Sony has announced thenHT-A3000 soundbar, delivering an acclaimed 360 Spatial Sound experience ideal for a wide range of users, that puts you at the heart of your favourite movies and music.

Sony also confirmed the availability of its highly anticipated HT-A5000 soundbar.

The HT-A3000 features 3.1 channels, three front speakers including a dedicated centre speaker for clear dialogue and a built-in dual subwoofer for deep bass. Coupled with Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force PRO Front Surround, the A3000 creates virtual surround sound that comes from multiple dimensions so you can fully enjoy the thrill of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

The A3000 gives you access to Sony’s revolutionary 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology when connected to Sony’s wireless rear speakers SA-RS5 and SA-RS3S.

With 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology, you can feel sound from every direction and distance. Sound Field Optimisation uses built-in microphones to ingeniously measure the relative height and position of the soundbar and rear speakers. Based on positional information, it then creates multiple phantom speakers by synthesising sound waves.

Thanks to this technology, Sony’s wide spatial sound field fills every part of the room, immersing everyone present.

Adding an optional wireless subwoofer that handles low frequencies allows the system to reproduce sound with greater impact and power than before. Two models are available, designed to bring out deeper bass, more vocal clarity, and extra fidelity in all types of audio content.

You can add the SA-SW5 subwoofer with 300W of deep, rich bass from a 180mm driver with passive radiator or, opt for the SA-SW3 subwoofer with 200W of sound from a compact bass reflex subwoofer with a 160mm driver.

To take your home cinema experience to new heights, add the SA-RS5 wireless rear speakers with a total 180W of wider surround sound.

Featuring up-firing speakers, the SA-RS5 creates richer and more immersive 360 Spatial Sound as well as built-in battery power or, opt for the SA-RS3S wireless rear speakers with a total 100W.

The A3000 allows you to enhance your home cinema experience further by pairing with compatible BRAVIA XR TVs.

Using the Acoustic Centre Sync 5 feature, both the soundbar and BRAVIA XR TV become the centre speaker in the home cinema system. Action and sound become precisely aligned, creating complete immersion. You’ll even hear dialogue from exactly where the character is standing in the scene.

Additionally, Acoustic Centre Sync works together with the 360 Spatial Sound Mapping setup to deliver a clearer dialogue and more immersive viewing experience than ever before.

With the A3000, your music truly comes to life. You can discover a new way of listening with 360 Reality Audio that offers an incredibly immersive live concert or studio session experience. You can also enjoy 360 Reality Audio on Amazon Music HD, nugs.net and TIDAL.

On the A3000 you can easily access popular music services like Spotify and stream all your favourite albums and playlists using Chromecast, Spotify Connect or Apple AirPlay.

You can also stream wirelessly from your smartphone with Bluetooth technology or use the built-in Wi-Fi to stream music from your own devices.

The A3000 features DSEE Extreme, which uses Edge-AI to allow for real-time restoration of all your compressed digital music files. This ensures you can restore the high-range sound that is lost in compression for a richer, more complete listening experience.

The soundbar works with Google-assistant with Chromecast built-in or Amazon Alexa enabled devices. Just add the A3000 to your speaker group using the Google Home app to start playing music, change the volume or many other functions using just your voice.

The A3000 and optional speakers have been designed under a common Omnidirectional Block concept. Its sophisticated rounded edges represent a single solid block providing wide-spreading sound, while the combination of rich material textures emphasise an affinity with any living room environment.

The A3000 is almost ready to go straight out of the box. Simply connect to your TV using the HDMI eARC connection and power on. With USB, optical in, as well as HDMI out (eARC) and S-CENTER OUT for compatible BRAVIA TVs, you have all the connections you need to enjoy a breath-taking surround sound experience.

The HT-A3000 will be available in New Zealand from late September 2022.

The post Sony introduces HT-A3000 Soundbar appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Sony has just revealed details on their WF-1000XM4 – the latest truly wireless model in the critically acclaimed 1000X series.

