Capturing 3D sound is not new, it’s available to professionals and in the commercial space, but now consumers can capture 3D sound with the new Sennheiser AMBEO headset.
At this year’s IFA GPC (Pre IFA conference for the press to discuss trends and what’s to come), Dr Andreas Sennheiser unveiled what the next thing in audio capture is for consumers.
Capturing 360 videos already exist and as visually immersive as it may be, what could truly transform that experience and take it to the next level would be the ability to capture audio just as we experience it. Imagine being able to capture the sound all around you anywhere you want.
Once you capture 3D audio, you may be wondering, well how do I listen to back to it just the way I capture it? well, it’s also the world’s first binaural headset, which means you can also listen to 3D audio captured which is very impressive.
Coming later this year the new pair of the headset will be available to purchase and although Dr Sennheiser only spoke about the iOS version, I’m hoping that we will also see a USB-C version perhaps, for Android users. It’s accompanied with a free app that allows you to tweak settings too. Sennheiser said they will be working with Samsung to bring it to Android users.
To achieve the 3D sound recording, the AMBEO SMART HEADSET uses two omnidirectional microphones integrated into the earpieces coupled with an A/D converter, mic preamp and SoftLimit from Apogee, the partner used to make this whole thing possible.
According to Dr Sennheiser, “The two microphones capture the subtle differences in timing, volume and timbre that occur as sounds from different directions reach each ear. When played back on headphones, the result is a truly stunning lifelike audio experience in picture-perfect fidelity. It places the listener in the exact, original sound field, so whether you capture a rainforest or a buzzing city, listening to the binaural recording will make you feel like you are there.”
No information on pricing yet, but that’s the point of IFA GPC (IFA Global Press Conference); we’ll see it fully fleshed out at IFA 2017 in Berlin – stay tuned.
