Popular_Science_Australia_November_2016

32 POPULAR SCIENCE

When it comes to virtual
reality, video gets all the glory.
But hearing in VR—as bullets
whiz overhead and floors
creak underfoot—is just as key.
Heavyweights like HTC and
Oculus are working hard on
their audio engines, but a
San Diego startup is taking
multidimensional sound a
step further. Ossic’s X over-ear
headphones adapt to a listener’s
anatomy, creating the most
convincing 3D audio effects yet.
First, sensors at the top of the
ear cups measure your head size

to precisely time audio delays
between the ears. Four drivers
surround each ear, simulating
sound that comes from multiple

directions. Finally, the Ossic X’s

built-in head tracking uses an

accelerometer, a gyroscope, and

acompasstomatchwhatyou’re

hearing to your every move.

OSSIC X

The Sweet

Sound of

Virtual Reality

BY XAVIER HARDING + ANDREA SMITH Photograph by SAM KAPLAN