The WF-1000XM4 headphones takes Sony’s industry-leading noise cancelling and audio quality to the next level. With an improved design for comfort, they offer a personalised experience that adjust to every situation.

The WF-1000XM4 continues Sony’s industry leading noise cancellation from the 1000X range of premium noise cancelling headphones. The newly designed Integrated Processor V1 provides even better noise cancellation than ever before.

Specially developed by Sony, the new processor takes the noise cancellation performance of Sony’s acclaimed QN1e chip and goes even further. Improved noise cancelling performance and Bluetooth ‘System on Chip’ technology delivers the industry’s highest level of noise cancelling whilst using less power than its predecessor.

The WF-1000XM4 features high performance dual noise sensor microphones for excellent noise cancellation.

By having two noise sensing microphones per ear – one feed-forward, and one feed-back – ambient noise is heard and analysed, resulting in highly accurate noise cancellation for the ultimate listening experience.

A newly designed 6mm driver unit with a 20% increase in magnet volume also improves the WF-1000XM4’s noise cancelling capabilities. The increase in magnet volume and the high compliance diaphragm gives improved performance in low frequencies and enhances noise cancelling by generating a high-precision cancellation signal to the low frequency range.

Since introducing the world’s first in-ear headphones in 1982 (MDR-E252), Sony has analysed huge amounts of data relating to ear shapes from around the world. The WF-1000XM4 headphones are the product of that research, combining a shape that matches the ear cavity with a new ergonomic surface design for a more stable fit.

The newly-developed Noise Isolation Earbud Tips provide an improved fit.

The new earbud tips are made from a unique foam material that is soft and elastic, which maximises the surface contact area between the earbud tip and the ear canal. The advantage of this new earbud is to provide a ‘snug’ fit with good noise-isolation- beyond what is possible with silicone and other synthetic rubber-like materials.

The Automatic Wind Noise Reduction mode detects a windy environment and automatically suppresses it. So even on windy days, you’ll stay totally immersed with your playlist.

The WF-1000XM4 now supports High-Resolution Audio Wireless, thanks to LDAC, Sony’s industry-adopted audio coding technology.

LDAC transmits approximately three times more data (at the maximum transfer rate of 990 kbps) than conventional Bluetooth audio, allowing you to enjoy High-Resolution Audio content as close to that of having a dedicated wired connection. Thanks to specially designed 6mm drivers, they reproduce a dynamic sound despite their small size, and the high compliance diaphragm reproduces a rich bass range. The Integrated Processor V1 also enhances sound quality and reduces distortion, and enables LDAC codec processing and DSEE Extreme.

Using Edge-AI, DSEE Extreme (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) upscales compressed digital music files in real time.

Dynamically recognising instrumentation, musical genres, and individual elements of each song, such as vocals or interludes, it restores the high-range sound lost in compression for a richer, more complete listening experience.

First introduced in Sony’s award winning WH-1000XM4 overhead headphones, Speak-to-Chat received widespread praise for its innovation.

This feature is now available on the WF-1000XM4 and lets you have short conversations without interacting with the earbuds. As soon as you speak to someone, Speak-to-Chat automatically pauses the music and lets in ambient sound so you can conduct a conversation – handy if your hands are full.

Once the conversation is over, your music will resume automatically. Speak-to-Chat recognises and reacts to your voice. It is based on Precise Voice Pickup Technology, which combines four microphones and sensors with advanced audio signal processing.

‘Quick Attention’ mode is available on the WF-1000XM4 so if you want to hear the outside world, simply place your finger over the left earbud to decrease the volume instantly and let the ambient sound in.

The WF-1000XM4 also features Adaptive Sound Control, a smart feature that senses where you are and what you’re doing – for example, if you’re on public transport, walking through the park or waiting for a friend – the headphones will adjust accordingly to apply the ideal ambient sound settings.

You can opt to have Adaptive Sound Control learn to recognise places that you frequently visit, like your office, the gym, or a favourite café, and tailor the sound to suit the situation.

Thanks to a proximity sensor, the headphones can instantly pause and resume for a seamless listening experience. Simply take one of the earbuds out of your ears and the music will stop. Put the earbud back in, and the music starts again.

