Two major brands in the tech industry are attempting to get their respective immersive audio technologies to catch on, with Apple promoting the spatial audio feature in the new AirPods Max and Sony announcing a pair of wireless speakers featuring its own 360 Reality Audio tech. If there's any company that can be trusted to get these new audio formats off the ground, it's these tech giants. However, with both technologies essentially still in the early stages of their existence, it's unclear whether either will succeed in the long run.

Apple's spatial audio feature is found in both the AirPods Max and AirPods Pro, and relies on dynamic head tracking to place sound that's been recorded in 5.1, 7.1, and Dolby Atmos in a virtual landscape. Sony's 360 Reality Audio, meanwhile, is available in certain headphones, as well as speakers like the Amazon Echo Studio or Sony's new SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000. This 360 Reality Audio tech virtually places instruments from music in a spherical space to provide what Sony claims is a concert-like experience.

Related: AirPods Pro: How Spatial Audio Works & Improves The Listening Experience

As if the task of solidifying a new technology wasn't tough enough, and whether they like it or not, now Sony and Apple are locked into a race to be the first to do so. Apple may have an edge when it comes to watching movies and TV mixed in surround sound or Dolby Atmos, since those types of content are far more readily available than music that's compatible with either spatial audio or 360 Reality Audio. Sony, however, has already built its technology into physical speakers in addition to headphones, which potentially makes 360 Reality Audio more widely available from the perspective of compatible devices. Currently, both technologies have areas of strength, but both need time to determine whether or not they will have a significant impact on the audio world.

Does An Immersive Audio Race Even Matter?

Apple and Sony have each invested considerable amounts of time and money into positioning spatial audio and 360 Reality Audio as part of the future of listening. As much effort as they've put it, though, there isn't yet a definitive consensus that this will actually be the case. Expert opinions have been offered, sure, but many everyday users are unlikely to be as convinced.

Publications like What Hi-Fi, for instance, were impressed by the AirPods Max and the spaciousness presented by spatial audio. Elsewhere, Engadget commended 360 Reality Audio on its great sound, despite its ultimately limited availability. At the same time, it's clear that mainstream audiences don't exactly share the same thoughts. Some on the r/apple subreddit have called spatial audio a game-changer while others have labeled it to be ultimately "gimmicky." Over on r/tidal, one of the few streaming services to offer music that's compatible with 360 Reality Audio, the technology seems to work well with some songs, but poorly with others.

Clearly, there's work left to do for both Sony and Apple. Both spatial audio and 360 Reality Audio suffer from the usual growing pains of new technology, including a lack of integration from the perspectives of available content and compatible devices. They each have potential to be great additions to the general listening experience, but it's up to Sony and Apple to continue to expand the availability of these technologies if they are to flourish.

Next: Sony 360 Reality Audio Ecosystem: What It Is & How It Works Explained

Source: Apple, Sony