Spatial Audio

Pioneer Electronics’ new Sphera device is the first aftermarket in-dash receiver that supports Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio playback through Apple CarPlay, the company said Monday at CES 2026. The device makes immersive audio technology accessible to drivers whose vehicles lack factory-installed Atmos systems.

“For over 80 years, Pioneer has achieved many technological ‘firsts’ — from the world’s first car CD player to the first aftermarket CarPlay integration,” said Chris Ono, the company’s CEO and chairman. “Sphera is the next bold chapter in that legacy. We developed a product that brings the rich, detailed sound of Dolby Atmos that moves the soul, to a solution that can be installed in many vehicles on the road today.”

After spending quality time with the Treblab HD-360 Pro, I’ve come to appreciate what this Bluetooth speaker represents: excellent audio that’s good enough for home use but just happens to be wireless for portability — unlike Apple’s excellent-but-limited HomePod 2.

In a market saturated with speakers that promise much but deliver mediocrity, HD-360 Pro stands out by focusing on what matters most — genuine audio quality backed by serious hardware. And at roughly half the price of great home speakers like HomePod 2 but with the option of portability, it’s worth considering, depending on what you want in a speaker. 

Apple is already working on future generations of its AirPods lineup despite only recently releasing the AirPods Pro 3, according to a new report. The company focuses development efforts on transforming its popular earbuds into AI-powered devices with enhanced health tracking capabilities.

Apple expanded its Apple Immersive Video catalog Monday with a slate of new films from major global publishers, broadcasters and brands, marking a major milestone for the Vision Pro platform.

The new content comes from partners including Audi, the BBC, CANAL+, CNN, HYBE, MotoGP and Red Bull. Releases are planned over the coming months.

Apple Music celebrates its 10th anniversary by opening an ambitious new creative music facility in Los Angeles, in addition to offering special programming on Apple Music Radio, the iPhone giant said Monday. The new studio signals the streaming service’s commitment to supporting artists and expanding beyond traditional music streaming.

“Apple Music Radio has always been a home for storytelling and artistry, serving as a space for bold conversations and surprising moments,” said Rachel Newman, Apple Music’s co-head. “With this new studio, we are furthering our commitment to creating a space for artists to create, connect and share their vision.”

Submerged, the first immersive scripted film for Vision Pro, is now out. But new show episodes, films, series and concerts captured in Apple Immersive Video will debut later this year and early next year, Apple said Thursday.

 “Apple Immersive Video is a wonderful new medium that expands the horizon of storytelling,” said Berger, director of the Academy Award-winning All Quiet on the Western Front and upcoming Conclave. “Apple Vision Pro inspired me to tell a story in a way that just wasn’t possible before, and in the process, it changed the way my team and I think about creating a story. This immersive technology pioneered by Apple is going to change the future of filmmaking.”

“Vision Pro places you in the middle of the story — inside a densely packed submarine, shoulder to shoulder with its crew,” he added. “That deep sense of immersion just wasn’t possible before, and we can’t wait to see how it inspires filmmakers to push the boundaries of visual storytelling.”

Creative Technology’s new Creative Zen Hybrid SXFI over-hear headphones and Creative Zen Air SXFI true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds offer an immersive, three-dimensional soundscape through Super X-Fi technology, the company said.

That’s another way of saying “spatial audio.” And both noise-canceling devices are affordable. Now available for preorder, the cans list for $99.99 and the buds go for $79.99.

The affordable and popular Baseus Bowie MA10 wireless noise-canceling earbuds just got a big upgrade with spatial audio, alongside a more compact design and a digital display for battery life on the case, the company said Tuesday. The new ones are called Baseus Bowie MA10s.

Baseus called the previous version its best-selling product on Amazon last year and said the buds “have been recommended by Oscar-class composers to ensure a quality sound experience.” And you can get them for a lot less than buds like AirPods Pro 2 — just $40.

Independent record labels say Apple’s recent promise to pay 10% more for Dolby Atmos tracks in Spatial Audio will take money away from them and give it to major labels and their stars, according to a new report Friday.

“It’s literally going to take the money out of independent labels and their artists, to benefit the biggest companies in the marketplace,” said a senior executive at one of the bigger independent record companies.

A day ahead of Vision Pro’s release, Apple put a spotlight on more than 600 new “spatial” apps and games made specifically for the headset. They join more than a million Vision Pro-compatible apps Friday in the App Store.

“Apple Vision Pro is unlocking the imaginations of our worldwide developer community, and we’re inspired by the range of spatial experiences they’ve created for this exciting new platform,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations.

Apple Music reportedly will pay artists 10% more for tracks that use Spatial Audio, which offers a surround sound-like experience without requiring additional speakers.

