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
Offer ends 12/3/20.
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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.
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.
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1) Preferred the default sound of Atmos over DTS:X in general testing in the games I play most
2) Noticed that DTS:X seems to have better reviews and is newer FWIW, but it's really a personal preference
3) Especially preferred Atmos sound in what seemed to be native content (i.e. Warzone), and it seems like there is more Atmos "native" in games (such as Cyberpunk)
4) There is one game (Overwatch) where the Atmos for Headphones license is built in. Unclear if other games are going this way, but if they do you don't need this license.
5) DTS:X has custom built-in profiles for certain headphones, mine is not included.
6) In true Slickdeals fashion, I decided to buy both given the sales. Plan to try out both when I start a new game, but think I'll end up using Atmos as my default, then DTS:X mostly for DTS:X native movies if I watch them with headphones on my PC or Xbox.
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