Atmos through headphones

[pelv]

I'm looking for clarity. I've messaged Dolby support and they don't bother to reply.
I live in a flat and have the JBL 9.1 soundbar which is ridiculously loud. Great for guest movie nights, not great for my neighbours on a day to day basis.
I would happily use headphones when alone. But I cannot get a definitive answer about how Dolby Atmos is transmitted. I get that headphones are never going to be as good as a speaker setup. But how DO you get Dolby Atmos over headphones? Am I right in thinking there is no way to do it with wireless headphones? As Bluetooth cannot transmit Atmos? Is the only way to get it via a computer with the atmos software and wired headphones?
I have a humble JVC tv which is not atmos compliant, but I do have the fire stick 4k max which IS Atmos compliant. But I don't think it's possible to connect wireless headphones to the fire stick and enjoy atmos.
So how DO you get Dolby Atmos for headphones watching movies?

 

[bigboss]

Atmos headphones generally use binaural rendering (take a multichannel audio signal and convert it into a 2-channel stereo simulating the sound as if it's coming from multiple directions) and HRTF processing (the sound changes as you move your head in either direction) to simulate a 360 degree landscape, allowing sounds to be placed around the listener's head, even with only two headphone drivers.

Check this video:

View: https://youtu.be/AIaEJXcreTo?si=L1-6SI9oNumKlVAU

 

[Steve983]

I too have been trying to get to the bottom of this because I have some music Blu Rays that have a Dolby Atmos track on them. I've watched interviews with for example Steven Wilson who has said that you can get a roughly 60% simulation of Dolby Atmos binaurally on headphones but so far I have been unable to find out exactly how. Frustrating.

 

[pelv]

Exactly! Dolby have not replied to any of my enquiries. I look online and everyone seems to be implying Atmos over Bluetooth is impossible. I know Sony brava TVs can have an additional adapter that allows them to transmit Atmos to headphones or their weird neckband thing. But apart from that the only way I can see Atmos for headphones kinda working is if you run everything though a computer which has the Dolby app and you use wired headphones. I would love to be proved wrong.

 

[Al ears]

Exactly! Dolby have not replied to any of my enquiries. I look online and everyone seems to be implying Atmos over Bluetooth is impossible. I know Sony brava TVs can have an additional adapter that allows them to transmit Atmos to headphones or their weird neckband thing. But apart from that the only way I can see Atmos for headphones kinda working is if you run everything though a computer which has the Dolby app and you use wired headphones. I would love to be proved wrong.

i don't think you will be....

 

[bigboss]

Dolby Atmos for Headphones

Dolby Atmos for headphones enables sound to come from all around the player, including height, through any set of stereo headphones. It uses a technology called a HRTF processing (Head Related Transfer Function) to give the listener the perception of hearing sound sources around their head. It does this by modelling the time difference between sounds hit either ear, and the acoustic shadowing caused by our pinnae (outer ear), head and torso.

When the bed channels are virtualized for headphones using Dolby Atmos for Headphones, you could think of them as virtual speakers arrayed around the listeners' head, using binaural processing (HRTF filtering) to place each virtual speaker in space around the listener. Sounds are panned around the virtual speakers in the same way they would be panned around speakers in the real world, creating phantom images between the virtual speakers.

Individual Dolby Atmos objects are processed with their own HRTF function, increasing the spatial accuracy compared to playing in the bed channels, which uses phantom imaging panning between the virtual speakers to locate sounds in 3D space.

Additional resources:
HRTF: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-related_transfer_function

Dolby Atmos Documentation

Dolby Atmos is an immersive audio format that provides a compelling listener experience by surrounding the listener with sound. In addition to the traditional 5.1 or 7.1 surround setups, Atmos introduces height channels to enable sound from above to increase aural envelopment. These are...

professional.dolby.com

 

[pelv]

Dolby Atmos for Headphones

Dolby Atmos for headphones enables sound to come from all around the player, including height, through any set of stereo headphones. It uses a technology called a HRTF processing (Head Related Transfer Function) to give the listener the perception of hearing sound sources around their head. It does this by modelling the time difference between sounds hit either ear, and the acoustic shadowing caused by our pinnae (outer ear), head and torso.

