DTS:X: what is it? How can you get it? - What Hi-Fi?

DTS:X is an object-based audio codec, which aims to create a multi-dimensional sound that “moves around you like it would in real life”. Skiptomaincontent WhatHifi WhatHifi WhatHi-Fi?THEWORLD'S#1TECHBUYER'SGUIDE Search Subscribe RSS (opensinnewtab) (opensinnewtab) (opensinnewtab) (opensinnewtab) (opensinnewtab) UKUSCanadaAustralia WhatHi-FiMagazineSubscription(opensinnewtab)(opensinnewtab)Whysubscribe?ThebesthomeentertainmentbuyingadviceIn-depth,unbiased,expertreviewsIssuesdeliveredstraighttoyourdoorordeviceFrom£4.99(opensinnewtab)ViewDeal(opensinnewtab) News Reviews BestBuys Deals Advice Features Awards Forum More Subscribe Newsletter Sound+Image AustralianHi-Fi AboutUs TrendingBestBuysBestwirelessearbudsBestspeakersSonyWH-1000XM5Awards2022 WhatHi-Fi?issupportedbyitsaudience.Whenyoupurchasethroughlinksonoursite,wemayearnanaffiliatecommission.Here’swhyyoucantrustus. DTS:XwasintroducedbackinJanuary2015,withitsinitialfocusonhomecinemause.Itsubsequentlyrolledoutintocinemas,takingtheoppositeapproachtoitsrivalsurroundsoundformatDolbyAtmos,whichstartedlifeinthecinemabeforeheadingintothehome.ThemajorityofAVmanufacturersnowsupporttheformatasstandard,includingAnthem,Arcam,Denon,Krell,Marantz,McIntosh,Onkyo,Pioneer,Sony,TrinnovandYamaha.ButwhatexactlyisDTS:X?Andwhatdoyouneedtotakeadvantageofitinthehome?Allowustoexplain…DolbyAtmosvsDTS:X:what'sthedifference?WhatisDTS:X?DTS:Xisanobject-basedaudiocodec,whichaimstocreateamulti-dimensionalsoundthat“movesaroundyoulikeitwouldinreallife”.YoumaythinkthatsoundsalotlikeDolbyAtmos,andyou’dberight.ButwhereDTS:Xdiffersliesintherequiredspeakerconfiguration.WhileDolbyAtmosrequiresyoutoaddextraoverheadchannelstoyour5.1or7.1setup,DTS:Xworkswithstandardsurroundspeakersetups–justliketheoneyoumightalreadyhaveathome.Itcansupportupto32speakerlocationsanduptoan11.2-channelsystem.DTSsaysit’saflexiblecodecthatwillworkwith"anyspeakerconfigurationwithinahemisphericallayout".ThisisthankstoDTS:X'sMulti-DimensionalAudio(MDA)platform,whichisopenandlicence-freeandallowsmovieproducerstocontroltheplacement,movementandvolumeofsoundobjects.DTShasalsomadeitpossibleforuserstoadjustthevolumeofjustthevoicesonasoundtrack,makingoncehard-to-heardialoguealoteasiertounderstand.Bestspeakersystems2021:5.1andDolbyAtmosDTS:Xinthehome(Imagecredit:Future)Fortunately,mostofthehomeAVindustrysupportsDTS:X,withmanymanufacturersreleasingfirmwareupdatesforexistingreceiversorlaunchingwholenewmodelsthatsupportit.DenonwasoneofthefirsttoupdateitsAVreceivers.Youcanseealistofupdateshere(opensinnewtab),withdetailsofhowtoupdatehere(opensinnewtab).Arcam,Marantz,OnkyoandPioneerhavealsoissuedupdatestotheirolderproducts.Onnewerproducts-thoseontoday'sshelves-DTS:Xcomesasstandard,justassupportforDolbyAtmosdoes.Thisincludesour2020Award-winningAVreceivers,includingtheDenonAVC-X3700HandtheSonySTR-DN1080.Asmentionedearlier,youdon’tnecessarilyneedtoaddextraheightchannelstotakeadvantage,butadditionalchannelswillhelpcreateamoreeffective3Dsoundexperience.YoucanlistentoasampleofaDTS:XsoundtrackonDTS'swebsite(opensinnewtab).AnotherwaytoexperienceDTS:XisthroughtheIMAXEnhancedexperience,whichisoneofthelatestAVcertificationsthatpromisestop-notchhomecinemaquality.DTSandIMAXhavepartneredwith"award-winningHollywoodsoundmixers"touseaspecialvariantoftheDTS:X