Dolby Atmos vs DTS Headphone: X

Your eyes aren’t the only sensory organs needed to immerse you into the world of entertainment, the ears are just as important when it comes to that aspect. In the current age of technology, Dolby Atmos and DTS Headphone: X are both well known to audiophiles all around the world.

What is the difference between the two surround sound systems and which of the two is the better one? Well, let’s find out.

What Is Dolby Atmos?

Dolby Atmos is an object-based system that gives you surround sound but adds a whole new depth by including height levels as well. Not only can you hear sounds from around and behind you, but you can hear them above you as well.

This sound system was originally made specifically for theaters, but game producers can now use this system to give gamers a more immersive experience. The sole inclusion of height gives a whole new experience to the user that other surround sound systems simply can’t provide.

To put it simply, Dolby Atmos takes a sound and configures it as an object. Think of sound as a ball floating in the air. It isn’t restricted to moving two-dimensionally and can flow freely from anywhere to anywhere.

Imagine being able to hear a plane fly above you, or a sniper shot coming from the tallest tower in the game. This is definitely a game-changer for those who want to play optimally and perform at a professional level in their favorite game.

What Equipment Do You Need For Dolby Atmos?

The advantage of using Dolby Atmos is that it will work on any speaker setup as long as you have at least two speakers. The maximum configuration goes up to 34 speakers but who really has that setup in a home theater?

The Ideal place for Dolby Atmos would be in a cinema but you can easily replicate the experience with a good sound setup at home or a well-built headphone. Speaking of headphones, it will work with just about any headphone as it is a digital solution.

What is DTS Headphone: X?

As previously mentioned, image quality isn’t the only factor when it comes to enjoying your favorite game or movie. Never fear though, DTS Headphone: X has you covered as it takes the audio quality to a whole new level.

DTS Headphone: X is specifically made for headphones and it recreates sound from every direction when in truth, it’s all in those two speakers attached to your headphones! Never will you need a full home speaker setup to recreate that immersive feel.

This surround sound system may use a height channel when reproducing sound but it recreates it at a much efficient rate when compared to those that do. There isn’t much compromise either as you are still getting the same multi-dimensional you would expect from surround sound.

You know how in gaming that voices usually get drowned out in all the action, making it hard for you to follow anything anyone says? DTS Headphone: X has you covered as it allows you to configure voices specifically to hear game-critical dialogue when you need it the most.

What Equipment Do You Need For DTS Headphone: X?

DTS Headphone: X only works in a specific configuration, which is within headphones as its name would suggest. It limits you to only listening through your headphones but really most of you wear a good set of headphones when it comes to movies or gaming anyway.

This doesn’t mean any headphone will be able to use DTS Headphone: X though as the headphone itself will need to be able to support the technology. Fear not as more and more manufacturers are including this feature as a staple for headphone technology.

Dolby Atmos vs DTS Headphone: X

With all this mumbo jumbo going around, it must confuse you as to what is actually better. Not everyone is a hardcore audiophile but everyone wants to optimize the gaming experience as much as possible, whether it be for enjoyment or for performance.

Optimization

DTS Headphone: X is optimized for headphones as it was made specifically for headphones. Dolby Atmos, on the other hand, works well with any speaker system as long as you use at least two speakers with the more the merrier.

Headphone people out there will definitely find the experience much better with DTS Headphone: X.

Winner: Preference-reliant

Hardware

Dolby Atmos is a software-based solution that automatically works with any headphones or speakers connected to it as long as it meets the requirements. DTS Headphone: X will require something more specific as only headphones made for the system can run the system.

When it comes to availability and ease-of-access, Dolby Atmos definitely takes the cake here.

Winner: Dolby Atmos

Software

When it comes to the media consumed, producers don’t need to do anything to an audio file for it to play perfectly with Dolby Atmos. DTS Headphone: X however, will require producers to convert the audio file to work specifically to the system, or else it will run the usual 7.1 or 5.1 surround sound.

Again, Dolby Atmos is clearly a winner in this case.

Winner: Dolby Atmos

Audio Quality

This is a very important deciding factor for most people out there but the Dolby Atmos system doesn’t really do much here. It adds spatial effect to the audio you hear but that’s about it. DTS Headphone: X literally optimizes the audio for headphone surround sound effects.

The DTS Headphone: X one-ups Dolby Atmos in the audio department.

Winner: DTS Headphone: X

Both systems actually fare quite well against each other except for a few caveats that will become the decision-maker for some. In the end, it’s all about your viewing and gaming experience and what suits your needs best.

Which Is Better: Dolby Atmos or DTS Headphone: X?

As previously mentioned, it will all depend on the kind of setup you have and the experience you are looking for. Headphone users will definitely see a difference with DTS Headphone: X, assuming your headphones can run it, while Dolby Atmos will serve the general audience.

Sound system users will benefit more from Dolby Atmos as it recreates a theater setting that can only be replicated so well inside of headphones.