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Sony 360 Spatial Sound Mapping Technology on the Sony HT-A7000

Sound from every direction will also be available in the spring via the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar based on Sony 360 Spatial Sound Mapping Technology. A firmware update opens up these possibilities.

With the help of a firmware update, the Sony HT-A7000, i.e. the 7.1.2-channel soundbar from the Japanese consumer electronics company Sony Corporation, is now also to be enabled to support Sony 360 Spatial Sound Mapping Technology. This was first used in the Sony HT-A9 home cinema system and is said to be a particularly innovative technology that can be used in conjunction with the already available Sony SA-RS3S wireless rear speakers and the new Sony SA-RS5.

Sony Corporation describes Sony 360 Spatial Sound Mapping Technology as a revolutionary solution that allows users to experience sound from any direction and distance.

Sony 360 Spatial Sound Mapping Technology – sound from all directions

The basis for Sony 360 Spatial Sound Mapping Technology is first of all that the audio solution is optimally tuned to the room. This is done, for example, via a room calibration implemented in the Sony HT-A7000, whereby the microphones required for this are integrated directly into the soundbar.

The relative height and position of the soundbar and the rear loudspeaker systems are measured in order to obtain an exact image of the room and to use this as the basis for the DSP-based signal processing.

Based on the individual data of the room, the soundbar synthesises the sound waves using Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping Technology and thus creates several phantom speaker systems, as the manufacturer describes it. In this way, a wide listening field is generated that fills the entire room, thus creating a realistic surround environment. All users in the room should be able to enjoy the same listening experience, regardless of which part of the room they are in.

Sony BRAVIA XR TV with Sony Acoustic Center Sync

The listening experience that the Sony HT-A7000 can generate is said to be even more impressive with a compatible Sony BRAVIA XR TV, thanks to the Sony Acoustic Center Sync that will then be available.

Around the Sony 360 Spatial Sound Mapping Technology, the TV will become a centre speaker and the sound will follow the action even more precisely, according to the manufacturer’s promise, and dialogue will be reproduced even better, drawing the listener completely into the action.

According to the manufacturer, the Sony BRAVIA Acoustic Center Sync mode is supported with the following current models: Sony Z9K Series, Sony A95K Series, Sony A90K Series, Sony A80K Series, Sony X95K Series, Sony X90K Series, Sony Z9J Series, Sony A90J Series, Sony A80J Series and Sony X95J Series.

Sony SA-RS3S as well as Sony SA-RS5

In addition to the Sony HT-A7000 with the latest firmware, suitable surround speakers are also required for the enhanced sound image via Sony 360 Spatial Sound Mapping Technology.

These can be either the already available Sony SA-RS3S or the new Sony SA-RS5, which will be launched by Sony Corporation this summer and presented for the first time at CES 2022 in Las Vegas.

Pricing and availability

The Sony HT-A7000 soundbar is already available from retailers at a recommended retail price of €1,299. The firmware update to support Sony 360 Spatial Sound Mapping Technology will be available in spring 2022, Sony Corporation predicts. It is supposed to be a so-called OTA update, i.e. a firmware that is simply installed over-the-air by the user. The optional Sony SA-RS3S surround speaker is also already available in specialist shops at a price of € 499. The new Sony SA-RS5 is to be available from the summer of 2022, for which the manufacturer gives a non-binding recommended retail price of € 799.

Getting to the point

Sony Corporation is making great efforts to bring surround to many applications, based on its own Sony 360 Reality Audio. This of course starts first and foremost with soundbar systems, with a firmware update now being announced for the summer to support Sony 360 Spatial Sound Mapping Technology on the Sony HT-A7000. It is pleasing that the Japanese consumer electronics company does not rely entirely on virtual surround sound, but actually provides surround speakers as a basis to guarantee a correspondingly convincing result.

PRODUCTSONY 360 SPATIAL SOUND MAPPING TECHNOLOGY AUF DER SONY HT-A7000
PriceSony HT-A7000 € 1.299,-
Sony SA-RS3S € 499,-
Sony SA-RS5 € 799,-
BrandSONY
ManufacturerSony Corporation
DistributionSony Corporation
More about this manufacturer at HIFI BLOG
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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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