Martin Rieger Sound

30/09/2025

We’ve used GPUs for gaming, AI, 3D – but now?
They’re reinventing real-time audio.

While most car audio still runs on decade-old DSPs, GPU Audio is rewriting the game:

- Personalized audio zones for each passenger
- Spatial separation without headphones
- OTA updates, no new hardware required
- 5–12 dB zone suppression – speech, music, media, clean and clear

Instead of “one-size-fits-all” sound, your car becomes a media capsule.
Work call in front, Peppa Pig in the backseat – no crosstalk. Zero distraction.
At least that is the vision

🚗 Automotive is just step one.
This tech is already expanding into music, gaming, AR/VR.
Their SDK lets other devs build smarter, faster, more immersive audio tools.

In 5 years, chances are GPUs will power also most pro audio tools.

No extra chips.
Just better code.
And better sound.

What do you think – will GPUs become the new audio standard? 👇

27/09/2025

My prediction is that sound will be more personalized - and Spotify just made a move in this direction.

Mixing tracks? Creating your own transitions?
Now every Premium user gets to play with transitions like a DJ – no gear, no training needed.

🎧 Hit “Mix” and:
- Your playlist blends smoothly
- “Auto” mode takes care of timing
- “Fade” and “Rise” presets add instant flow

You even get beat lines and waveforms for perfect timing.

It’s great for:
- Dance playlists
- Gym sessions
- Background sets that feel custom-made

You can even share your mix – not just the tracks, but your sound journey.

For me, this update shows a clear shift:
🔊 Sound is no longer static. It adapts to us.

Spotify gets that – and I wouldn’t be surprised if 3D audio or spatial mixing is next.
I'm still waiting for this, though, but I hear more and more rumors.

Would you use this feature? Or are you happy just hitting play?

23/09/2025

Apple’s big NEWS! AirPods can now "hear" your heartbeat.
Turning headphones into wellness trackers.

Apple just confirmed it with their keynote.
AirPods Pro 3 now track your heart rate – directly through your ears.
And they’re just getting started.

These earbuds are no longer just for entertainment.
They're becoming health devices, personal assistants, even fitness coaches that even motivate you.

What’s now confirmed:
– Heart rate sensing via your ears
– Better noise cancelling
– Real-time translation
– "workout buddy" with spoken feedback – a bit like having your own coach that congratulates you on achievements on the go - or run

That’s not a feature update.
That’s a shift in how we think about wearables.
From entertainment to a health companion.

And we’ve seen the signs for a while.
The Apple Hearing Study – 200,000+ users since 2019 – was never just research.
It was training data for exactly this.

Since I was right on the heart rate feature, what’s likely coming next in my opinion?
– Temperature tracking
– Biometric authentication (like Face ID, but for ears)
– EEG-style brainwave sensing for stress, attention, even meditation ?!

Sounds wild? Maybe. But that’s exactly where this is heading.

And for those of us in audio:
This isn’t just about music anymore.
It’s about ears as the next interface.

What is your favorite feature - or something you wish for?

20/09/2025

Audio is not background noise at Meta 2025 - it became the core of the product universe - not AI ;)

Here’s what caught my ear:

- Conversation Focus: Voices cut through noise. You can dial up your friend’s voice in a crowded space. That’s NOT only cool - it’s assistive tech, coming to all Ray-Ban Meta glasses soon.

- Oakley Meta Vanguard: Louder speakers (+6 dB!), better wind noise reduction. Someone took a call on a jet ski. Yes, a JET SKI. Still clear according to the keynote. Audio for real life (my daily commute, lol), not just the lab.

- Neural Band Demo: “Play California Dreaming.” Boom-Spotify starts, volume follows your gestures. Music, calls, podcasts-no more fiddling, no more friction.

- Accessibility: Live subtitles and real-time translation as AR overlays. You see words, not just hear them. Makes hearing loss less of a barrier. Makes languages less scary. That’s inclusion in action.

- Dolby Atmos & Dolby Vision: Horizon TV on Meta glasses now supports both. Deep sound, rich color, real immersion. Not by accident-there’s Dolby DNA in the team. That’s a deliberate move, not a lucky break.

- AI Audio Generation: Meta’s creator tools now make audio as easily as they make text or images. AI helps you build new worlds, faster and with better sound.

This is the moment: audio is no longer an afterthought. Meta is building for all ears, all languages, all environments. From assistive features to immersive Atmos, from AI tools to real-life accessibility.

For someone who lives and breathes 3D audio, this feels like a long-awaited shift. I want to see what you notice first. Is it the clarity, the inclusion, or the creativity that stands out?

What do you think? 🎧

16/09/2025

Apple just fired Duolingo from your phone - and made learning languages obsolete?

Real-time language translation is here – inside your AirPods Pro 3 with Apple Intelligence.

No more classes at school, no more green owl reminders. Just... talk.

