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Is Dolby Atmos for Headphones Worth $15 over the free Windows Sonc?

AppleBlade

AppleBlade

Member
Nov 15, 2017
1,711
Connecticut
I play games with headphones on. My game room has not extra sound system besides the TV speakers. The headphones I use are some basic Turtle Beach headphones but they do support both Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos for headphones. Is Dolby Atmos for headphones worth the extra $15 expense?
 
Lump

Lump

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,034
If you regularly play any games on this list (that rely on the Windows-based version of Atmos for Headphones and don't have their own internal Dolby Atmos for Headphones modes like Overwatch), then yes. Division 2 in particular had some mindblowing use of the tech.

www.pocket-lint.com

Dolby Atmos for gaming: What is it and which games support it?

Dolby Atmos is the bleeding edge of home cinema technology when it comes to surround sound audio. See what it means for gaming.
www.pocket-lint.com www.pocket-lint.com
 
Firebrand

Firebrand

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,717
I haven't been terribly impressed with Atmos but I prefer it to plain stereo in Overwatch at least (where it's built in). As for Sonic, I tried it in Forza and found it distorted the centered sounds more than Atmos or DTS did.
 
Fabtacular

Fabtacular

Member
Jul 11, 2019
4,244
I bought it and couldn't tell a difference. But I'm not audiophile, so your results may differ.

That said, there may be a notable difference now for games tuned for Atmos?
 
OP
OP
AppleBlade

AppleBlade

Member
Nov 15, 2017
1,711
Connecticut
I signed up for the trial but missed whether this is one of those trials where they automatically charge you or will it just stop functioning after 7 days? If anybody knows, let me know.
 

Deleted member 20831

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
1,951
I'd suggest not to use either, just a good pair of headphones will do wonders.

Most games resolve stereo audio pretty damn good, you just have to make sure that your Windows System audio and/or In-game audio are set to Headphones sound profile.
(I myself just use Windows System audio to Headphones, but In-Game audio depending on how the game sounds)
 
Mifune

Mifune

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,044
I think it's worth it for 15 bucks. Gears 5, Ori, and Cyberpunk sound pretty great. Atmos is good for movies, too.
 
leng jai

leng jai

Member
Nov 2, 2017
15,119
Easily, even for games that don't natively support. To put it plainly Windows Sonic isn't very good. Both DTS: X and Atmos have free trials, no reason not to try.
 
Xumbrega

Xumbrega

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,080
Brasil
+1 vote to DTS, it's definitely a step up over Sonic, Atmos as well, but I would pick DTS since its better for games than Atmos
 
Sky87

Sky87

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,865
RvinP said:
I'd suggest not to use either, just a good pair of headphones will do wonders.

Most games resolve stereo audio pretty damn good, you just have to make sure that your Windows System audio and/or In-game audio are set to Headphones sound profile.
(I myself just use Windows System audio to Headphones, but In-Game audio depending on how the game sounds)
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I'd much rather have sounds coming from behind actually sound like they're coming from behind. With Stereo you only have 2 channels so just panning around the camera will sound pretty terrible if you're used to 5.1.
 
leng jai

leng jai

Member
Nov 2, 2017
15,119
Firebrand said:
I haven't been terribly impressed with Atmos but I prefer it to plain stereo in Overwatch at least (where it's built in). As for Sonic, I tried it in Forza and found it distorted the centered sounds more than Atmos or DTS did.
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Forza Horizon is a poor example of spatial audio. Try Resident Evil 2 or Cod 2019.

RvinP said:
I'd suggest not to use either, just a good pair of headphones will do wonders.

Most games resolve stereo audio pretty damn good, you just have to make sure that your Windows System audio and/or In-game audio are set to Headphones sound profile.
(I myself just use Windows System audio to Headphones, but In-Game audio depending on how the game sounds)
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The "Headphone" option is a lot of games isn't very good, half the time all it does is gimp the dynamic range because it assumes you're using a poor quality gaming headset. The setting you want if there is one is "studio reference" or whichever one has the highest dynamic range in the description.
 