Hands-free calling is enhanced on the WF-1000XM4 thanks to Precise Voice Pickup Technology.

Combining Precise Voice Pickup Technology with the microphones and a bone-conduction sensor, the WF-1000XM4 picks up your voice clearly and accurately for hands-free calls. Beamforming microphones are calibrated to only pick up sounds from your mouth.

With an improved signal-to-noise ratio they’ll catch every word, even when there’s a lot of background noise around you. The Noise Cancelling adds to your calling experience on the WF-1000XM4 as it allows you to hear the person on the other end of the call more clearly, even in noisy situations.

Sony | Headphones Connect App can now help you find the right fit for your ears. The app takes you through a few simple measurements to find the ideal size of Noise Isolation earbud tips to ensure maximum comfort, sound quality and minimum outside noise.

The WF-1000XM4 have been designed to be smaller and lighter without compromising your listening experience. Now 10% smaller than the previous generation, this reduction in size has not compromised the sound quality or battery life. The charging case has also been reduced 40% in size.

The WF-1000XM4 are perfect for watching your latest shows, movies and more. The advanced wireless connection syncs what you see on screen precisely with what you hear.

The optimisation of the transmission algorithm with the Integrated Processor V1 has made the connection more stable and less prone to sound skipping. Even in environments where there is interference, the WF-1000XM4 will provide a clearer and more stable Bluetooth connection.

Enjoy all day listening with the WF-1000XM4. Each charge gives you a full 8 hours of use, and a further 16 hours from the case. On a full charge, you’ll have 24 hours of playback every time you leave your home. In a hurry? A 5-minute quick charge gives you up to 60 minutes of playback, and the Sony | Headphones Connect app will notify you when your charging case drops below 30%.

Can’t find your USB charge cable?

The WF-1000XM4 now features easy wireless charging with Qi technology. You can even use a smartphone with Qi technology with the battery share function, to charge your headphones and charging case.

With an IPX4 water resistance rating, splashes and sweat won’t stop the WF-1000XM4. So if you’re caught in light rain these headphones will have your back.

Get hands-free help – just say “Hey Google” or “Alexa” to activate your preferred voice assistant. Enjoy entertainment, connect with friends, get information, listen to music and notifications, set reminders, and more.

The WF-1000XM4 headphones support Google’s helpful new Fast Pair feature. In one tap, the WF-1000XM4 enable quick, effortless Bluetooth pairing with your Android devices. Google’s Fast Pair feature lets you easily locate your headphones and will also let you know when you’ve left the battery on and how much charge is left. The headphones also come with Microsoft Swift Pair, which makes it easy to connect with Windows 10 devices.

Intuitive touch control settings allow quick and easy control. Through the touch controls you can activate Noise Cancellation, Ambient Sound, Quick Attention mode or simply skip, pause or play songs.

The packaging for WF-1000XM4 is plastic free and has been designed based on low toxicity design principles and a ‘Made to be remade’ philosophy that’s more socially responsible.

To produce lower waste, 99% of the paper packaging, other than labels, are produced using recycled and sustainable materials developed specially for Sony. To read the media release on the packaging for WF-1000XM4, click here.

360 Reality Audio, a new immersive audio experience, can be enjoyed on the WF-1000XM4 headphones when combined with an Android smartphone / iPhone that has a participating streaming services app installed.

The 360 Reality Audio listening experience immerses you in the music as if you were right in front of your favourite artist. Listeners can enjoy a custom immersive musical field that is perfectly optimised for each individual user when using the WF-1000XM4 headphones and the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app.

Inside the box you’ll find 3 sizes of Noise Isolation Earbud Tips, as well as a USB-C charging cable.

The WF-1000XM4 will be available in Black or Platinum Silver in New Zealand from mid July 2021.

The post Your Sound. Nothing Else. Sony’s New WF-1000XM4 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Sony PlayStation ramped up the home gaming console experience with PlayStation 5 (PS5) in November last year.

Now they are taking it even further making use of one of the PS5’s built-in features – 3D Audio with their Pulse 3D headset.

