, but there was a sense of distance. NPC yelling from a fixed point were very strange as their volume seemed to increase as I moved farther away from them until I could no longer hear them. This negated any depth information their sound provided.

Conclusion. Overall the distance a sound was coming from did seem improved with 3D sound enhancement vs off. In limited sampling no single 3D sound solution seemed the best. Angled sound was less impressive. DTS did seem the best of the three but more so when trying to locate birds above my head than people under me. In both above and below testing it was an acceptable improvement but not impressive.

This limited test suggests that, for gaming at least, Sonic is sufficient for improving sound.

Let me know if it's worth me taking the time to try more tests.

157 Comments

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Nov 24, 2020
94 Posts
Joined Dec 2006
Nov 24, 2020
jbyron
Nov 24, 2020
94 Posts
Quote from Sporkinum :
No, but it is currently broken. Seemed to break around a week ago. Having to have all sound from computer go out 5.1 now. Shame too, as the Atmos from PC to receiver sounded great while it was working. Hoping they get it fixed soon.
Oh thank god I thought it was just me. I was losing my mind. What's annoying is if you select atmos for headphones it works, but atmos for home theater does not. Not sure if there is a difference in the signal or data, but I've just left it on 5.1 for now.
Nov 24, 2020
1,905 Posts
Joined Dec 2004
Nov 24, 2020
awdawg
Nov 24, 2020
1,905 Posts
Quote from kjvmartin :
My headphones were plug and play on the Xbox. No special software.

I will need to mess around more in the settings. Thanks
I'd test the demo content in the app out on the xbox. Should be pretty easy to test with those.
Nov 24, 2020
25 Posts
Joined Oct 2017
Nov 24, 2020
TangoGames
Nov 24, 2020
25 Posts
Quote from StutterFace :
Wondering that myself, everything in the description page points to Win10.
It works on Series X. That's where I purchased it. I can use it on my PC through the same Windows Account that I use for my xbox.
Nov 24, 2020
280 Posts
Joined Sep 2016
Nov 24, 2020
bad1234
Nov 24, 2020
280 Posts
Do you know if you can use it on different computer/devices if they're under a different login. For example, my xbox account and my computers windows account have different emails associated with them.
Nov 24, 2020
2,671 Posts
Joined Aug 2008
Nov 24, 2020
UnstableChimp
Nov 24, 2020
2,671 Posts
Quote from StutterFace :
So is Windows Sonic no bueno? What does this give that Sonic doesn't?

Also, the product description only mentions Win10...nothing about consoles. Odd. Meh, sale ends in 10 days...time to educate myself.
Nice article on the differences here :
https://reddiamondaudio.net/windo...%20choice.
Nov 24, 2020
2,671 Posts
Joined Aug 2008
Nov 24, 2020
UnstableChimp
Nov 24, 2020
2,671 Posts
Quote from UT07 :
Well...because physics gonna physics, no matter how much marketing nonsense you tag to it. Dolby Atmos requires speakers above your head. You can't do that with software.
Exactly. Windows Sonic and this app essentially take multichannel sound, and "manipulate" it for stereo (headphones) to emulate "surround sound". With that being said, sound can be manipulated to give the illusion ("trick your ears") into positional audio. Although physics will be physics, our senses can be "tricked". For instance our eyes can be tricked into 3D images. Even though the image is 2D, our eyes can be tricked into seeing in in 3D. The same can be said for audio.
Nov 24, 2020
1,647 Posts
Joined Sep 2011
Nov 24, 2020
StutterFace
Nov 24, 2020
1,647 Posts
Quote from UnstableChimp :
Nice article on the differences here :
https://reddiamondaudio.net/windo...%20choice.
Good stuff, thanks!