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headspawn

headspawn

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,619
leng jai said:
The "Headphone" option is a lot of games isn't very good, half the time all it does is gimp the dynamic range because it assumes you're using a poor quality gaming headset. The setting you want is there is one is "studio reference" or whichever one has the highest dynamic range in the description.
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This pisses me off to no end, it just feels like it's unclear whether or not you're getting the right experience or if you have selected something that is actually worse., a notification or something would be nice, maybe a way to see what the game is outputting. I wish they dumbed it down to a simple "check this box for Atmos"/"check this box for DTS", make it idiot proof.

I started Cyberpunk and derped, selected 'Headphones', forgetting for the billionth time and the difference between the default and 'headphones' was pretty damned noticeable.
 
leng jai

leng jai

Member
Nov 2, 2017
15,119
Firebrand said:
I could see that, but Sonic made the engine sound of my car sound like farts which was, well, less immersive!
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Windows Sonic completely screws frequency response, don't even bother with it. Atmos and DTS do too to a lesser extent while actually improving the sound stage and imaging substantially.
 
Lucifonz

Lucifonz

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,132
United Kingdom
Absolutely, in my opinion. It's always blatently noticable when the Xbox bugs out and switches back to Windows Sonic for me. Sonic and DTS just both sound too 'tinny' for me - I feel like they really ruin the soundscape for the benefit of improved positional audio, whereas Atmos doesn't have that issue.

Your mileage may vary but all provide trials so give them a whirl!
 
Terbinator

Terbinator

Member
Oct 29, 2017
10,252
What is the situation around the Performance mode switch in the Atmos app - on or off? I assumed on as its to help with sound location?
 

Deleted member 50735

User requested account closure
Banned
Dec 10, 2018
519
Unfortunately it depends on a game by game basis, at least on Xbox. For example AC Origins sounds sublime with Dolby Atmos headphones and better than DTS X. However for non Atmos games I generally prefer DTS X. Regardless, either sound better than Sonic. Also some games sound better with just using stereo uncompressed and setting in game audio to headphones and therefore allowing the game to do the surround virtualisation.

Ymmv depending on headphones and how wide their sound stage is. My opinion is based on using open back AKG K712Pro's. With that headset I dont enable Performance toggle in the game setting of Dolby Access btw.
 

Simbo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
252
I've been using Atmos on PC and Xbox for a couple of years now and much prefer it to other spacial sound options. I tried DTS:X and couldn't stand it......sounded tinny and flat. To my ears Atmos is by far the best sounding option over headphones and my 7.1 setup.

I would always recommend Atmos over everything else.
 
sirap

sirap

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,210
South East Asia
Try both DTS and Atmos, see which one pairs the best with your headphones.

Personally I find Atmos too much for higher end cans, DTS is much more balanced and doesn't mess with your headphone's FR.
 
FlanjeUK

FlanjeUK

Member
Apr 20, 2019
286
Sky87 said:
I'd much rather have sounds coming from behind actually sound like they're coming from behind. With Stereo you only have 2 channels so just panning around the camera will sound pretty terrible if you're used to 5.1.
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Because you only have 2 ears, you only need 2 speakers to create 3D sound. Also changing the sound output from Stereo to Atmos/5.1 doesn't magically add more speaker to your headphones they still output in a stereo mix
 
Betamaxbandit

Betamaxbandit

Member
Jan 30, 2018
2,086
This is a hard one. I tried the Atmos demo a while back and there were some weird audio issues in certain games so I never bought it on last gen. On Series X I tried the DTS demo and really liked it but let my trial lapse without buying it.

If I had to rank it I would say DTS is better than Atmos however Windows Sonic sounds (at least to me) pretty decent as well

MS recently uploaded a new audio demo that may help some choose if they have access to trial versions

 
Lukar

Lukar

Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 27, 2017
23,410
Yes, as long as you don't play Final Fantasy XV on Xbox. Despite being listed as a game that specifically supports Atmos, playing it with Atmos enabled causes it to crash iirc. Unless they fixed it recently, which I doubt.

For every other game though, it's great and I love it.
 
