Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra launches with DTS Headphone: X
Thomas Wellburn
July 14, 2016
The Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra has been released in Taiwan today and is the first handset to officially support DTS Headphone: X 7.1 surround sound.
The Asus Zenfone range has developed a bit of a name among programmers and modders, notably for their use of Intel chips. Recently, the company has made the jump to Qualcomm, with the Zenfone 3 Deluxe the first handset to ship with a Snapdragon 821.
The Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra is an entirely different beast altogether, featuring a gigantic 6.8-inch full HD LCD display that definitely puts it in the realm of tablet category. Marketed as a device for watching your favourite shows, you’ll be getting a pretty engrossing experience at the expense of it not fitting in your pocket.
Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra puts the cinema experience inside your head
The main selling point surrounding the Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra is DTS Headphone: X technology. It’s actually the first handset on the market to support this clever software processing feature, that allows a virtual representation of 3D space inside your head. DTS has designed the technology to work with any kind of earphones currently on the market, so you won’t need some expensive 7.1 gaming headset to appreciate the difference. For best results, you’ll ideally want a pair of over-the-ear cans, though in-ears still produce some very impressive results.
The technology was first debuted back at CES Las Vegas in 2014 and has gone through numerous internal testing phases. Asus will be supporting DTS Headphone: X in numerous devices, including the upcoming ZenPad Z8 tablet.
There’s currently no word on if the Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra will ever reach western markets, though the company has said that they announce additional markets soon. It carries a list price of NT$17,990 (£421.84).
