Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Strap on DTS’ wireless virtual surround sound courtesy of Samsung’s new 4K TVs

By

dts headphonex virtual surround in 2015 samsung tvs x doors
Ryan Waniata/Digital Trends
DTS has been wowing trade show attendees for years with Headphone:X, the company’s strikingly-real virtual surround sound technology. But it’s been virtually (no pun intended) impossible for most consumers to get their ears on the tech — until now. DTS today announced that Headphone:X is now available on a host of 2015 Samsung TVs, turning any pair of Bluetooth headphones into a virtual surround sound adventure for one.

Loaded into Samsung’s 2015 “7 series” TVs and above, Headphone:X is primed to deliver 5.1 surround sound content from anything you feed into your TV — be it a video game console, Blu-ray player, or locally-streamed content from services like Netflix and Amazon — and send a Bluetooth virtual surround sound stream to your wireless stereo headphones.

Recommended Videos

With Headphone:X, it doesn’t matter which brand of cans you prefer, the sound is already surround-ified once it hits your ears, allowing you to enjoy a more realistic experience with your favorite content — even after the family has gone to bed.

Related

So what exactly does Headphone:X sound like? While we haven’t had a chance to go ears on via Bluetooth from Samsung’s latest TVs as of yet, the company’s demo at CES the last couple of years is a strikingly surreal experience. Sitting in a room encircled by speakers, DTS sends the demo soundtrack first through the actual speakers, then asks attendees to listen again with the headphones on. Almost without fail, one or two listeners will pull the headphones off to see if the speakers are still on.

While the Headphone:X demo offers 11.1 sound, the Samsung experience with your Bluetooth headphones will top out at a virtual 5.1, though DTS tells us that’s more of a limitation of today’s TVs then the Headphone:X tech: Very few TVs now exist that can decode anything beyond 5.1 surround. However, that still gives a lot of leeway, allowing you to send any 5.1 codec (including soundtracks from DTS’ primary competitor, Dolby) through your boob tube, and pull a wireless virtual surround sound mix out the other side.

While Headphone:X will work with any Bluetooth headphones, you’ll need a brand new Samsung TV to experience it for now. DTS claims there will be more TV brands touting the tech in the future, but the company has a strong relationship with Samsung, setting up the debut of Headphone:X from a trusted partner.

A list of all Samsung TVs reported to offer Headphone:X streaming is below:

UN40JU7100F, UN55JS8500FXZA,UN65JS9500FXZA , UN78JS9100FXZA, UN65JS9000FXZA, UN65JS850DFXZA, UN75JU650DFXZA, UN75JU6500FXZA, UN85JU7100FXZA, UN78JU7500FXZA, UN65JU650DFXZA, UN65JU670DFXZA, UN60JU710DFXZA, UN65JU750DFXZA, UN65JU6500FXZA, UN65JU6700FXZA, UN65JU7100FXZA, UN65JU7500FXZA, UN55JU650DFXZA, UN55JU670DFXZA, UN55JU6500FXZA, UN55JU6700FXZA, UN55JU7100FXZA, UN55JU7500FXZA, UN50JU650DFXZA, UN50JU6500FXZA, UN48JU6700FXZA, UN50JU7100FXZA, UN48JU7500FXZA, UN40JU650DFXZA, UN40JU6500FXZA, UN40HU6950FXZA, UN40JU6700FXZA, UN40JU7100FXZA, UN40JU7500FXZA, UN75J630DAFXZA, UN75J6300AFXZA, UN65J630DAFXZA, UN65J6300AFXZA, UN55J6300AFXZA, UN50J5500AFXZA, UN50J6300AFXZA, UN40J5500AFXZA, UN32J6300AFXZA

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Ryan Waniata
Ryan Waniata
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…
There’s a rare deal on the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones today
Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones seen in black.

The massively popular Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones rarely appear in headphone deals, so if you've had your eye on them for quite a while, you're in luck because they're currently $51 off on Walmart. From their original price of $400, you'll only have to pay $349, but only if you hurry because we don't expect stocks to last long. You're going to miss out on the offer if you take too long, so don't hesitate -- add the wireless headphones to your cart and check out as fast as you can.

Why you should buy the Sony WH-1000XM5
The best headphones that you can buy right now are the Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones, and it's not even close. At the heart is their outstanding wireless sound, supported by top-quality active noise cancellation that uses two processors and eight microphones to block all unwanted sound, as well as crystal-clear hands-free calling using four beamforming microphones and advanced audio signal processing. The wireless headphones also offer Bluetooth multipoint connection so that you can quickly switch between different devices, touch controls for functions like adjusting volume and calling your digital assistant, and Speak-to-Chat and Quick Attention features to stop your music and let ambient sound in without having to take them off.

Read more
Sony’s premium soundbars will finally get support for VRR, ALLM
Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos soundbar close-up of top panel.

It's been a long time coming, but the wait is almost over. Sony's premium home theater soundbars are set to receive a software update that will add support for variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low-latency mode (ALLM), two HDMI 2.1 gaming features that have been absent since these products launched.

The soundbars in question are the Sony HT-A5000, HT-A7000, and the multi-wireless speaker HT-A9 system. All three are scheduled to receive the update this fall, but Sony has declined to share specific timing, saying only that there will be more information closer to the rollout date.

Read more
What is Roku? The streaming platform explained
A roku powered TV hanging on a wall running Roku OS 12.

How do you get your Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, or Prime Video fix? Chances are it's through a streaming device or smart TV, and there's a good chance that it's through a Roku device or one running its pioneering streaming operating system. At this point, cord-cutting is old news, and Roku was one of the earliest companies to drive the adoption of web-based streaming with its self-contained, app-driven devices.

Today, watching something "on Roku" is standard parlance and the company's popular platform can be found baked into some of the biggest TV brands in the world as well as in its own lineup of streaming devices sticks, and set-top boxes. Even so, that doesn't mean you totally get what a Roku actually is. What is Roku? How does Roku work? Do you need a subscription to use it? Is it just a device you buy, or is it software?

Read more