Theoretically, more music that offers Spatial Audio should persuade more consumers to buy Apple products that support the feature.

New entertainment experiences launching with Apple Vision Pro on February 2 should be dazzling, as users can turn any space into a personal theater, enjoy more than 150 3D movies and experience “the future of entertainment” with Immersive Video, Apple said Tuesday.

“Apple Vision Pro is the ultimate entertainment device,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing. “Users can turn any place into the best seat in the house, enjoy personal concerts and adventures with Apple Immersive Video, interact with lifelike prehistoric creatures in Encounter Dinosaurs, and even land on the surface of the moon using Environments. It’s unlike anything users have ever seen before and we can’t wait for them to experience it for themselves.”

Apple plans to offer financial incentives to artists and record labels who mix songs using surround-sound Spatial Audio technology Dolby Atmos, sources close to the matter said Monday.

Greater weighting placed on those audio streams starting in 2024 will likely mean higher royalties paid out.

Jabra just rolled out its new flagship wireless active noise-canceling earbuds, Jabra Elite 10, alongside its rugged Jabra Elite 8 Active buds.

Elite 10 features 10mm drivers, comfortable open-ear construction and, in a first for Jabra, Dolby Atmos spatial audio with head tracking.

Soundcore’s new Motion X600 Hi-Res Bluetooth Speaker is a keeper if you’re after a fantastic-looking portable speaker with convincing-enough spatial audio.

It starts shipping May 9, and if you pay just $1 for an early-bird coupon Monday — before the preorder promotion ends early Tuesday morning — you get the X600 for $149 instead of $199 at launch. That’s a fantastic value for anyone unsure they want to pony up twice as much for a second-gen HomePod.

Before Apple subsidiary Beats could get the word out, a listing appeared briefly on Amazon.com Tuesday showing upgraded Beats Studio Buds+ coming out May 18.

They take the same shape as existing Beats Studio Buds, but they feature a cool new transparent design option, upgraded performance and a slightly higher price of $169.95.

Alongside the release of its new Era 300 and Era 100 speakers, Sonos said Tuesday it will “add support for spatial audio on Apple Music in what will be a significant expansion of its next-gen sound experience offerings.”

The company said customers can access spatial audio on Apple Music via the Era 300 and two older Sonos speaker systems starting in three weeks — Tuesday, March 28 (the new speakers’ shipping date).

Netflix greatly increased the amount of its most-popular content with support for spatial audio, which lets the tv shows and films offer a surround sound-like experience but without all the speakers.

But the enhanced sound is not for every subscriber. The streaming service is using spatial audio as a way to tempt viewers to its Premium plan.

Apple is partnering with Mercedes-Benz to bring Apple Music’s Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos support to select Mercedes vehicles. The feature will be immediately available to Apple Music subscribers with compatible cars.

Apple Music has been available on Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system since 2021.

Google plans to make its latest Pixel and Wear OS devices more compelling alternatives to iPhone and Apple Watch by ripping off some of Cupertino’s most popular software features — including spatial audio and AirDrop.

The Android-maker revealed the long list of improvements, which will span all of Google’s software platforms as well as Windows, this week at the CES trade show in Las Vegas. Here’s what you can expect if you plan to ditch your Apple devices and swap sides.

AirPods are arguably one of Apple’s most popular products. Over the last five years, the wireless earbuds have become so common that it’s hard to go anywhere without seeing someone wearing them.

And now, with the third-generation AirPods, Apple has improved them in almost every way. That makes the latest AirPods one of the best, if not the best, all-around earbuds you can get.

The new AirPods 3 are marvelous little earbuds. They sound fantastic, are dead easy to set up and use, and the wireless charging case is a godsend.

Compared to their predecessors, Apple greatly improved just about everything — and they are well worth their $179 price tag.

The first wave of AirPods 3 reviews just came out, and they’re full of good news for those considering Apple’s latest truly wireless earbuds. Sound quality draws praise, as does battery life. But reviewers don’t seem as happy about the lack of active noise cancellation. And some would have preferred silicone ear tips.

Read on for reviewers’ specific comments about AirPods 3.

Apple’s newest HomePod beta, issued alongside the iOS and iPadOS 15.1 betas on Tuesday, brings back lossless audio and Dolby Atmos support. Both features can be enabled from inside the Home app, but only if you have an invite.

Apple has been working to bring its newest audio features to HomePod speakers for a while now. It first began testing them shortly after WWDC 2021 in June when the third HomePod 15 beta was made available to testers.

Netflix has begun rolling out Spatial Audio support. This lets the streaming service offer a surround sound-like experience but without all the speakers. Currently, it requires AirPods Pro or AirPods Max but that’ll change soon.

And Netflix beat out Apple TV in offering the feature.