HWM Singapore – June 2019

Q&A

360 AUDIO

AND T HE

SONY SOUND

Mr. Koji Nageno, Senior Acoustic

Architect and Mr. Tomoaki Sato,

Senior Electrical Engineer/Project

Leader, Sony Video and Sound

Products Inc.

By Marcus Wong

Photos Sony

What got Sony started on the
360 Reality Audio project?
 Nageno: Well, technical reasons...
Now, Sony has the infrastructure in
terms of technology to reproduce
audio immersively. That’s one
reason. Also, internet speeds are fast
enough, and devices have enough
capacity now, so we’re ready for 360
audio in the Sony way.

Does that mean you were just
waiting for technology to mature?
 Nageno: As you know, we
previously had headphones that
were surround headphones. These
were connected to DVD players
and Wi-Fi like connections, and
produced surround sound, but we
had very little sales; very limited
customers enjoying cinema sounds
in surround. But as you know,
immersive means going to all
directions.

Up and down as well...
 Nageno: Yes, yes. We decided
to go to 3D. But we decided to
launch the new format with music
streaming. Because many people
are enjoying music streaming and

TOMOAKI SATO,

Senior Electrical

Engineer/Project

Leader, Sony Video

and Sound

40 HWM | JUNE 2019