Shop E Store Know your Dolby Atmos of your DTS: X with our next generation full audio guide
If you have been looking to buy a new speaker, sound bar or even a new pair of headphones lately, it is possible that you have encountered the phrase ‘space audio’ and it is possible that you have wondered exactly what it is.
Instead of only a new simple phrase of Buzz Tech, the space audio is actually a big problem and represents a seismic change in how you can experience sound; Whether music or sonor of home at home.
It could be said that it is the most significant advance for audio since the advent of stereo.
Stereo divided the audio experience of a channel into two, offering us right and left audio signals that worked in harmony.
The space audio leads this much further by transcending the limitations of the traditional left-right audio, creating a truly three-dimensional sound landscape where audio elements seem to originate in everything that surrounds you, even from above and back … and everything without having to run speaker cable throughout your living room.
It is not just a subtle improvement in surround sound systems that have gained popularity in recent decades; It is a complete reinvention of audio immersion, which allows you to feel completely absorbed by narrative, game or music.
But is it worth the whole hype? And what do you need to do to get a space audio in your life?
Keep reading to find out.
Beyond the surround sound
While the idea of immersive sound is not entirely new (think of the various iterations of the surround 5.1 and 7.1 sound systems that have been available, incredibly, since the 1940s), the space audio adopts a fundamentally different approach.
The traditional enveloping sound is based on assigning sounds to specific speaker channels. For example, in a 5.1 system, the sounds are directed to the left front, the center, the right front, the left shipment, the right shipment and the subwoofer channels.
In an example of the real world, they may have a Son beam doing three of the 5.1 count (front, left and central, with two games: 1 in the rear that constitutes five, with a submarine adding the important point one.
The space audio, however, uses object -based audio. This means that instead of assigning sounds to the locations of the fixed speakers, each sound, think in the voice of a character, a car in the distance, a rumbleing explosion, it is treated as an independent object that can be positioned and moved precisely Within a thundimensional sonic space.
This is the underlying principle behind the main space audio formats such as Dolby Atmos, DTS: X and Sony’s 360 reality audio.
These formats allow sound designers to create incredibly realistic and dynamic audio experiences, placing precise precision sounds in the 3D sound field.
Space audio for home film
For home film configuration, the space audio is mainly experienced through sophisticated sound bars and multi -speakers systems. These systems use a variety of techniques to create the illusion of sound from all directions.
Take the example of the Sonos 5.1 system we are talking about earlier. Exchange that beam for the tastes of an arc of sounds or a beam 2, throw some was 300 in the rear, all of which the Dolby Atmos Smarts package, and suddenly obtained a 7.1.4 system, which means 7 to the 7 Heard level now, no 5, plus 4 upper speakers, and the .1 for the submarine.
In fact, the last Sonos Arc Ultra claims to make 9.1.4 sounds alone.
And that is without having fierce speakers above the level of the ear, rather by using speakers placed at the level of the ear that trigger certain sounds up so that they bounce on the roof and hit your ear from above.
Ascending shot smarts
These controllers designed to bounce the sound of the ceiling effectively create a high dimension for the mixture.
This allows the realistic reproduction of sounds that sound to the listener as they originate from above: think that the rain falls, helicopters flying or even the subtle atmosphere of a cathedral.
Sound bars such as the Sonos arc and complete systems such as the Samsung HW-Q990C incorporate ascending shooting speakers to deliver these height effects.
But it is not just about creating virtual sounds from above, with space audio that can also create a broader and wider sound scenario using side shooting speakers.
These drivers bounce on the side walls of their room, creating the printing of speakers placed more separate than the sound bar itself.
Some sound bars, such as the Ultra ARC, also use a sophisticated digital signal processing to virtualize rear -rear speakers.
This technology creates the illusion of the sound behind you, even when the physical rear speakers are not present.
This is a super useful characteristic for people who may not have space, or wiring, for a real ‘envelope configuration.
Ordering your room
Due to all those sound waves shooting and bouncing, the room in which he uses space audio speakers can also affect its performance.
There are not two exactly the same rooms, and factors such as room size, shape and even its furniture can affect sound quality.
