Streaming giant Netflix is partnering with specialist Sennheiser to deliver immersive 3D surround sound on more than 700 programs with Sennheiser Ambeo 2-Channel Spatial Audio technology. Reserved for the streaming service’s Premium subscribers, it allows you to obtain spatialized sound from a simple stereo system such as headphones, a Bluetooth speaker or a TV.
What is 3D sound on Netflix?
As of 2021, Netflix users can enjoy more immersive sound on headphones or with a stereo system through support for Apple’s Spatial Audio technology. To benefit from it, however, it was necessary to have an Apple device paired with Apple AirPods or Apple AirPods Pro True Wireless earbuds, or Apple Airpods Max headphones.
With the new Ambeo Spatial Audio technology, the American company wants to offer a more universal solution that works with any audio system. To do this, Netflix has partnered with Sennheiser, which has a great deal of expertise in surround sound systems thanks to the Sennheiser Ambeo SoundBar Max and Sennheiser Ambeo SoundBar Plus. Together, the two companies have developed the Sennheiser Ambeo 2-Channel Spatial Audio technology, which can simulate 3D surround sound with any audio system.
How to enjoy 3D Spatial Audio on Netflix?
Sennheiser’s new Spatial Audio technology available on Netflix allows any user to enjoy a more immersive soundstage without having to change equipment and without distorting the original mix of the content. To enjoy it, all you need is a Netflix Premium subscription. The Sennheiser Ambeo mix will then be automatically activated on all Netflix applications, whether on a smartphone, tablet, computer, TV or network player such as Chromecast.
More than 700 Netflix programs already offer Sennheiser Ambeo Spatial Audio. These include the series Stranger Things, The Watcher, Wednesday, and the film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Other titles will soon be added to the list, including You, Your Place or Mine and Luther: The Fallen Sun. In addition, the Sennheiser Ambeo technology offers immersive sound from movies and series mixed in Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital 5.1 or stereo. This allows you to unlock spatial sound on many titles in the Netflix catalog. To find them, just type “Spatial Audio” in the Netflix search bar. A new Spatial Audio badge then indicates the program’s compatibility with this 3D audio format.
What is customizable audio on Netflix?
To develop the Sennheiser Ambeo 2-Channel Spatial Audio technology, the German manufacturer worked hand in hand with mixing professionals to create a system that respects the original soundtrack while allowing each user to customize the sound. A preview tool allows users to compare the standard stereo output to Ambeo’s and adjust the parameters according to their needs.
We therefore imagine that sound elements, such as dialogue, are excluded from the surround spatialization, while the music comes from the left and right speakers, and the immersive rendering applies to all other sound elements. This customization allows each user to create their own immersive audio experience.
With the deployment of the Sennheiser Ambeo spatialization system, Netflix aims to maintain its leading position in the VOD world by offering the most immersive experience possible to all its subscribers, regardless of their equipment.
