At the 2014 CES show, dts was not only here to demonstrate their iconic surround sound, but also a new ground breaking technology that no sound aficionado enthusiast will not want to live without.

The new dts headphone: X.

Though, dts already has licensed certain headphone makers the rights to manufacture their own headphones with this new technology, headphone X is not a new of brand of headphone. The “X” stands for any headphone that you choose to wear on your ears; including your favorite pair at home.

If you already own a favorite pair of high-end headphones, then there is no need to get another pair to replace them.

All of the preferable sound characteristics of the listener are stored on an application. The headphones are just playing what is being played through the application and device. Nothing is done with the headphones. They will support 2 channel, 5.1, 7.1 and 11.1 channel audio. It is also tightly integrated with DTS-HD and DTS Master Audio.

I was able to hear their new technology at the demo booth (twice). The demo started with the typical sound check set-up of the dts speaker locations, without headphones, using an 11.1 speaker setup (a voice naming each channel was being utilized – left, right, center, rear channel speakers, etc).

When we were told to put the headphones on, the 11.1 speaker setup sound check was repeated. However, it sounded exactly the same, as though it was coming through the live speakers. I suspected audio trickery, so I immediately took the headphones off to see if the speakers were being utilized in the demo room, as well. They were not.

Currently, dts has this technology on mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets. Eventually, it will revolutionize the home theatre segment in the near future. OEM’s of AV receivers will soon be able to utilize this technology making many next door neighbors who live to people like me very happy, since their adjoining walls will no longer rattle any more from lossless sound coming from my Home Theatre.

In the meantime, dts has reinvented the home theatre sound system, less 11 speakers and 2 subwoofers and a hundred feet of cable and speaker wire.

Article and photos by Marcus Siu