codecfoundwithinhomeaudiokit.ThisshouldproduceanIMAXsignaturesoundexperience.BestAVreceivers2021:brillianthomecinemaamplifiersWhatisDTS:XPro?Announcedinearly2020,DTS:XProexpandsuponthenumberofpotentialplaybackchannelsofDTS:Xfrom11.1uptoamassive30.2channels,includingtopheight,topsurroundandcentrefrontheightpositions.Thatdoesn'tmeanyouhavetobuyallthosespeakers;DTS:XProworkswithvariouslayoutsandiscompatiblewithmoretraditionalconfigurationsusedforotherimmersiveaudiosystemssuchasDolbyAtmos,suchas7.1.4.AsitusestheobjectlocationinformationalreadyencodedinDTS:X,there'snorequirementfordifferentmediaformats,anditcanevenbeusedtoup-mixnon-objectbasedformats,bothfromDTSandnon-DTS,usingNeural:X -aspatialremappingenginethatworksinconjunctionwiththeDTSrenderer.AVRssuchastheDenonAVR-X6700H andMarantzAV8805 receivedfirmwareupdatesattheendof2020toincreaseprocessingpowerandaddsupportforDTS:XProaswellasIMAX'sEnhancedAVcertificationprogramme-astandarddesignedtoguaranteethatthekityou'reusingandcontentyou'rewatchingisdeliveringthebestpictureandsoundquality (liketheDolbyVision/DolbyAtmoscombination).IMAXEnhancedusesDTS:XProprocessingtoconvertthe12/6/5full-rangechannelsyouwouldhearinanIMAXcinemaintoacompatibleimmersivemixforhomecinema.IsDTS:Xbackwardscompatible?Yes,DTS:Xisbackwardscompatible,soitwillworkwithyourcurrent5.1or7.1configuration.There'snoneedtogooutandbuyanewsurroundspeakerpackage,orevenanewBlu-rayplayer.DTS:XislayeredontopoftheDTS-HDMasterAudiosoundtrackalreadyexistingonBlu-raydiscs(muchlikehowDolbyAtmosisencodedontoDolbyTrueHD),soanyfilmwithDTS:Xwillbeplayableonyourexistingkit.AslongasyourBlu-rayplayerandAVreceivercanhandleDolbyTrueHDandDTS-HDMasterAudio(whichtheyshould,ifboughtwithinthelastsixorsevenyears),you'regolden.WhatisDTSVirtual:X?SimilartoDolbyAtmos Height Virtualization,DTSVirtual:Xisawayofgettingthree-dimensionalsurroundsoundwithoutextraspeakers,andit'ssomethingyoumaywellhaveseenonthespecsheetofanAVRorsoundbar.InsteadofbeingencodedintotheBlu-raydisc(likeDTS:X),Virtual:Xisapost-processingtechnologythataimstocreatetheeffectofa7.1.4surroundset-up(that's11.1channels,includingfourheightchannels)throughasoundbarorstandard5.1speakersystem.Virtual:Xdoesn’trequirespecial,upward-firingspeakerswithinthesoundbarorspeakerpackagetowork.DTSclaimsVirtual:Xachievesitseffectregardlessofthestandardoftheaudiosource,meaningitcanbeusedtoboostlegacyDTScontent.YouwillneednewhardwarewiththeVirtual:Xenginebuiltintogettheeffect.ThefirstproducttofeatureVirtual:XwastheYamahaYAS-207,ourcurrentAward-winningbudgetsoundbar.LG'sSL5YandSL6YsoundbarsarebasedonVirtual:Xtechnologytoo.AVreceiversfromthelastcoupleofyearsincludingtheJBLSynthesisSDR-35andDenonAVR-X3500HwilltypicallysupportDTSVirtual:Xmodetoo.WhatisDTSHeadphone:X?DTSHeadphone:Xaimstoreplicateonheadphonesthedirectional