Enabling dynamic spatial audio on wireless headphones
When listening with headphones, all the sound is inside the head, which is a very unnatural experience. This can be alleviated by processing the sound in a way that resembles listening in real life. By applying binaural sound reproduction technology, the sound can be perceived in space around the listener, opening a new dimension. This well-known technology has now moved from the lab and can be used for VR/AR applications such as listening to music, movies, gaming, phone calls, online meetings and navigation. There are great possibilities for enhancing stereo content, as stereo is by far the most used format. However, many multi-channel reproduction use cases are also arising. By processing the sound inside the headphones (rather than on another device), the latency is very low and a high-quality wireless listening experience including head-tracking is possible. A complete VR/AR audio engine that uses low processing power is implemented, meaning the headphone is free for use across all playback devices.