To compensate for these variations, many high -end sound bars and AV receptors incorporate room calibration software.
Technologies such as Sonos TruePlay and Dirac Live use microphones to analyze the acoustics of their room and then automatically adjust the audio output to optimize the sound for their specific environment.
This ensures that he is obtaining the best possible auditory experience, regardless of the peculiarities of his room.
Psychoacoustic, addicted, crazy
In addition to the placement of physical speakers and the calibration of the room, space audio systems often use psychoacoustic processing.
No, this is not what John, Paul, George and Ringo did after their visit to the Maharishi in 1968, it is actually an avant -garde technology that uses complex algorithms to manipulate how their brain perceives solid directionality.
By subtly altering the time and phase of the audio signals, these systems can create the illusion of sound from specific locations, even when the speakers are physically found in other places.
It is a fairly advanced technology that is particularly effective to create a sense of amplitude and immersion, even with a relatively small number of speakers, or in fact only one.
If you have stopped directly in front of a Dolby Atmos sound bar that pumps the sound of a great success, and the audio apparently comes from all directions, without real speakers in those places, then you have experienced a psychoacoustic processing.
Personal space audio
The space audio in the headphones adopts a different approach from that of speaker -based systems.
Since the headphones are inherently close to the ears, the approach is to create a convincing sound of sound that came from outside the head, which is achieved through a combination of techniques.
Head monitoring technology, as is found in the headphones such as Ace Sonos or Airpods Max of Apple, uses incorlore and accelerometers incorporated to track the movements of his head.
The audio fits dynamically in real time as the head turns, helping to create a more realistic and attractive experience, particularly for virtual reality movies and applications.
For example, if you are watching a movie and a character speaks from the left side of the screen, the audio will change as the head turns, maintaining the illusion that the sound comes from that fixed location.
Another central component of the headphones based on the headphones is the binural representation. This technique uses head -related transfer functions (HRTF) to simulate how sound naturally travels to its ears in a 3D space.
HRTF are essentially a set of filters that represent how head and ears sound waves. By applying these filters to audio signals, space audio systems can create a convincing feeling of depth and directionality, despite the fact that sound is only delivered through two small conductors.
Dolby Atmos for headphones, Windows Sonic and Sony 360 reality audio depends on the binural representation to create their respective space audio experiences.
The battle of the formats
While the three leading space audio formats: Dolby Atmos, DTS: X and Sony 360 reality audio, aim to create immersive 3D audio experiences, do adopt slightly different approaches.
Dolby Atmos is currently the most widely adopted space audio format, backed by a wide range of devices, from sound bars and AV receptors to transmission services and game consoles. Its wide compatibility and an extensive content library make it the most popular option for home film configurations and will undoubtedly have seen the Dolby Atmos slapped on new televisions or AV equipment that you have seen in stores.
DTS: X is a strong competitor of Dolby Atmos, which offers 3D audio capabilities based on similar objects. One of the key advantages of DTS: X is its flexibility in the placement of speakers. It does not require specific speakers configurations, which allows you to adapt to a broader range of home film configurations.
Sony’s 360 reality audio focuses mainly on music. Its objective is to create a spherical sound landscape around the listener, placing individual instruments and voices in a three -dimensional space. While it can be used for films and games, its strength lies in its ability to improve musical auditory experience.
Is the space audio worth?
For anyone who is passionate about home, games or immersive musical experiences, space audio is a real change of play … An excessive phrase in excess of technology, but is definitely appropriate here.
He lifts the entertainment experience at a completely new level of immersion, which makes you feel that you are really part of the action.
Whether you choose a sound bar enabled for Dolby Atmos or invest in a complete system of multiple speakers, the difference in audio quality will be quite dramatic.
For headphones users, the benefits of space audio are more situational. You can significantly improve films and games experiences, adding a sense of depth and realism that traditional stereo headphones simply cannot match. While the space audio can also be used to listen to music, the impact may not be so pronounced for a casual listening, although now a lot of music is mixing with the space audio in mind and is making a big difference.
Ultimately, the best space audio experience depends on your individual needs, preferences and budget. However, it cannot be denied that the space audio represents the future of sound, and it is a future that is quickly becoming a reality.
