With only a few weeks to OnePlus‘ Cloud 11 event on 7th February, the company has announced that the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 will support Google’s Spatial Audio. The Buds Pro 2 will be one of the first true wireless earbuds to support the 3D audio standard which positions sound sources in a fixed multi-dimensional space.
OnePlus has worked with Google to implement and enhance spatial audio in the Buds Pro 2, taking the feature first introduced in Android 13. Where this differs from previous 3D audio systems is that the sound source can be fixed in space and will stay fixed, even when moving your head. For example, a sound to your right will move to the centre of the sound stage as you turn to the right. This gives a far more immersive multi-layered experience than with the previous generation of 3D sound.
Technically, OnePlus uses an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor to track the wearer’s movements and adjust the sound stage as the wearer moves.
As most streaming services and games won’t be delivering Spatial Audio anytime soon, OnePlus has developed a tailor-made up-mixing algorithm that will create multi-dimensional sound from existing apps and music.
Furthermore, considering the compatibility of most audio sources in the market, OnePlus developed a bespoke stereo up-mixing algorithm, creating multi-dimensional sound from mainstream audio and video apps. This will give Buds Pro 2 owners a fantastic experience when listening to their music.
“With Android 13, we added spatial audio functionality with the opportunity for partners to use it within their own devices,” said Erik Kay, VP of Engineering at Android. “With OnePlus integrating this new framework alongside support for Fast Pair and audio switching, we’re looking forward to adding their Buds 2 Pro Series to the Android ecosystem of connected devices that all work better together.”
In addition to Spatial Audio, the Buds Pro 2 will support Android’s Fast Pair and can connect to two Android devices at once, switching swiftly between them without the need to fiddle in Bluetooth settings.
More info as it arrives on OnePlus.