When the bed channels are virtualized for headphones using Dolby Atmos for Headphones, you could think of them as virtual speakers arrayed around the listeners' head, using binaural processing (HRTF filtering) to place each virtual speaker in space around the listener. Sounds are panned around the virtual speakers in the same way they would be panned around speakers in the real world, creating phantom images between the virtual speakers.

Individual Dolby Atmos objects are processed with their own HRTF function, increasing the spatial accuracy compared to playing in the bed channels, which uses phantom imaging panning between the virtual speakers to locate sounds in 3D space.

Additional resources:
HRTF: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-related_transfer_function

Dolby Atmos Documentation

Dolby Atmos is an immersive audio format that provides a compelling listener experience by surrounding the listener with sound. In addition to the traditional 5.1 or 7.1 surround setups, Atmos introduces height channels to enable sound from above to increase aural envelopment. These are...

professional.dolby.com

Dolby Atmos for Headphones

Dolby Atmos for headphones enables sound to come from all around the player, including height, through any set of stereo headphones. It uses a technology called a HRTF processing (Head Related Transfer Function) to give the listener the perception of hearing sound sources around their head. It does this by modelling the time difference between sounds hit either ear, and the acoustic shadowing caused by our pinnae (outer ear), head and torso.

When the bed channels are virtualized for headphones using Dolby Atmos for Headphones, you could think of them as virtual speakers arrayed around the listeners' head, using binaural processing (HRTF filtering) to place each virtual speaker in space around the listener. Sounds are panned around the virtual speakers in the same way they would be panned around speakers in the real world, creating phantom images between the virtual speakers.

Individual Dolby Atmos objects are processed with their own HRTF function, increasing the spatial accuracy compared to playing in the bed channels, which uses phantom imaging panning between the virtual speakers to locate sounds in 3D space.

Additional resources:
HRTF: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-related_transfer_function

Dolby Atmos Documentation

Dolby Atmos is an immersive audio format that provides a compelling listener experience by surrounding the listener with sound. In addition to the traditional 5.1 or 7.1 surround setups, Atmos introduces height channels to enable sound from above to increase aural envelopment. These are...

professional.dolby.com

Thank you for this detailed explanation of atmos for headphones. Am I right in thinking the only way to enjoy this is via a computer on with the atmos for headphones software? And therefore it is impossible to recreate via Bluetooth? So atmos enabled TVs/streaming devices would not be able to transmit Atmos to wireless headphones?

 

[bigboss]

You're mostly right, but there are some nuances. I found this:

1. Dolby Atmos for Headphones Works via Software Processing​

• The only way to experience true Dolby Atmos on Bluetooth headphones is if the device (PC, console, phone, or tablet) processes the Atmos effects before transmitting audio over Bluetooth.
• This means Dolby Atmos for Headphones software (like Dolby Access on PC/Xbox) or built-in OS processing (like Apple’s Spatial Audio) is required.

2. TVs & Streaming Devices Can’t Transmit Dolby Atmos Over Bluetooth​

• Standard Bluetooth audio (A2DP profile) doesn’t support multi-channel Atmos metadata.
• Atmos-enabled TVs and streaming devices (Apple TV, Fire Stick, Nvidia Shield, etc.) only transmit Atmos via HDMI (to soundbars/AV receivers).
• They cannot transmit Atmos audio over Bluetooth because Bluetooth lacks the required bandwidth and codec support.