Kickfister

Kickfister

Member
May 9, 2019
1,791
Just in case you haven't seen it, I maintain this thread for DTS Headphone X here. I recommend trying the trials for both DTS and Atmos and picking which one works best for your ears/headphones. To me, DTS Headphone X is the absolute clear winner in terms of audio quality and spatial awareness, but results vary.

But yes, I do think that spatial audio is a technology worth buying into. I've heard that the support on xbox is a bit buggy, but it doesn't only apply to games in the list. It also applies to any game with a 5.1/7.1 surround mix (almost all games these days). It works well and is an improvement over plain stereo in most cases, though it obviously won't have the height and other more nuanced elements of properly supported spatial audio.
 
P40L0

P40L0

Member
Jun 12, 2018
7,628
Italy
Oopy Doopy said:
Just in case you haven't seen it, I maintain this thread for DTS Headphone X here. I recommend trying the trials for both DTS and Atmos and picking which one works best for your ears/headphones. To me, DTS Headphone X is the absolute clear winner in terms of audio quality and spatial awareness, but results vary.

But yes, I do think that spatial audio is a technology worth buying into. I've heard that the support on xbox is a bit buggy, but it doesn't only apply to games in the list. It also applies to any game with a 5.1/7.1 surround mix (almost all games these days). It works well and is an improvement over plain stereo in most cases, though it obviously won't have the height and other more nuanced elements of properly supported spatial audio.
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I fully agree, and I also prefer DTS: Headphone X v2 to Atmos and Sonic for both games and movies. All of them. Music will remain untouched to Stereo when using any of the 3.

P.S.
Using Lucidsound LS35X on Xbox Series X.
 
Sky87

Sky87

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,865
FlanjeUK said:
Because you only have 2 ears, you only need 2 speakers to create 3D sound. Also changing the sound output from Stereo to Atmos/5.1 doesn't magically add more speaker to your headphones they still output in a stereo mix
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With 5.1, Atmos, DTS or whatever, sounds coming from behind and the side actually sound like they're coming from the correct place. With Stereo, sound instantly swaps from left to right or vice versa if you spin the camera around a source of sound. It won't sound like it's actually coming from behind (or below/above for that matter with Atmos/DTS).

Stereo does not even come close to sounding as rich and immersive as 5.1 even with headphones.
 
plagiarize

plagiarize

It's not a loop. It's a spiral.
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
27,558
Cape Cod, MA
I definitely hear the difference in Atmos supported games, but as others point out, it kind of comes down to if you want to play those games as to whether or not the $15 is worth it.

To me, it is, since I play most of these games.

I wish more games supported it, naturally, but what can you do?
 
Jinjo

Jinjo

Member
Nov 12, 2017
313
DTS:X is very good in the games that support it. The codec on PC was easily worth it. I always immediately notice it when it's turned off.
 

Deleted member 25094

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
1,681
There's no way of knowing if a game specifically supports Atmos or DTS:X is there? I had a look on the store pages but I couldn't see anything.
 
HiLife

HiLife

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Oct 25, 2017
39,665
Other than it being louder, I couldn't tell a difference. But I also don't have a clue how to the different settings work.
 
FlanjeUK

FlanjeUK

Member
Apr 20, 2019
286
Sky87 said:
With 5.1, Atmos, DTS or whatever, sounds coming from behind and the side actually sound like they're coming from the correct place. With Stereo, sound instantly swaps from left to right or vice versa if you spin the camera around a source of sound. It won't sound like it's actually coming from behind (or below/above for that matter with Atmos/DTS).

Stereo does not even come close to sounding as rich and immersive as 5.1 even with headphones.
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Are you talking about headphones or have you added multi speaker setups to the equation? 2 channels is all you need for headphones to be able to create 3D sound, just like you only need 2 ears to hear 3D sound, or do you hear sounds from behind with a 3rd ear on the back of your neck?
 
Sky87

Sky87

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,865
FlanjeUK said:
Are you talking about headphones or have you added multi speaker setups to the equation? 2 channels is all you need for headphones to be able to create 3D sound, just like you only need 2 ears to hear 3D sound, or do you hear sounds from behind with a 3rd ear on the back of your neck?
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I'm talking about headphones and Stereo vs 5.1/Atmos/DTS. There is a night and day difference between them.
 
