3D audio is becoming a thing with headphones, but it’s also picking up steam elsewhere in the audio world. Music streaming service Deezer has been a firm supporter of Sony’s 360 Reality Audio spatial sound, and their latest feature intends to widen its support for the format.
As of now, Deezer HiFi subscribers can send their favourite tunes to Sony’s SRS-RA5000 or RA3000 wireless speakers and hear them played back in ‘3D’ sound.
We should note this is only possible with the ‘360 by Deezer’ app as Sony’s audio format isn’t supported within the main Deezer app. If you don’t have either of the SRS-RA5000 & RA3000 wireless speakers to hand, you can still ‘cast’ music from the app to standard speakers, but they’ll just play in their non-spatial form.
Previously the ‘360’ by Deezer app could only play to compatible headphones. Unsurprisingly they’re Sony headphones that include some of our favourites including the WH-H910N, WH-1000XM4 and WF-1000XM4.
How to cast music via ‘360’ by Deezer app
The process of casting music from your smartphone to the SRS-RA5000 or RA3000 wireless speakers is pretty simple.
If you’re a HiFi subscriber, you’ll need to:
- Open the ‘360 by Deezer’ app (iOS/Android)
- Select a track
- And then choose the ‘cast’ button in the top right-hand corner of the screen
360 Reality Audio works by having parts of a song such as vocals and instruments act as independent sound “objects”. They’re placed within a hemisphere of sound to create the impression of a more expansive and immersive soundstage, with the claim that the artist is “performing right there in front of you.”
The ‘360 by Deezer’ app features a growing library of music and albums (last we heard it was over 2000 tracks), from artists such as Doja Cat, David Bowie, and Alicia Keys, which have all been remastered in the 360 Reality Audio format.
Within the app, subscribers can find the dedicated 360 editorial playlists, as well as the Deezer “360 Sessions” playlist that features live performances from the likes of Dua Lipa, Anne-Marie and Circa Waves.