How to enable Windows Sonic on Windows 10
Windows Sonic was one of the features that Microsoft introduced in the Windows 10 Creators Update that did not receive a lot of attention.
Windows Sonic is Microsoft's solution for introducing spatial sound support on Windows 10 devices. The functionality is available to Universal Windows Platform applications and Win32 desktop programs, and developers may use the available APIs to create surround and elevation sound cues.
Windows 10 and Xbox users may enable Windows Sonic on their devices; new audio hardware or program updates may not be required. The platform supports Windows Sonic for headphones encoding, and real-time Dolby Atmos encoding. The former for stereo headphones, the latter for stereo headphones and HDMI.
Spatial sound with Windows Sonic supports TVs, home theaters, and sound bars that support Dolby Atmos. Spatial sound can also be used with any pair of headphones the consumer may own, with audio rendered by the platform using Windows Sonic for Headphones or Dolby Atmos for Headphones. [source]
How to enable Windows Sonic on Windows 10
You can enable Windows Sonic functionality on devices running Windows 10 with the Creators Update update or newer updates installed.
Enabling the feature is easy, as it is done with a couple of clicks on the desktop.
- Right-click on the volume mixer icon in the Windows taskbar, and move over Spatial Sound (None) when the menu opens.
- Select "Windows Sonic for Headphones"Â to activate the feature.
You can enable Dolby Atmos for Headphones there as well, but it will redirect you to Windows Store to download the Dolby Access application. This app includes a free trial of Dolby Atmos for Headphones and demos that you can play; in short, the feature is not free and needs to be purchased. The app is available for $14.99.
Another option that you have to enable Windows Sonic functionality is the following one:
- Right-click on the volume mixer icon in the taskbar and select Playback devices from the menu.
- Right-click on the active speaker, and select properties.
- Switch to the Spatial sound tab.
- Activate Windows Sonic for Headphones or Dolby Atmos for Headphones there.
When you enable Windows Sonic using this method, 7.1 virtual surround sound is activated automatically as well.
Testing Windows Sonic for headphones
It is a good idea to test Windows Sonic to find out whether you notice a difference. You can head over to Windows Store and play a movie trailer with and without Windows Sonic for Headphones.
I think there is a noticeable difference but it depends on your audio hardware, the selected movie, and you.
Now You: Have you tried Windows Sonic or Dolby Atmos?
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help