Although surround sound has been around for a while, immersive audio, which goes beyond the conventional 7.1 speaker layout to provide a three-dimensional audio experience, is the most recent buzzword in the industry. Dolby introduced Dolby Atmos in 2012, making it the first company to offer 3D audio. Numerous other businesses have since unveiled their own immersive surround sound formats, one of which is DTS:X, which was introduced last year by DTS Inc., an audio technology engineering company based in California. So, in case you’re interested in learning more, here’s our in-depth analysis of DTS:X and what it intends to change about the home theatre industry in the upcoming years:
What is DTS:X?
In order to produce a multi-dimensional sound that moves around you like it would in real life, DTS:X is an object-based audio codec. The 3D surround sound format was created by SRS Labs, a sound engineering business based in Santa Ana, California. SRS Labs was later acquired by DTS in 2012. Thanks to the use of the Multi Dimensional Audio (MDA) platform, which is an open and royalty-free standard that enables sound engineers to isolate each individual sound object and, regardless of the channel assignment or speaker layout, control their placement, movement, and volume separately, DTS:X works with any speaker configuration with a hemispherical layout.
What is DTS Virtual:X?
DTS Virtual:X, to put it simply, aims to deliver DTS:X’s three-dimensional surround sound without the use of all the additional speakers. The company achieves this by simulating surround sound by using special digital signal processing rather than reflecting sound off your walls. DTS:X uses just two channels and a separate subwoofer to achieve the desired effect. Even if your home or apartment has an open floor plan, digital processing can still give you a relatively immersive acoustic experience. However, like photos and videos, digital processing can only partially replicate real-world situations.
What is DTS Headphone:X?
The name of the product makes it clear that DTS Headphone:X offers the 3D surround sound experience of DTS:X through headphones. The technology can produce 12 channels of binaural surround sound by simulating the 3D environment of the initial mixing stage of any audio input, giving the listener an immersive, cinematic audio experience.
Other 3D Audio Formats
While Dolby Atmos, Auro 3D Audio, Audyssey DSX/DSX2, and other technologies are vying for consumers’ attention and market share, DTS:X is a compelling 3D surround sound technology that is competing in a market that is becoming more and more cutthroat. The real conflict is currently between Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, despite the fact that Audyssey DSX does not require any special source encoding, unlike DTS:X and Dolby Atmos. This is because most A/V manufacturers prefer to avoid Audyssey DSX/DSX2 and instead opt for these two formats. As for Auro 3D Audio, it can be added to compatible A/V receivers via a firmware update. However, it has proved to be a bit of a hard-sell over the years, seeing as unlike either DTS:X or Dolby Atmos, theAuro 3D firmware actually comes with a feethat s typically around the $199 mark in the U.S. and149 in the Eurozone.
DTS:X vs Dolby Atmos: How Do They Compare?
Much like DTS:X, Dolby Atmos is also a relatively new surround sound technology that promises to deliver dynamic audio by adding a height element to atypical surround sound system tocreate a multi-dimentional 3D audio experience. However, one of the main differences between the two technologies lie in the speaker configuration that s needed to implement them. WhileDolby Atmos requires extra overhead channelsto be added to a standard 5.1 or 7.1 setup,DTS:X works with standard surround sound setupsright out-of-the-box, eliminating the need for additional speakers. If you want to get an in-depth perspective on some of the major differences between DTS:X and Dolby Atmos, do keep an eye out for our detailed comparison which should be out fairly soon.
Compatibility, Devices and Availability
With DTS:X already starting to become fairly popular, most of thenewer home theater receiversare starting to ship with support for the formatout-of-the-box. Quite a few of theolder ones are also potentially compatiblewith the technology subject to a firmware update. Several reputable brands, such as Anthem, Arcam, Denon, Krell, Logitech, Marantz, Onkyo, Pioneer, Sony, Trinnov and Yamaha offerDTS:X-compatible A/V receivers, and many have already released new firmware to make their older gear compatible with the new technology. There are also a plethora of choices available if you re looking to buyspeakers compatible with DTS:Xandheadphones compatible with DTS Headphone:X.
For the sake of technicality, we need to mention thatDTS:X requires your Blu-ray player to support DTS-HD Master audio plus bitstream output, but since these features are found on virtually every Blu-ray player released in the last decade, chances are, you need not worry too much about that. So chances are, you may not actually have to invest in either a new receiver or a Blu-ray player for the immersive DTS:X experience.
In terms of content, dozens of movies released by major Hollywood studios like Paramount, Universal, Lionsgate etc. are encoded with DTS:X, including well-known titles, such asApollo 13,Snow White and the Huntsman,Fifty Shades of Grey, The Bourne quadrolody (Identity,Legacy,SupremacyandUltimatum) andZoolander 2, among others.
SEE ALSO:10 Best Dolby Atmos Speakers You Can Buy
Is DTS:X The Future of 3D Surround Sound?
DTS:X brings quite a few novel features that are unavailable with some of the other 3D audio formats. What s more, in most cases you don t even need to upgrade your hardware for the full DTS:X experience. All of that makes it a lucrative proposition for consumers, but as is the case with most format wars, the success or failure of either depends more on the support it receives from its OEM partners than from how the public really perceives it. Right now, it s too early to declare winners and losers, but it will be interesting to see how DTS:X competes with all its competitors going forward. With Dolby Atmos way ahead in front on account of its earlier launch, DTS Inc. is already a little behind the 8-ball, but with everything still left to play for, it will be interesting to see which platform comes up trumps when the dust settles over what promises to be a much more closely-fought contest than Betamax vs VHS or HD-DVD vs Blu-ray. In case you re already using a DTX:X-based surround sound system or have an opinion on the subject one way or another, do sound off in the comments section below, because we love hearing from you.