Apple’s latest update brings Live Translation to AirPods Pro 3:
– Speak in your native language
– The other person hears you in theirs
– No typing, no apps, no awkward pause

Confirmed languages:
🇺🇸 English, 🇫🇷 French, 🇩🇪 German, 🇪🇸 Spanish, 🇵🇹 Portuguese
Coming soon: 🇮🇹 Italian, 🇯🇵 Japanese, 🇰🇷 Korean, 🇨🇳 Chinese

I thought great, but what if the other person doesn’t have AirPods?!

Your iPhone becomes a translation screen. Put it on the table and talk.
Two people. One conversation. No language barrier anymore (ideally).

As someone working in immersive audio:
This isn’t just a cool feature. It’s a paradigm shift.

We used to learn languages to connect.
Now, the connection itself teaches us.

Duolingo isn’t dead, speaking multiple languages is still useful - but probably not as important anymore.
For millions, this might be enough.

Is this the end of learning foreign languages?
👇 What do you think?

13/09/2025

3 mega events in 10 days: IFA, IBC, IAA...
Same s**t as every year?!

Although I look skeptical, I could find some highlights 👇

🎧 IFA (Berlin)
– Yamaha True X 90A Soundbar → first ever Auro-3D soundbar. Until now, Auro was cinema/AVR only – 2025 finally brings it to the living room.
– Baseus Inspire Headphones → Dolby Spatial Audio in budget models. Last year: premium only (Apple, Sony). This year: mainstream.
– Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro → 4K projector with 7.1 spatial sound. Beamer used to mean just picture – now audio is immersive too.
– Canvas HiFi Soundbar → with BACCH 3D crosstalk cancellation. Previously university research is now a consumer product.

🎬 IBC (Amsterdam)
– Voyage Audio Spatial Mic Dante → Dante-enabled 360° mic. 2024: USB indie version. 2025: broadcast ready.
– Sennheiser / Neumann immersive setup → 7.1.4 monitoring + AMBEO renderer. Before: binaural/Atmos limited to studios. Now: stereo-compatible immersive workflows for live broadcast.
– Fraunhofer MPEG-H Dialog+ → improves speech clarity in surround. 2024: research. 2025: standard in China’s UHD TV.
– Audio Vivid in Pro Tools → open object-based format. Last year: pilots. This year: fully integrated into the leading DAW.

🚗 IAA Mobility (Munich)
– Dirac × PIEGA in BMW iX → 45-channel Dolby Atmos car audio. Last year max 20+. This year: doubled, plus AI-upmix.
– Holoride Audio AI → pivot from VR headsets to AI-driven personalized audio experiences with Dolby. 2024: VR gimmick. 2025: AI-first approach.
– ATE RMD Invisible Speakers → ultra-flat drivers integrated into the car interior. Previously bulky speakers, now almost invisible.
– Cerence AI voices → generative, emotional in-car assistants. 2024: basic voice commands. 2025: full conversational “persona” in the cockpit.

You don’t always need to believe the hype at first.
But I see step by step, 3D & spatial audio is growing across consumer, pro, and automotive – and that’s a good thing.

👉 What were your highlights – or what did you miss this year?

09/09/2025

Ever bought a concert ticket and got “bad acoustics”?
What if you could preview every seat before you go – with VR in 3D?

€700 million over budget.
Elbphilharmonie, Stuttgart, Paris – concert halls cost billions and still fail to sound right.
This could change. Thanks to virtual reality and spatial sound.

Made possible with a digital twin of an opera house – built by engineers, not architects.
A full simulation of the Munich National Theatre, recreated by Siemens and the Bavarian State Opera.

Not for pretty visuals. But for real acoustics.
With a VR headset, you can sit anywhere in the hall:
Second row?
Up by the chandelier?

On stage?
You hear exactly how the music would sound from that spot – echo, reverb, timing, and all.

Why this matters:

🎟️ Audiences can test the sound before buying a ticket
🎻 Orchestras and directors can rehearse and plan tours more efficiently
🏗️ Architects can simulate a space before building it – and avoid billion-euro surprises

3D audio + VR = better sound, smarter planning, fewer costly mistakes.

As someone obsessed with immersive sound:
This is just the beginning.

No, it doesn’t replace live concerts - it makes them better but can open doors to virtual experiences.

But it’s a huge step forward – and a powerful tool for everyone working in music, theatre or architecture.

What space would you love to hear in 3D ?

full article:

Elbphilharmonie: 700 Millionen Euro teurer. Oper Stuttgart: eine Milliarde. Konzertsäle kosten oft viel mehr als geplant. Das könnte sich ändern, dank Virtual Reality.

06/09/2025

Venice Biennale was all about glam from the outside. But behind the red carpet? Guess what got swept under it?

Sound! Here's what I saw (and heard):

🎧 Most “Immersive” projects with stunning visuals, but run sound in stereo. No immersive feel, no spatial mix. One was even a musical experience...
🎧 One assistant literally put the headphones on me – backwards. So I’m guessing at least 50% of the visitors wore them wrong, potentially ruining spatial audio if they used it.
🎧 Some Apple Vision Pro demos were even without headphones = total fail. People talking around you, room noise, lost focus. The tech is brilliant – but the basics are ignored.

Still I had a lot of great conversations with people claiming “sound is 50% of the experience.”
And I come to the conclusion: If you’ve never experienced really good 3D audio, how would you know what’s missing?

