First came the Magic Leap One, the augmented reality glasses from the folks at Magic Leap. This week, the global audio brand Sennheiser brought spatial listening to the Magic Leap’s ‘Lightwear’ with the introduction of its Sennheiser AMBEO AR One in-ear headphones. Moreover, Sennheiser also introduced its accompanying AMBEO Augmented Audio Lab app.
Sennheiser teams up with Magic Leap
This product announcement shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone paying attention to the augmented reality space. Back on September 21, Sennheiser entered into a partnership with Magic Leap when the former joined the “Works with Magic Leap” certification program.
Per the Sennheiser September press release, Veronique Larcher Co-Director of AMBEO states “As we enter a new era of spatial computing, and the technology gains traction with leading content creators, we are thrilled to bring our AMBEO spatial audio expertise to help drive forward this emerging field, while working closely with the creative community.”
Sennheiser launches AMBEO AR One in-ears for Magic Leap One glasses
In their current press release, Veronique Larcher of AMBEO states “It is exciting to be able to offer the first spatial listening accessory certified under the ‘Works with Magic Leap’ program, along with a completely new way to create spatial soundscapes with the AMBEO Augmented Audio Lab. Now with control over how much their audio composition is overheard by those around, and how much they wish to stay connected to the outside world, developers can create spatial audio worlds with Magic Leap One according to their own sound rules.”
Features of the AMBEO AR One Headphones
- At the touch of a button, developers and creators can choose how much of the outside world’s sound, captured by the headset’s built-in microphones, blends into their spatial audio experience. By mixing the right level of external acoustic environment with the virtual audio world, developers can create truly immersive and social experiences.
- The AMBEO AR One provides effective sealing through its Comply™ ear tips, which expand to perfectly fit the ear canal. They enable creators to shut out external noise to focus on the audio content undisturbed, and also ensure optimum bass reproduction.
- Lightweight and discreet, the AMBEO AR One is also ideal for enjoying music after work, with their ear hook design and range of silicon adapters that keep the earphones secure and comfortable.
Pricing has been set at $250 for the in-ear headphones. Come November, they can be purchased directly from the Magic Leap website.
Features of the AMBEO Augmented Audio Lab App
- The Transparent Hearing function of the AMBEO AR One earphones allows users to discover interesting sounds in the world around them. They can record them in the app as loops and mix them with loop banks. Several loop banks will be provided for users to get started.
- Leveraging the 3D audio capabilities of Magic Leap Soundfield Audio (MSA), the AMBEO Augmented Audio Lab app visualizes the sound loops as a constellation of pulsing spheres and swirls of energy. Users can grab them, position them anywhere in the virtual world, interact with them, and physically wander inside their 3D audio composition. These unique experiences can be captured and shared on YouTube and Twitter.
The AMBEO Augmented Audio Lab is free and will be available for download as “AMBEO Lab” from the Magic Leap app store.
Final Thoughts
With the annual Consumer Electronics Show approaching, it’ll be great to see and hear firsthand how much farther along the two brands have come. I look forward to an extended demonstration of these augmented reality and spatial listening products at the big show.
Don’t hesitate to head over to the Sennheiser Headphones page to see their newest products. To learn more about service, support, and warranties, click here for their Service-Support page. The AMBEO AR One in-ear headphones come with a 2-year warranty.
All photographs are the copyrighted property of Sennheiser © 2018