ThreepQuest64

ThreepQuest64

Avenger
Oct 29, 2017
5,735
Germany
I use HeSuVi for getting Dolby Atmos and I always select in games, if possible, 5.1 and highest dynamic range when using my stereo headphones. It's not too much distorted like some other HRIRs but it gives great spatial sound and I don't get hearing fatigue as from stereo sound that often cut off one channel COMPLETELY, e.g. when a sound source comes straight from left, and this is not authentic at all. In real life or I'd use speakers I'll still hear the sound on the right ear, too.
 

Deleted member 20831

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
1,951
ThreepQuest64 said:
I use HeSuVi for getting Dolby Atmos and I always select in games, if possible, 5.1 and highest dynamic range when using my stereo headphones. It's not too much distorted like some other HRIRs but it gives great spatial sound and I don't get hearing fatigue as from stereo sound that often cut off one channel COMPLETELY, e.g. when a sound source comes straight from left, and this is not authentic at all. In real life or I'd use speakers I'll still hear the sound on the right ear, too.
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Doesn't HeSuVi not have dynamic sound objects, which is/are actually present when you use Windows Sonic/Dolby Atmos/DTS Headphones; because it feels like HeSuVi just emulate how it seems to enable Dolby Atmos profile and speaker positioning.

Like if you have an object exactly behind you in the game, the audio does seem that the audio source is behind. But if you ever so slightly move the camera just to the side, now it feels like your audio is just switching from two rear speakers to a single virtual speaker to one of the sides. (I found this effect very very jarring and breaks the illusion/immersion of having a surround audio).
 
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ThreepQuest64

ThreepQuest64

Avenger
Oct 29, 2017
5,735
Germany
RvinP said:
Doesn't HeSuVi not have dynamic sound objects, which is/are actually present when you use Windows Sonic/Dolby Atmos/DTS Headphones; because it feels like HeSuVi just emulate how it seems to enable Dolby Atmos profile and speaker positioning.

Like if you have an object exactly behind you in the game, the audio does seem that the audio source is behind. But if you ever so slightly move the camera just to the side, now it feels like your audio is just switching from two rear speakers to a single virtual speaker to one of the sides. (I found this effect very very jarring and breaks the illusion/immersion of having a surround audio).
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Hm, this might be the case. I'm not a techy when it comes to this but I wouldn't know how the Dolby Atmos and Windows Sonic and such would "have" dynamic objects if it's not the game that supports this from the get go.

All I know is that it works in many many games I've used it, even in games that don't support 5.1 on my speaker setup would give me better directional sounds when using HeSuVi with my headphones. I don't what this sorcery is but it works.

I never noticed the switching from one channel to another like you described. Maybe I'm just not hearing it, it's game specific or it's somehow the settings. Maybe it is the reverb (as I heard that you need at least a little bit of reverb for spatial sound to work correctly, I could be wrong though). What you described is how I feel on plain stereo: As soon as something moves completely to the other side it is cut off from the opposite ear while in reality the sound should still reach my ear but a few milliseconds later and maybe with a slightly different frequency but it should never be cut off as if I'm holding my hand over my ear. I don't have this feeling when using HeSuVi, and every 5.1/7.1/surround test video/audio source I try works pretty good with HeSuVi.

I'd love to try out the official Atmos or DTX for Headphones some more but I've already used the trial and there aren't many games I play that officially support it.
 
TheChronic2060

TheChronic2060

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
925
Do you need to run the apps for the codecs for them to work, or is that only if you want to change settings?

I bought the DTS:X codec and its awesome, bit Id rather not have to load the Sound Unbound app every time.
 
digitalrelic

digitalrelic

Weight Loss Champion 2018: Biggest Change
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,124
Karateka said:
I was going to pick up some Surface Headphones 2 do they support dolby atmos?
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I use Surface Headphones 2 with my Series X and they work amazingly well with Dolby Atmos / directional audio. I feel like I'm cheating sometimes.

Please keep in mind though that Xbox doesn't support bluetooth headphones/headsets so you'll have to wire into your controller.
 
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