But Immersive audio isn’t a buzzword. It’s a standard in XR.
So guys, please not just talk about it. Act like it!

And apart from sound, I really got to meet awesome people and have inspiring experiences - so thanks for having me!

🔊 What’s the best (or worst) sound experience you’ve had at an event? Curious to hear from both sides of the headphones.

02/09/2025

Did Apple just drop the biggest hearing health study of its kind?! And you can be part to help!

Imagine a program where researchers track the sounds you hear every day – not just through your headphones, but from the world around you – and use that data to fight hearing loss before it’s too late.

That’s exactly what the Apple Hearing Study, a partnership with the University of Michigan and the WHO, is built for.

Some highlights from this massive project:
- 160,000+ participants across the US, tracked since 2019
- Hundreds of millions of hours of headphone and environmental sound data collected via iPhone & Apple Watch
- Links between noise exposure, tinnitus, stress, and even heart health

New tools on AirPods Pro 2: FDA-cleared over-the-counter hearing aid, clinical-grade hearing test, and hearing protection mode up to 110 dB

The data is eye-opening:
- 77% of participants have experienced tinnitus
- 15% live with it daily
- 40% haven’t had a hearing test in over 10 years
- 3 in 4 with hearing loss don’t use assistive tech

Why does this matter?
Hearing loss isn’t just about missing a conversation. It’s linked to social isolation, cognitive decline, dementia, and falls.
And noise-induced hearing loss? 100% preventable – if we act early.

With this study, Apple is betting on prevention, personalization, and making hearing health as common to track as steps or heart rate.

As someone who lives and breathes 3D audio, I’m fascinated – and concerned – by how much we ignore our ears until it’s too late.

What’s the loudest place you’ve been this week? 🎧

31/08/2025

Just reached 10.000 followers on LinkedIn 🥳
And it still feels weird to post every time 😳

I’ve written about 3D audio and immersive tech for 3 years now, 3 posts per week.
I’ve tested formats, shared behind the scenes, even dropped the occasional selfie.
You’d think it gets easier.

Honestly? Not really.
Every time I hit “post” → that voice:
“Is this good enough?”
“Is this too much me?”

But here’s what I’ve learned:
Growth hides in the uncomfortable.
It doesn’t show up when you feel ready.
It rewards the ones who do it anyway.

If I stayed where I felt safe, I’d never:.. get your feedback (yepp, not everybody likes what I say).. learn how fast LinkedIn changes its rules (algorithm change was a downer).. hear “You’re the 3D audio guy” in random DMs from people I don't even know

Real talk:
There were moments I nearly quit.

But I kept going – not for clicks and the algorithm.
For the few who said, “Your post made me think.”

I'm here for the long run. Spatial audio is the future; otherwise, I wouldn't be driving this medium.

So here’s my takeaway:
Confidence isn’t a requirement. It’s a result of showing up anyway.
If you want or not: never break the chain!

👉 What's something I should post about in the future - or you remember from the past?

28/08/2025

Apple is making its next big move: AirPods Pro 3 turn from headphones into a smarter health device than the Apple Watch.

What started as "just earbuds" for entertainment could soon become your wellness tracker, translator, and personal assistant.

According to recent leaks and patents, the next AirPods Pro might include:
- Heart rate AND body temperature sensors
- A redesigned case (rumored with a touchscreen?)
- A new H3 chip that helps enable my favorite feature below

Real-time translation: You hear your language while someone speaks another 🤯

This isn’t just about better sound or longer battery anymore.
It’s a transition — from passive listening to active sensing.
From accessory to assistant.

And it fits Apple’s bigger plan:
- Dolby Atmos and head-tracking already make Apple Music feel more immersive
- With new sensors, AirPods could respond to your body, location, and context
- Combine that with AI — and suddenly your earbuds know what you need

Personally?
Live translation blows my mind, and I can't wait to try.
Maybe even more than the spatial audio it already can.

🔍 What would be the killer feature for you?
👇 Let’s speculate!

26/08/2025

Immersive experiences are booming – but are they the future of art or just flashy entertainment?

Van Gogh on 360° walls. Yayoi Kusama in infinity rooms.
Currently Titanic is near Munich. With TWO different shows!

📸 Selfies everywhere. 🎧 Loud music. 🚨 Sensory overload.
To me, it looks like art tries to become Instagrammable.

As someone who works with immersive 3D audio, I get the hype.
When sound, image, and space align, magic can happen.
But too often, these shows feel like they’re made to be seen – not felt.

Here’s what I notice:
- The visuals dazzle, but the audio concept is more annoying than immersive
- The story is shallow, or missing altogether, just random facts.
- The potpourri of technologies: some HMDs here, projection mapping there etc.

Immersion without emotional storytelling and sound is just a wannabe spectacle.

What if we treated sound not as an afterthought, but as the heartbeat of the experience?
And I don't mean the background music that is jingles all around.

But that's probably my job-related addiction to pay attention to every little detail.
So I'm wondering:

🎧 Have you been to an immersive art show that truly moved you - and why?