How to Enable Spatial Sound and Enhance Audio on Windows 11

Nov. 12, 2021

We have already covered how you canturn on Spatial Audio in AirPods Profor an immersive listening experience. Now, we will show you how to enable Spatial Sound (3D Sound in Microsoft-speak) on your Windows 11 computer. As part of our endeavor to offer you additional know-how on improving the audio experience on your PC, we will guide you on how to enable ‘Enhance Audio’ on Windows 11.

Spatial Sound offers a more immersive audio experience on your devices, while Enhance Audio lets you configure certain audio settings for improved performance.Netflix recently started rolling out Spatial Audiosupport for iPhone and iPad, andApple itself rolled out the feature for Apple Musicglobally earlier this year. So without further ado, let’s check out how you can enable Spatial Sound and Enhance Audio on your Windows 11 computer.

Spatial sound is an“enhanced immersive audio experience where sounds can flow around you, including overhead, in three-dimensional virtual space.”The feature enables you to experience more immersive audio at the flip of a switch. According to Microsoft, it“provides an enhanced atmosphere which traditional surround sound formats cannot.”

With spatial sound, movies and games sound better on your Windows 11 PC, especially the ones that offer native support for the feature. However, while native support provides the highest level of audio immersion and location accuracy, thetechnology can also upscale traditional surround soundto deliver an overall better audio experience.

Windows supports multiple spatial sound formats, includingWindows Sonic for Headphones, Dolby Atmos for Headphones, Dolby Atmos for home theater, DTS:X for Home Theater, and DTS Headphone:X. Windows Sonic is Microsoft’s in-house technology that comes built into Windows 11 and is supported across all headphones and earphones. Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, on the other hand, need to be purchased separately.

You need to purchase a license for Dolby Atmos using the Dolby Access app (Free) and the DTS Sound Unbound app (Free), respectively. You will get a 30-day free trial and then need to pay $14.99 for a Dolby Atmos license to continue enjoying a spatial sound experience.

Note: For more in-depth information about different surround sound formats, check out our detailed article onDTS:X vs Dolby Atmos. To know more about DTS:X, check out our detailed article onwhat is DTS:X surround sound.

Spatial Audio is known as3D Audioin Windows 11. You can enable it in two different ways – through Settings and from the Control Panel. We will demonstrate both methods in this article.

Note: As mentioned already, Windows Sonic for Headphones is the only spatial audio option available by default on Windows 11 PCs. For other options, you will have to download or buy third-party apps from the Microsoft Store.

Enhance Audio in Windows 11 is a collection of configurable settings that help you tune the overall sound output of your headphones or earphones on your PC to your liking. Using the feature, you can normalize the audio output to prevent commercials from playing louder than the actual content. The feature also enables you touse stereo speakers for a surround sound experience, as well asboost the bass outputof the speakers. So let’s check out how you can enhance your audio experience on Windows 11 with just a few clicks.

Enabling the ‘Enhance Audio’ feature in Windows 11 is super easy as you simply need to head to the sound settings on your PC. Here’s how you do it:

Note: Loudness Equalization, which Microsoft says “uses an understanding of human hearing to reduce perceived volume differences,” brings the most palpable difference, especially if you stream thesebest Netflix moviesand TV showson your computer. It reduces the increased volume of commercials, thereby preventing them from playing louder than the actual content.

Improve the Audio Experience on Your Windows 11 PC!

We hope that enabling Spatial Sound and changing the Enhance Audio settings will help improve the audio experience on your Windows 11 PC. Now that you know how to adjust the audio experience to your liking on your PC, learn how toimprove the battery life of your Windows laptop. The linked article references Windows 10, but most of the methods work perfectly on Windows 11 as well. Also, you can keep an eye on thescreen on time in Windows 11andcustomize the Start Menu and Taskbarif you haveupgraded to Windows 11 from Windows 10.

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