3. Workarounds for Wireless Dolby Atmos on TVs​

While TVs can’t send Dolby Atmos over Bluetooth, there are a few alternative ways:

A) Wireless Headphones with a USB Transmitter (Non-Bluetooth)​

Some wireless gaming headsets (like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless or Razer Kaira Pro) come with a USB transmitter that allows them to receive Dolby Atmos audio without using Bluetooth. If your TV supports USB audio output, this can work.

B) HDMI Audio Extractors + Wireless Transmitters​

• Some HDMI audio extractors can take the Atmos signal from the TV and send it to a dedicated wireless transmitter (e.g., RF or Wi-Fi-based, not Bluetooth).
• This is not ideal for most users but is technically possible.

C) Apple’s Spatial Audio with Apple TV + AirPods​

• Apple TV 4K can process Dolby Atmos and send it to AirPods Pro/Max via Apple’s proprietary wireless audio (not standard Bluetooth).
• This is an exception, as it bypasses Bluetooth’s limitations using Apple's ecosystem.

Bottom Line​

✅ Dolby Atmos for Headphones works with PCs, Xbox, and compatible phones because they do the processing before sending audio over Bluetooth.
❌ Dolby Atmos-enabled TVs and streaming devices cannot transmit Atmos to Bluetooth headphones—they need HDMI or proprietary wireless connections instead.

If you want wireless Dolby Atmos from a TV, you’ll need AirPods + Apple TV, a headset with a USB dongle, or a more complex HDMI audio extraction setup.

 

[pelv]

You're mostly right, but there are some nuances. I found this:

1. Dolby Atmos for Headphones Works via Software Processing​

• The only way to experience true Dolby Atmos on Bluetooth headphones is if the device (PC, console, phone, or tablet) processes the Atmos effects before transmitting audio over Bluetooth.
• This means Dolby Atmos for Headphones software (like Dolby Access on PC/Xbox) or built-in OS processing (like Apple’s Spatial Audio) is required.

2. TVs & Streaming Devices Can’t Transmit Dolby Atmos Over Bluetooth​

• Standard Bluetooth audio (A2DP profile) doesn’t support multi-channel Atmos metadata.
• Atmos-enabled TVs and streaming devices (Apple TV, Fire Stick, Nvidia Shield, etc.) only transmit Atmos via HDMI (to soundbars/AV receivers).
• They cannot transmit Atmos audio over Bluetooth because Bluetooth lacks the required bandwidth and codec support.

3. Workarounds for Wireless Dolby Atmos on TVs​

While TVs can’t send Dolby Atmos over Bluetooth, there are a few alternative ways:

A) Wireless Headphones with a USB Transmitter (Non-Bluetooth)​

Some wireless gaming headsets (like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless or Razer Kaira Pro) come with a USB transmitter that allows them to receive Dolby Atmos audio without using Bluetooth. If your TV supports USB audio output, this can work.

B) HDMI Audio Extractors + Wireless Transmitters​

• Some HDMI audio extractors can take the Atmos signal from the TV and send it to a dedicated wireless transmitter (e.g., RF or Wi-Fi-based, not Bluetooth).
• This is not ideal for most users but is technically possible.

C) Apple’s Spatial Audio with Apple TV + AirPods​

• Apple TV 4K can process Dolby Atmos and send it to AirPods Pro/Max via Apple’s proprietary wireless audio (not standard Bluetooth).
• This is an exception, as it bypasses Bluetooth’s limitations using Apple's ecosystem.

Bottom Line​

✅ Dolby Atmos for Headphones works with PCs, Xbox, and compatible phones because they do the processing before sending audio over Bluetooth.
❌ Dolby Atmos-enabled TVs and streaming devices cannot transmit Atmos to Bluetooth headphones—they need HDMI or proprietary wireless connections instead.

If you want wireless Dolby Atmos from a TV, you’ll need AirPods + Apple TV, a headset with a USB dongle, or a more complex HDMI audio extraction setup.

Thank you so much for this comprehensive explanation. Its what I have been looking for online without success and confirmed what I was thinking. Really appreciate you taking the time to present the information so succinctly.