Wireless the Pulse 3D over the head full sized headphones will connect via your PS5 (or PS4 without 3D audio) via Bluetooth under settings.

The same can be said for PS4 aswell.

Real easy to connect up. Powering the headphones on, the PS5 instantly recognised them and connected once the USB dongle is placed into a spare port on your PS5.

For standard gaming (non 3D audio) they are top shelfers As far as wireless goes they are on par with any other industry giants like Steelseries or Turtle Beach by offering up a virtual surround.

However to really maximise your gaming audio playing a 3D audio enabled game, such as Returnal you most definitely notice what sets the Pulse 3D apart from any other third party competitor.

3D Audio basically gives you a spatial sound scope – likened to if you were actually there on the planet (reference to Returnal), hearing what you as the main character would hear in a real-time world.

Much like the short-lived stereoscopic 3D (which I am still a fan of and still have a 3D TV in my home) sound effects, voice and soundtracks pop out in a surreal virtual audioscape like you’ve never heard before.

The Pulse 3D headset from PlayStation is designed for long gaming marathons. The super cushioned ear pads and flexi headband stop both sweat and any irritation after a few hours of wear.

The headset is rechargeable via the supplied USB-C cable and also comes with a 3.5mm cord if you want to connect to something, well, a little bit old skool, or your PSVR.

Audio controls aswell as Chat functions are found on the rim of the right earpad. I think a little bit of a missed opportunity here though. Would have been excellent to see touch controlling added to the side of the wide headset.

I did find myself removing the headset to tweak volume until I memorised the buttons.

You’ll get a generous 12 hours of continual use from the Pulse 3D from a full charge. I know I have already exceeded that timeframe and still have not needed to charge them since the initial full charge up.

While you can use these on almost any device via cable (and I tried, iPad, Android smartphone and PC w. 3.5mm connection) they are designed to take your gaming audio beyond the realms of stereo or even Hi-DEF and fully immerse you in to the world you’re currently playing within.

The post PlayStation Pulse 3D Headset Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Experience audio like you’re right therewith the recording artist.

Sony are the fore-bearers of audio on the go, without the likes of the 80’s Walkman and the 90’s CD Walkman it’s possible that we would not have the digital music services we have now.

Sony are also serious about high quality audio experiences.

While they produce sound systems, soundbars for home entertainment and over the head headphones they also have wireless earbuds – their newly released WF-SP800N being one of those.

Built for those that are in to fitness regimes, the WF-SP800N is sweat-proof and has a in-ear stabiliser that ensures it stays put while you’re jogging, sprinting or just shaking your booty to your personal audio.

If you’re not used to wearing snug fitting earbuds the WF-SP800N will take a bit of getting used and getting them to fit – but once you’ve sussed the fitting, it’s like riding a bike – once you do it, you’ll be sweet from then on.

I’ve reviewed many a wireless earbud over the years. I gotta say that the WF-SP800N are the most secure fitted buds I’ve ever worn.

Connected via bluetooth to your Android or iOS (Apple) smart device you’ll also need to download the Sony Headphone Connect app.

While either bud has touch controls; Left being Alexa (or Google Assistant) and the Right being your playback control it’s within the app where you can tweak your audio output to your liking aswell as toggling Noise Cancellation and so forth.

But the WF-SP800N are not your run-of-the-mill wireless buds. They offer something that no other does – 360 Reality Audio via dedicated builtin drivers and micro speakers.

Once you begin the setup within the Headphone Connect app it will request to scan your ear. Our ears are very much like fingerprints, everyone’s is different. Once the scan is done via your smartdevice’s camera the smarts within both the app and buds will fine tune the audio, including the 360 Reality Audio to your ears specifically. This also aides the adaptive sound A.I. within the buds too.

While this is something that is still evolving with the likes of Amazon, Tidal and Deezer offering up a handful of selected tracks remastered in this glorious 3D-like 360 experience, it is a technology that Sony are placing in to a lot of their high-end gear, including the upcoming PlayStation 5.

