VR is assumptively a visual media -- the immediate association people draw is of users with headsets strapped over their eyes -- but the Ambeo Smart Headset from Sennheiser is a device for addressing the aural aspect. It's the first ever piece of equipment that allows the average consumer to record binaural audio (better known as 3D audio) on a simple, compact device.
When watching a traditional, two-dimensional film or TV show, sound is usually split between left and right channels, with little more detail than that (unless the consumer has doled out for a serious surround sound system, and even then the field is only expanded along a single plane.) Binaural sound drastically increases the potential for sound, bringing sounds above, below, or on either side -- the same dynamism as sound in real life. The Sennheiser Ambeo Smart Headset is a means for capturing that.
What's Driving This Trend
- Binaural Recording
- The rise of binaural recording technology presents an disruptive innovation opportunity for audio production companies to create immersive sound experiences.
- 3D Audio
- The Ambeo Smart Headset from Sennheiser signals a key milestone in the development of 3D audio, which opens up new opportunities for VR, gaming, and music industries.
- Consumer Audio Recording
- The Sennheiser Ambeo Smart Headset is a prime example of how consumer technology is making professional-quality audio recording more accessible to non-professionals.
Who This Affects Most
- Audio Production
- The binaural recording trend offers new opportunities for audio production companies to create new audio products or services that provide unique immersive experiences to customers.
- Virtual Reality
- The 3D audio technology has a disruptively powerful opportunity to help VR content creators deliver more immersive and realistic experiences to users.
- Music Production
- The trend of consumer-friendly audio recording technologies has the potential to create a disruptive innovation opportunity for the music industry, enabling musicians to create more sophisticated recordings on a budget.
