You Can Use Dolby Atmos On Bluetooth Headphones And Speakers - Here's How

Dolby Atmos is Dolby's proprietary audio technology bringing 360-degree spatial sound to your environment. This technology works across a wide range of devices and configurations, and the most interesting thing is that a Dolby Atmos setup can be as expensive as a professional music studio, where engineers use multiple speakers and subwoofers to get this live band-like experience, or as personal as wearing Apple's AirPods models, which cost around $100.

All you need is to make sure your device supports Dolby Atmos decoding — such as an iPhone, Apple TV, Xbox, Windows PC, or TV — alongside Bluetooth headphones or speakers. If Dolby Atmos isn't enabled by default, you might need to go through your device's audio settings, then play content labeled Dolby Atmos in a supported app.

Dolby says Atmos technology is perfect to immerse you in movies, TV shows, gaming, or even songs. After all, sound comes from everywhere, so when you hear gunshots from behind you, a helicopter flying overhead, or dialogue moving left to right, that's Dolby Atmos at work. When describing music, the company says Atmos feels like you're standing in the middle of a concert, as you can hear where the bass player is, the guitarist, the main singer, and so on. Dolby Atmos experiences are available using several Bluetooth headphones and speakers, as listed below.

There are many Dolby Atmos-enabled devices, and Dolby recommends some of them. BGR tested a few over the years, including Apple's AirPods Max and Beats' new Studio Pro headphones. In the case of these Apple headphones, Dolby says that AirPods Max users can enjoy "clearer, richer sounds" that work for music or to immerse yourself in TV shows like "Stranger Things." For Beats Studio Pro, Dolby says that they're great for richer bass experiences, especially when listening to anything from pop to hip hop.

Dolby also recommends the RIG 800 Pro Series and Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT for serious gamers, as the Dolby Atmos capabilities put you in the center of the action when playing "Call of Duty," "Counter Strike," "Fortnite," and other games where every step you might hear can put you closer to victory.

Lastly, Dolby also talks about LG TONE Free 90Q, in-ear wireless earbuds that perform as well as many over-ear headphones. Additionally, the Dolby Head Tracking feature means that the songs follow your movement, so as you move your head, you might hear some instruments or backing vocals more clearly. For speakers, Dolby Atmos can range from smart speakers like Apple's HomePod to full home theater systems such as 5.1.2 or 7.1.4 configurations.

While the Dolby Atmos experience is widely available, users need to know how to best utilize the technology. Besides an Atmos-capable device, users wanting to enjoy this feature with music will need a service like Apple Music, Amazon Music, or TIDAL. All these services offer an ever-growing library of Dolby Atmos songs, from new releases to remasters of classics. So, you'll need Dolby Atmos-capable headphones or speakers, and a device that can decode this technology, like an iPhone, Mac, Android device, Windows PC, or compatible TV.

For film lovers and TV show aficionados, Dolby Atmos is available in a wide range of services like Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix, HBO Max, Paramount+, and VUDU. That said, a TV or audio system that supports Dolby Atmos passthrough or decoding, along with a compatible speaker system, is needed to take full advantage of it.

Last but not least, PCs and Xbox consoles also support Dolby Atmos, and some titles have been made for it, including "Forza Horizon 5," "Battlefield 2042," "Call of Duty: Warzone," and other titles you can check at Dolby's page here. As of 2023, PS5 consoles also offer Atmos support, although it requires some manual configuration.