Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

News

Watch Out, Dolby Atmos: Google’s Eclipsa Audio is Coming for You

An alliance of companies including Google, Samsung, Arm, THX and others just unveiled a new immersive surround sound format set to take on the 800-pound gorilla.

Google's Eclipsa Audio immersive surround format was demonstrated at CES 2025.

Just when we thought the immersive surround sound format battle was cooling off, a new heavyweight has entered the ring. A partnership of organizations including Google, Arm, Samsung and the Alliance for Open Media (AOM) just announced a royalty-free alternative to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive surround sound. It’s called Eclipsa Audio and it’s based on the open-source audio standard IAMF (Immersive Audio Model and Formats).

Similar to Dolby Atmos, Auro-3D, DTS:X and Sony 360 Reality Audio, Eclipsa Audio expands upon the traditional surround sound model with the addition of height information. With Eclipsa Audio-encoded content, sound can come from all around and above the listener. This enables a more enveloping and immersive listening experience with sound emanating from all three dimensions, just like in real life.

Compatible With Current TVs, Soundbars and Receivers… Mostly

Representatives from member companies and launch partners including Google, YouTube and THX gathered at a suite at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas during CES 2025 last week to demonstrate the new format. The reps explained that TVs and other devices will be able to decode this new immersive sound format using existing hardware, with just a software update required to the source device. And because the TV or source device is decoding the format to multi-channel PCM sound, many existing soundbars and receivers will be able to play back content in the new format. Simply connect the TV or source with Eclipsa decoding to a receiver or soundbar using an HDMI cable and you’re ready to rock.

One caveat with this approach is that the height channel information may not be available in the PCM stream. In a follow-up conversation with Google Product lead, Jani Huoponen, I confirmed this to be the case. As Jani stated, “Current HDMI 2.1 doesn’t have a robust way to signal height channels with PCM pass-through so typically the soundbar will get 5.1 or 7.1. I hope the new HDMI 2.2. spec will improve the situation.” So there is some compatibility with current gear but not full compatibility.

UPDATE (1/30/25): We followed up with Jani on the topic of lossless audio. Audio/videophiles generally prefer lossless audio for the highest performance. Some immersive audio formats such as DTS:X Profile 2 (DTS:X for Streaming) and MPEG-H only support lossy streaming, as they are optimized for streaming or broadcast. Other immersive sound formats such as Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Profile 1 and AURO-3D support lossless delivery so what you hear in your living room is a bit perfect copy of what was laid down in the studio.

Per Jani, Google Eclipsa does support lossless audio delivery via FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec). It will be up to the individual studios, content creators and streaming services whether to use lossless or lossy delivery. We expect that streaming services (including YouTube) will opt for lossy delivery, in order to save on bandwidth. But if Eclipsa makes it onto physical media like Blu-ray Disc or into a download service like Kaleidescape, we may (hopefully!) see lossless Eclipsa soundtracks.

LG S95TR Dolby Atmos soundbar system
LG’s existing S95TR soundbar system was used to demonstrate Eclipsa Audio content at CES 2025.

The companies demonstrated the new format using TVs from TCL, LG and Samsung as well as soundbars from those same companies. Two of the soundbars they used were ones we have some experience with, the LG S95TR and TCL Q85H, plus the Samsung HW-Q990D (all 2024 models). The demo videos, which were played back on the YouTube app on the TVs, included K-Pop videos encoded in Eclipsa Audio as well as an updated version of the iconic “Deep Note” trailer from THX, also encoded in Eclipsa Audio.

The demos created a wide and enveloping soundstage with sound coming from all around the room. The rear channels on the TCL soundbar system were not very high in the mix, but this may have been an issue specific to that soundbar. The rear channels were much more active on the LG and Samsung soundbar systems. As the soundbars used reflective height channels, and the suite’s ceilings were rather high, it was not immediately clear whether sound was coming from the overhead channels. I suspect that it was not, due to the current limitations with PCM surround. But this limitation will be removed when new products come to market with Eclipsa Audio decoders built in.

Samsung-2025-Soundbar-HW-Q990F-900px
Samsung’s 2025 model year soundbars, the HW-Q990F (pictured) and HW-QS700F will both support native decoding of Eclipsa Audio.

As one of the co-developers and launch partners for Eclipsa Audio, Samsung has already announced that its 2025 line-up of TVs and soundbars will include native support for Eclipsa Audio. At the “Samsung First Look” event earlier in the week, we got to hear Eclipsa Audio content through the smaller of the two new bars, the HW-QS700F. Again, with reflective height speakers, the height information was not that pronounced, but the soundbar system at the First Look event did create a fully immersive listening experience. I’m looking forward to checking one or both of these new soundbars out for a full review once they become available.

A New Logo on Your Next Receiver or Soundbar?