360 Reality Audio is pretty much how it sounds. Think of watching a film in stereoscopic 3D (yeah I’m still a huge fan of SBS 3D), then apply that to listening to a song.

It’s more than 5.1 or 7.1 surround – a track remastered in to 3D audio has expansive, almost surreal range where your music has been split out so you can hear each and every instrument, vocal, treble, bass via differing channels – exactly as it would be if you were right there in the recording studio with the singer or band.

Sony offer up a voucher for an extended free trial with the WF-SP800N. For the review I chose Deezer as they tend to have a few more 360 Reality Audio tracks in their catalogue than others.

Going from 2D (traditional) to 3D audio is a beautiful thing. But again there’s only a hundred or so 360 Reality Audio tracks on offer at the moment.

This said traditional audio most definitely has that Sony touch listening via the WF-SP800N.

Deep bass with EXTRA BASS enhancement, granular detail in a superb listening experience that no other wireless bud is able to rival at this time of writing.

The WF-SP800N’s are IPS5 rated water proof and due to the technical smarts within are ever so slightly bigger than the others currently in the market.

They come with their own charging case and once removed from the casing you should expect around 9 hours of continuous playback.

On and off but not placing back in to their charging case I was able to squeeze around 7 hours from them – with the Right bud giving up first, probably because that is the master bud of the two.

The charging case will give you 18 hours of charge, so that’s two full rounds for the buds.

But, the case seems to be continually charging, or at least trickle charging the buds. I found that when I did not use the WF-SP800N’s for a couple of days and then went to grab them and go, both the case and buds were completely flat.

Charging the case via a 15 watt USB charger doesn’t take too long – around 20 or so minutes to full.

I did not experience any blips, drops or lag via the connection. Once you’re connected, you’re solid.

Making or taking calls, as you would imagine is easy as for hands-free (almost). Tap the Left bud to get Alexa or your chosen smart assistant to make a call to someone in your phonebook and the Right one answers an incoming call.

The WF-SP800N wireless buds may have been designed for sports but in all honesty they are the the current top-shelf personal audio solution for anyone who has a fine appreciation for an optimal listening experience.

Give your ears a taste of how music should be experienced, submerse yourself into a virtual reality of streaming audio to the likes of a live gig.

Sony’s WF-SP800N are in a class of their own. Theirs nothing like these out there right now.

The post Sony WF-SP800N Wireless Buds Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

As excitement ramps up for the next generation of games consoles players across the globe are awaiting the sizeable audio developments that Sony and Microsoft are preparing for their upcoming consoles. What many are calling ‘Audio Ray-Tracing’, spatial audio will simulate game soundscapes in a fully realised 3D virtual space. Drown’s new tactile earphones are able to deliver this next-generation sound experience for players today.

Sony has announced its Tempest Engine, a unique hardware chip inside the PS5 that maps players’ ear and head shape for an optimal spatial audio experience. Microsoft are similarly pushing for ‘audio ray-tracing’ in their upcoming Xbox Series X. But why wait until the end of the year to get closer to your favourite games?

We have the pleasure of re-introducing a world first: the tactile earphones from Drown Ltd. These one-of-a-kind earphones use tactile transmission of audio waves to deliver a fully immersive gaming experience, giving players the power to perceive their in-game surrounding as if it were a real-life physical space, and delivering precise spatial awareness that gives gamers the edge they need to dominate during play.

How does it work? Drown is proud to be the world’s first audio platform to use all three audio pathways to players’ brains for deeply enhanced audio realism. Using patented waveguide technology, sound is guided to the ear canal without reflection in the outer ear, providing a fully immersive sound unlike any other.

While over-the-ear headphones lose fidelity because of the distance between the speaker and the ear, Drown transmits the acoustic vibrations directly to the nerves and cartilage in your pinnae, enriching the bass and the overall sound quality.

This technology will be one of the key features that defines the next generation of console gaming. Drown is giving players the chance to experience the power of spatial audio today.

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The post Drown Audio Tactile Earphones Deliver Next-Gen 3D Audio appeared first on Shane the Gamer.