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Nov 24, 2020
822 Posts
Joined Jan 2010
Nov 24, 2020
maverickSD
Nov 24, 2020
822 Posts
Heads up if you are in the "never knew I needed this" camp. There is a 7 day free trial and the banner says the deal is good for 11 days. Am trying now.
Nov 24, 2020
118 Posts
Joined Oct 2013
Nov 24, 2020
kickendter
Nov 24, 2020
118 Posts
Just use Hesuvi which is free
Nov 24, 2020
37,299 Posts
Joined Aug 2007
Nov 24, 2020
fyu
Nov 24, 2020
37,299 Posts
Nov 24, 2020
6,954 Posts
Joined Aug 2013
Nov 24, 2020
ShetBoyardee
Nov 24, 2020
6,954 Posts
How do we confirm its lifetime sub? I see on packaging of RiG headphones it only is 2 yr activation
Nov 24, 2020
672 Posts
Joined Jul 2005
Nov 24, 2020
4matic
Nov 24, 2020
672 Posts
Does anyone get crackling and audio cut offs on their Xbox one/series consoles using Dolby atmos? Also seems like it get interference every time I try to open up the Dolby app in Xbox and try to change settings.
Nov 24, 2020
128 Posts
Joined Mar 2008
Nov 24, 2020
PiNPOiNT2K
Nov 24, 2020
128 Posts
I really like Boom3D ($12) for an equalizer in windows 10. It has faux 3D as well, but the presets and ambience settings are nice and make my decent headphones even sound better.
Nov 24, 2020
150 Posts
Joined Nov 2017
Nov 24, 2020
ArT9806
Nov 24, 2020
150 Posts
What games out there even support atmos. I already bought it because Atmos is incredible on my sound system so figure I would try for headphones, but does COD cold war even support atmos? I havent seen that as an audio option in any game...8.5.2

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Nov 24, 2020
413 Posts
Joined Jun 2020
Nov 24, 2020
66Days
Nov 24, 2020
413 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank 66Days

I just did a quick test of both Atmos and DTS. Testing left right audio was useless as off provided sufficient information. Depth (distance from me) and angle (above or under me) were the values I ended up testing. I thought about making a more detailed youtube video, but since SlickDeals brought this deal to my attention I figured I would share my early results and then let you all tell me if it's worth making an longer video.

Headphones: Corsair VOID wireless and ATH-MX50
Game: Assassin's Creed Origin. Selected because it is marketed as a game for Atmos for headphones.
Method: I went into a city with a lot of ambient noises and found a donkey. With my eyes shut I ran away while pressing left and right and spinning my mouse for 5 to 10 seconds. I kept my eyes shut and then when the donkey started walking I would follow the sound and try and track back to the animal.

I repeated this for off, sonic, Atmos, and DTS for both headphones.

Then I climbed a building and stood by the edge. With my eyes shut I waited for a hay cart to come by and tried to jump into the cart.

Again I repeated this for all four for both headphones.

Results: Keep in mind the subjective nature of this and the very limited testing sample.

Overall sound quality. While the overall sound was marginally better with any 3D sound tech vs off I couldn't really tell much difference between the quality of the three options.

Non-voice sound effects had a better sense of depth with DTS than the other two 3D solutions. Noticeable but not significant (subjective use of the word, not statistical). I was repeatedly closer to the hay cart with DTS than the other two options.

Voice sound effects were identical for characters that were walking about, but there was a sense of distance. NPC yelling from a fixed point were very strange as their volume seemed to increase as I moved farther away from them until I could no longer hear them. This negated any depth information their sound provided.

Conclusion. Overall the distance a sound was coming from did seem improved with 3D sound enhancement vs off. In limited sampling no single 3D sound solution seemed the best. Angled sound was less impressive. DTS did seem the best of the three but more so when trying to locate birds above my head than people under me. In both above and below testing it was an acceptable improvement but not impressive.

This limited test suggests that, for gaming at least, Sonic is sufficient for improving sound.

Let me know if it's worth me taking the time to try more tests.
Last edited by 66Days November 24, 2020 at 02:21 PM.
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