Sony has announced that from 6th April 2021, customers in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain can enjoy 360 Reality Audio immersive, object-based content on Sony’s premium home wireless speakers when using Amazon’s CD-quality streaming service Amazon Music HD.
The two models receiving 360 Reality Audio support (aka Sony’s proprietary spatial sound technology to rival Dolby Atmos or Apple’s Spatial Audio) via Amazon Cast are the RA5000 and RA3000 – Sony’s January 2021-launch high-end immersive wireless home speaker propositions.
360 Reality Audio tracks are streamed over wi-fi through Amazon’s premium Amazon Music HD service, to incorporate three-dimensional sound location data and boast an “all-encompassing sound” when played on the RA5000 or RA3000.
In addition, Immersive Audio Enhancement, a unique algorithm from Sony, promises to enhance the audio experience of any two-channel stereo track to create ambient room-filling sound.
Andre Stapleton, global head of artist and label relations at Amazon Music said: “We believe sound quality matters, and by expanding Amazon Music HD’s audio experience to Sony’s new home wireless speakers, more people than ever will be able to enjoy music in its highest quality.”
Richard Palk, head of product marketing and product planning at Sony Europe said: “We’re proud to continually evolve the 360 Reality Audio ecosystem, are thrilled to have Amazon Music HD as a new streaming partner for our new premium home speakers.”
Introduced in 2019 with 1000 tracks, Sony’s 360 Reality Audio now boasts approximately 4000 songs from artists such as Megan Thee Stallion, Noah Cyrus, Zara Larsson, Paloma Faith and more. Sony 360 Audio makes it possible for artists and creators to produce music by mapping sound sources such as vocals, chorus and instruments with positional information and placing them within a spherical space. This revolutionary musical experience, powered by Sony’s spatial sound technologies, promises to evoke feelings of being in a music studio or live concert venue – all without leaving the comfort of home.
Don’t have an Amazon Music HD account? It’s OK. In addition to Amazon Music HD, 360 Reality Audio is available to stream using Tidal, Deezer and the streaming service for live gigs, nugs.net (Deezer coming summer 2021 via Chromecast built-in) on the RA5000 and RA3000 speakers.
We’ve not yet had the pleasure of welcoming Sony’s premium wireless home speakers to our testing facility (The RA5000 boasts Alexa/Google Assistant built in, three upfiring speakers, three mid-drivers and a subwoofer and retails for £499, the RA3000 is priced £299) but for more information, you can visit Sony’s website.
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