What is spatial audio? A new way to experience your favorite sound

When you press play, you expect sound to fill your ears. But what if it could fill your space? Unlike traditional stereo, which plays left and right, spatial audio creates a three-dimensional soundscape with audio from in front, behind, above, or to the sides. From cinematic sound effects to layered music production, spatial audio brings a level of depth and realism that fits naturally into film, music, and gaming. So what makes this technology work, and how can you experience it for yourself?

Earbuds
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A sound that surrounds you

Spatial audio creates a sense of dimensionality by mimicking how we naturally perceive sound in real environments. It starts with acoustic modeling, the process of simulating the physical effects your head, ears, and upper body have on incoming sound waves. These effects, known as head-related transfer functions (HRTFs), alter the timing and frequency of sound depending on where it’s coming from. Your brain decodes these cues instantly, allowing you to localize sound: up close or far away, overhead or behind.

A saxophone could feel off to the side. A bird call might rise above. Each sound maintains a specific direction and distance, which helps create a more natural, believable soundstage.

Most systems use binaural rendering to simulate this spatial realism through just two earcups. When done well, spatial audio maintains stable, directional placement across the sound field, so elements stay locked in place, exactly where your brain expects them to be.
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How Bose delivers realistic 3D sound

Bose Immersive Audio takes a different approach to spatial sound. It’s engineered to feel immediate and intuitive, designed to mirror how we naturally hear in real space. Using proprietary digital signal processing and dynamic head tracking in Bose headphones, sound is placed just in front of you and remains anchored, even as you move. This stability avoids the exaggerated movement found in some formats, keeping the experience focused, natural, and easy to follow.

Bose spatial headphones combine noise cancellation with Immersive Audio , cutting out distractions so spatial detail sounds clearer and more lifelike. With Still and Motion modes, they keep the soundstage stable, reducing fatigue and helping everything stay naturally in place.

At home, the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar delivers spatial audio through nine precisely arranged speakers, including two upward-firing drivers. It automatically finetunes output to your room, helping dialogue stay clear and effects remain immersive.


Bose Immersive Audio is built around how spatial sound should feel: stable, emotionally connected, and effortlessly real. That difference is intentional.

Spatial audio vs. Dolby Atmos explained

Spatial audio is a broad term that includes various technologies designed to simulate immersive three-dimensional sound. Dolby Atmos® is one of the most well-known formats within that category, created by Dolby Laboratories and used by content creators and manufacturers under license.

Dolby Atmos is mixed from the ground up, assigning up to 118 sound objects across a 7.1.2 channel layout for precise spatial placement, including overhead. It's supported on platforms like Netflix and Disney+, but playback depends on both compatible content and hardware.

Spatial audio, by contrast, can also be applied after production. With Bose TrueSpace technology, found in the Smart Ultra Soundbar, stereo or 5.1 content is analyzed and upmixed into spatial channels, adding height and depth even without an Atmos mix. Upward-firing drivers reflect audio off the ceiling to create a more immersive experience, like hearing rain sweep across the room or voices lift above the action. No additional speakers required.

In Bose QuietComfort Headphones   and Quiet Comfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen),  spatial audio is rendered through Immersive Audio with dynamic head tracking, delivering dimensionality from standard stereo content without relying on Atmos-encoded mixes.

Both formats deliver immersive sound. The difference lies in flexibility. Dolby Atmos relies on source material. Bose spatial audio adapts to more of what you already love, bringing dimensional sound to everyday content with greater consistency.
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Beyond stereo and surround sound

For years, stereo and surround sound have shaped how we hear music and media. Stereo splits audio into two channels: left and right. It’s simple and familiar, but it lacks depth and vertical movement. Surround sound uses multiple speakers placed around the room to create directionality, typically in front, beside, and behind the listener.

Spatial audio goes further, using software to simulate full 3D space including height, distance, and movement. It can create an immersive sound field from just a soundbar, a pair of headphones, or even built-in speakers.

And unlike surround setups, spatial audio doesn’t require a fixed listening position. The experience adapts to you.

In short:

Stereo delivers flat, left/right panning

Surround sound adds depth using physical speaker placement

Spatial audio creates a dynamic 360-degree soundstage with fewer devices

Bring spatial audio into your everyday

You don’t need a full theater setup or a library of Atmos content to enjoy spatial audio. With Bose, it’s built in. Our spatial headphones create layered, lifelike sound from the music and shows you already enjoy. At home, the Smart Ultra Soundbar adds depth and height to standard audio, even when the content isn’t mixed in Atmos.

From couch to commute, Bose makes it easy to hear more in everything you play.
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Common questions about spatial audio

 

Is spatial audio the same as Dolby Atmos?

No. Spatial audio is a broad category of 3D sound technologies. Dolby Atmos is one specific format that uses object-based mixing to place sounds in space. It's one way to deliver spatial audio.

Read more: Spatial audio vs. Dolby Atmos

Can any song or show use spatial audio?

Not all content is created with spatial audio formats like Dolby Atmos or 5.1/7.1 surround. However, Bose devices with TrueSpace technology or Immersive Audio can enhance standard stereo content by adding a spatial effect, even when the original mix isn't spatial.

What’s the difference between spatial audio and surround sound?

Surround sound uses multiple speakers to create horizontal directionality. Spatial audio simulates full 3D sound, including height and depth, using advanced processing techniques. It can deliver a more immersive experience through headphones or speakers, even without a multi-speaker setup.

Do I need special headphones to have spatial audio?

Not necessarily. Many spatial audio formats, like Dolby Atmos for Headphones or Apple’s spatial audio, work with standard stereo headphones by using software-based binaural processing. However, headphones like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Earbuds use head tracking and special tuning to make sound feel more natural and stable, so it stays in place as you move and feels more lifelike all around you.

How does head tracking improve spatial audio?

Head tracking makes spatial audio feel more natural by adjusting the sound based on your movement. As you turn your head, the audio stays anchored so a voice still feels in front of you, just like it would in real life.