While Samsung was first to announce that its 2025 TVs and soundbar products will include Eclipsa Audio support, we expect to see announcements from additional TV, receiver, mobile device and soundbar makers, who will likely add Eclipsa Audio decoding to their upcoming models as a competitive differentiator. The value proposition is particularly compelling since there are no royalty fees incurred. And, if you read between the lines, this “royalty free” aspect is probably what drove these companies to develop their own alternative to proprietary formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, both of which require license fees in order to include them in your content, platform or hardware.

YouTube For The Win!

As mentioned, the videos we watched and listened to in the demos were all played back from YouTube. As a Google-owned platform, YouTube will be among the first streaming platforms to offer support for and content encoded in Eclipsa Audio. YouTube only gained support for the older Dolby AC3 5.1-channel surround format when that patent expired and entered the public domain in 2017. But Dolby Atmos is still protected by patent laws (in most countries) for several more years.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

To have an alternative immersive audio platform should prove to be popular for content creators who want to bring immersive audio or spatial sound to their viewers and listeners. YouTube reps said they will work with content creators to help them get up and running creating content in the new format, and this should lead to the format proliferating on the platform quickly.

Check out a narrated rendition of this article from our very own Ealan Osborne.

The Bottom Line

Competition is almost always a good thing. While we were initially skeptical, after hearing the format in action and seeing strong support across multiple high profile companies, we feel optimistic that Eclipsa Audio will succeed. The format will get a huge boost right out of the gate from YouTube where no other immersive or “three dimensional” surround format is supported.

With no license fees for encoding or decoding, we expect to see other equipment manufacturers, streaming services, movie studios, perhaps even record labels. adopt Eclipsa Audio as a supported format. The future of immersive audio is looking up.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

New Products

Tivoli Audio PAL BT portable Bluetooth Speaker Radio Collage (2025 models)

New Products

Upgraded for 2025 in new colors with better sound and longer battery life, the Tivoli Audio PAL BT portable Bluetooth speaker and FM radio...

Audience ClairAudioent Bellare Floorstanding Loudspeaker Audience ClairAudioent Bellare Floorstanding Loudspeaker

Floorstanding Speakers

The $36,000/pair Audience ClairAudient Bellare Loudspeakers, which feature full-range drivers and a built-in bass module, will be demonstrated at T.H.E. Show NY and Capital...

Mola Mola Ossetra Mono Amplifier Front Mola Mola Ossetra Mono Amplifier Front

Amplifiers

The Mola Mola Ossetra is a $25,100 Class D mono amplifier delivering 350W into 8 ohms with ultra-low distortion, challenging Devialet in the high-end...

Questyle Sigma Portable DAC Headphone Amplifier Questyle Sigma Portable DAC Headphone Amplifier

Headphone Amps

Questyle's Sigma Pro ($899) and Sigma ($599) portable DAC with headphone amplifiers offer Current Mode Amplification, Bluetooth LE, and LDAC.

Dekoni Audio MagDAC magnetically attaches to rear of iPhone Dekoni Audio MagDAC magnetically attaches to rear of iPhone

New Products

Dekoni Audio’s MagDAC Holder offers an affordable, practical way to manage your dongle DAC on the go, rivaling Campfire Audio’s pricier Portable DAC Wallet.

PSB SubSeries BP7 Subwoofer Black No Grille PSB SubSeries BP7 Subwoofer Black No Grille

New Products

At $1,199, the PSB SubSeries BP7 is a compact powered subwoofer offering precise, deep bass with dual 6-inch drivers.

You May Also Like

News

Your old Google Home smart speakers and Nest cams, doorbells and hubs can improve natural language interactions with Gemini AI, but it's not free.

A/V Receivers & Preamp/Processors

The Denon AVR-A1H and A10H AVRs have everything you could possibly need for a high-end home theater setup, but which top-of-the-line model is right...

Music

Adrian Belew, Steve Vai, Tony Levin & Danny Carey bring ’80s King Crimson music to life on Neon Heat Disease: Beat Live in Los...

A/V Receivers & Preamp/Processors

The Marantz AV 10 Preamp/Processor and AMP 10 Power Amplifier are capable of delivering 15.4 channels of surround sound.

A/V Receivers & Preamp/Processors

At $12,000 for the combo, the new Marantz home theater separates include a 13.4-channel AV preamp and 12-channel amplifier.

A/V Receivers & Preamp/Processors

Explore the Denon S-Series AVR 2025 lineup: Budget-friendly home theater receivers, features, and performance for every setup.

News

After three days roaming the hallowed halls of CEDIA Expo 2025, here are our picks for "Best in Show" for home theater systems.

Advertisement

ecoustics is a hi-fi and music magazine offering product reviews, podcasts, news and advice for aspiring audiophiles, home theater enthusiasts and headphone hipsters. Read more

Copyright © 1999-2024 ecoustics | Disclaimer: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.



SVS Bluesound PSB Speakers NAD Cambridge Audio Q Acoustics Denon Marantz Focal Naim Audio RSL Speakers