Windows Sonic vs Dolby Atmos for Headphones vs DTS: Headphone X v2 - Which is better?

Spatial Audio and 3D Virtualization software for Stereo Headphones is not a novelty of recent years as solutions like old CMSS 3D on Creative Sound Blaster audio-chips existed over 10 years ago on PC.

What's changed is that the two big audio players on the mass market (Dolby and DTS) decided to create something to be adopted at scale both for movies and games starting from the pipeline of contents themselves up to properly equipped theaters, home theater/speakers and headphones in the most "native" and easiest way possible.

The new era of 3D sound actually started with Windows Sonic for Headphones, which works through the new Microsoft "Windows Spatial APIs" introduced in all Windows 10 PCs and Xbox consoles in 2017 (for free), then Dolby Atmos for Headphones and DTS: Headphone X followed in the months/years after as "one-time-fee", more premium alternatives but with the same working logic as Windows Sonic.

How does it work?

Both Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos for Headphones and DTS: Headphone X v2 works in the same way (and all leveraging the "Microsoft Spatial APIs):

All require a specific software to be installed/configured:

• Windows Sonic requires Windows 10/11 or Xbox Dashboard OS and can be activated in Audio control panel;
• Dolby Atmos for Headphones requires the "Dolby Access" app
• DTS: Headphone X requires the "DTS: Sound Unbound" app

All will process a multi-channel audio stream (5.1/7.1 or Atmos tracks) in real-time and adapt it as best, each with its own Spatial/3D algorithms, for a Stereo headset.

This is important, as people wrongly assume that when using those solutions you need to select the "Stereo" sound mode in games, which is wrong. 

You always need to select the highest channels and fidelity possible in games when using one of those.

Stereo tracks are generally left unaltered/unprocessed (e.g. music).

What's the best?

After 5 years of testing both Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos for Headphones and DTS: Headphone X with different type of headphones and headsets (like Turtle Beach Elite 800x, Razer Thresher Ultimate, LucidSound LS35X or the "audiophile-grade" Audeze Penrose X) that's my verdict so far:

1. Dolby Atmos for Headphones (Winner): even if it's not the best by default (Performance preset), after creating a "Custom" preset within Dolby Access app using a Flat EQ and enabling some advanced options Dolby Atmos for Headphones is by far the superior 3D sound solution for headphones. It's the closest to source tracks while adding a very precise spatial awareness from all directions (even above/below) without distorting it and overprocessing it with added reverb. Volume level is also more consistent and better mixed;

2. DTS: Headphone X v2: it's also very good once setup properly in the DTS Sound Unbound app (by selecting the "Generic Over-Ear" preset + "Balanced" spatiality) but there is a bit too much reverb added and volume levels can be more inconsistent. It also costs a bit more than Atmos;

3. Windows Sonic: while being Free, the audio difference compared to the other two is huge, in a negative way. Added reverb is really too much, deep bass channel is completely removed from the mix and sounds may seem too "thin" and coming from a bathroom too often. I really encorauge you to spend a little money upfront and buy Atmos or DTS instead (maybe after a trial period) over this.

Dolby Atmos for Headphones: Optimized Settings

As I mentioned earlier, Dolby Atmos for Headphones provided the best results I had so far, but only after creating a "Custom" preset within Dolby Access app as per the screenshot below:

Basically set a Flat EQ plus:

• Sound Virtualizer: ON
• Volume leveler: ON

Sound Virtualizer will "do the magic" of transforming in real time anything multi-channel to Stereo for your headphones, but Volume leveler is something even more useful as it will always provide the correct volume for every source you listen.

With DTS, Sonic or even Stereo often happened that audio level between a stereo song or a multi-channel movie or game was dramatically different, with music being over-loud and movies (especially dialoghes) too much quiet: Volume Leveler will fix everything every time in a very consistent way.

Other than this "Custom EQ", all you need to tweak is be sure that you're coupling a "digital signature" Stereo headphones with this. 

This means you have to be sure using a Stereo headset with no "fancy" presets applied (like Movie mode, FPS mode, Sports mode etc). It should be a pure/pristine and even better an "audiophile-grade" or balanced Stereo EQ for the best result possible...and trust me: it will be worth it.