Windows 10 gets DTS Sound Unbound app to bring virtual surround to your old stereo headphones
Over 450 models of headphones are currently supported, with many more planned
Windows 10 users can now download the DTS Sound Unbound app, and enjoy the benefits of DTS:X and DTS Headphone:X technology, following the public launch of the application on the Microsoft Store.
The app was previously only available to Windows 10 testers, but can now be grabbed by anyone with the caveat that you need to be running the latest version of Windows – the May 2019 Update.
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DTS Sound Unbound promises better and more immersive sound for games and movies via DTS:X, while DTS Headphone:X promises to deliver 3D audio and spatial positioning with any old set of stereo headphones. And that could give you quite an advantage in games like shooters, in terms of better locating opponents based on the in-game noises they’re making.
Spatial stumbling block
There are caveats here though, and while the eventual aim is to cater for any set of headphones, the tech doesn’t work with 44.1KHz-capable headphones at the moment (due to a limitation with Microsoft’s Spatial Sound framework, which this app is built on, along with other third-party virtual surround solutions). DTS says it’s working with Microsoft to overcome this particular hurdle.
At the moment, DTS Headphone:X is tuned for over 450 different models of headphones when it comes to delivering its virtual surround tricks, and further support will be coming in time, with the intention being to eventually cover pretty much all wired and wireless headphones out there.
So this is pretty cool stuff, and while the DTS Sound Unbound app is a free download from the Microsoft Store on the face of it, bear in mind that it’s just a trial version.
Unlocking the full power of the app will require dipping into your wallet, but at least you can use the trial to suss out any potential compatibility issues, and give the tech a spin.
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Via Windows Latest
Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).