What is Sony 360 Reality Audio? How It Works and How to Experience It?

How do I use 360 Reality Audio?

Using Sony’s 360 Reality Audio is relatively straightforward and flexible, even though it has some content and hardware limitations. Here’s a simple guide to get you started:

1. Choose Your Hardware: You can use any headphones that support high-definition audio, not just Sony’s. Unlike Apple’s spatial audio, which requires specific devices, 360 Reality Audio works with a wider range of headphones and can be used with both iOS and Android devices.
2. Get a Premium Music Subscription: To access 360 Reality Audio content, you’ll need a premium subscription to one of the following music streaming services:
   • Tidal HiFi: Open the app, go to the Explore section, and look for 360 Reality Audio content.
   • Deezer HiFi: Download and use the 360 by Deezer app to access 360 Reality Audio tracks.
   • Nugs HiFi: Find 360 Reality Audio content by scrolling right on the Nugs app home screen.
   • Amazon Music HD: This service provides 360 Reality Audio content for specific speakers, such as the Amazon Echo Studio or Sony’s RA3000 and RA5000 speakers.
3. Optimize Your Experience: If you have compatible Sony headphones (like the WH-1000XM4 or WF-1000XM3), use the Sony Headphones Connect app. Through the app, you can take photos of your ears to optimize the 360 Reality Audio experience for your specific ear shape, which can enhance playback quality.

By following these steps, you can enjoy the immersive 3D audio experience of Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, whether using headphones or compatible speakers.

How does 360 Reality Audio work?

360 Reality Audio creates a three-dimensional sound experience by carefully mastering music to map individual elements—such as instruments and vocals—into a spherical 3D space around the listener. Here’s a breakdown of how it works:

• Music Mastering: Songs are engineered so that different sounds are positioned at various points in a 360-degree sphere surrounding the listener. This placement creates a sense of immersion, making it feel like sounds are coming from all directions, including above and below.
• Binaural Rendering: For headphones, 360 Reality Audio uses binaural rendering. This technique sends sound into your ears in a way that mimics real-life hearing. Your brain interprets tiny differences in how sounds reach each ear to determine their direction. This creates the illusion that sounds are coming from specific points around you, rather than just from the headphones.
• Speaker Setup: When using speakers, 360 Reality Audio works similarly to Dolby Atmos. It uses sound reflections off walls and ceilings to create a surround sound effect with a sense of height. For example, sound waves can be directed upwards to bounce off the ceiling, making it seem like a sound is coming from above.
• Head Tracking: Unlike some other spatial audio systems, 360 Reality Audio does not use head tracking. In systems with head tracking, like Apple’s spatial audio or Samsung’s 360 Audio, the sound positions adjust as you move your head to keep the audio experience consistent. 360 Reality Audio keeps sound sources fixed in their positions regardless of head movement, which allows it to work with a broader range of headphones that don’t have built-in sensors.

Overall, 360 Reality Audio enhances your listening experience by creating a more immersive and spatially accurate sound environment, whether through headphones or speakers. The way we watch movies, listen to music, and even talk on the phone has changed because of noise-canceling headphones. There are top 5 noise-cancelling headphones.

Conclusion

Sony’s 360 Reality Audio delivers a groundbreaking auditory experience by placing sounds in a spherical 3D space around the listener, creating a vivid and immersive environment. Through meticulous music mastering and binaural rendering, it replicates how we naturally perceive sound, making music and audio content feel more dynamic and enveloping.

While it does not utilize head tracking, allowing it to be compatible with a wide range of headphones, it still provides a rich spatial audio experience. Whether through headphones or speakers, 360 Reality Audio enhances the way we experience music, offering a compelling alternative to traditional stereo and surround sound systems.