andspatialaudioexperienceyougetwhenlisteningtoDTS:Xonmultichannelspeakerset-ups.Thissoftwareuses'MicrosoftSpatialSound' todeliverprecisesoundlocalisationandcanbeusedonanysetofheadphones.HelpfullyDTSprovidesadatabaseofmorethan500customtunedheadphoneprofilestohelpyougetthebestperformancefromyourpair. Theslightlylongwindedlynamed'DTSHeadphone:X2.0'isthemostrecentversionofthissoftware,whichfeaturesimprovedbassrenderingandaudioclarityaswellasimprovedproximitycuesandhi-resaudiosupport.Atpresent,itismostcommonlyusedingaming,whereimmersionandaccuracycangiveacompetitiveedge.Meanwhile, DTSHeadphone:X7.1referstothe hardware processorintheformofadongleortransmitterthatconvertsstereosoundsintotheimmersivesurroundsoundoutput. TouseDTSHeadphone:XrequiresalicenceavailablefromtheDTSSoundUnbound(opensinnewtab)app(Windows10andXboxOneandXboxSeriesX/S)foraone-offpaymentof£19.99($19.99),thoughthereisalsoa14dayfreetrialperiod.WhatDTS:Xcontentisavailable?NowthatDTS:Xiswellestablished,therearehundredsofBlu-raysand4KBlu-raysavailablethatsupportDTS:X–justastherearemanythatsupportDolbyAtmos.Justlookoutforthebadgeonthebackofthebox.StreamingservicessuchasNetflixandAmazonPrimeVideodon'tsupportDTS:XorVirtual:X.Whetherthatwillchangeinthefutureremainstobeseen.MORE: BestfilmscenestowatchinDolbyAtmosHowtocombinestereoandsurroundsoundinoneAVsystemBestsoundbars2021BestBlu-rayplayers2021 JoeCox (opensinnewtab) (opensinnewtab) (opensinnewtab) ContentDirector JoeisContentDirectorforSpecialistTechatFutureandwaspreviouslytheGlobalEditor-in-ChiefofWhatHi-Fi?.HehasworkedonWhatHi-Fi?acrossprintandonlineformorethan15years,writingnews,reviewsandfeatures.Hehascoveredproductlauncheventsacrosstheworld,fromAppletoTechnics,SonyandSamsung,reportedfromCES,theBristolShowandMunichHighEndformanyyears,andprovidedcommentforsitessuchastheBBCandtheGuardian.Inhissparetimeheenjoysplayingrecordsandcycling(notatthesametime). Seeallcomments(1) 1Comment Commentfromtheforums WhatHi-Fi?said:DTSreturnedtocinemasoundaftermorethantwodecadeswithDTS:X,anobject-basedsoundtechnologythat’sasuccessortoDTSHDandarivaltoDolbyAtmos. DTS:X:Whatisit?Howcanyougetit?:ReadmoreThanksforthisarticle.It'sveryhelpful.ButIremainconfusedaboutsomething-doestheTVneedtobeabletopassthroughtheDTSsignalfromtheDVD/BluRayplayertoasoundbarwithDTSX:Virtual? IjustboughtaSamsungQ70yesterdayandwasplanningtobuyaVizioSoundbartomorrowBUTIdidmoredetailedresearchthismorningandfoundoutthattheSamsungdoesn'tpassanyDTSsignalmeaningthatI'dhavetoconnectmyDVD/BluRaydirectlytotheViziosoundbar.Ithink.... So,doIneedtohaveaTVthatpassesDTSviaanHDMIoropticalconnectiontotakefulladvantageofDTSX:Virtual? Reply ViewAll1Comment WhatHi-Fi?Newsletter SignupbelowtogetthelatestfromWhatHi-Fi?,plusexclusivespecialoffers,directtoyourinbox! ContactmewithnewsandoffersfromotherFuturebrands Receiveemailfromusonbehalfofourtrustedpartnersorsponsors ThankyouforsigninguptoWhatHi-Fi?.Youwillreceiveaverificationemailshortly. Therewasaproblem.Pleaserefreshthepageandtryagain. MOSTPOPULAR1iPhone14tippedtolaunchon7thSeptember2MonolithlaunchescompactandaffordableTHXCertified5.1hometheatresystem3Technics'affordableSL-100CrecordplayerisfinallyavailabletobuyintheUS4LGC2andG2OLEDsarethefirstTVstogetDolbyVisionPrecisionDetail57mistakestoavoidwithyourstereospeakers WhatHi-FiMagazineSubscription(opensinnewtab)●(opensinnewtab)ThebesthomeentertainmentbuyingadviceFrom£4.99(opensinnewtab)ViewDeal(opensinnewtab)