Sony introduces 360 Reality Audio wireless speakers with new Amazon Music HD streaming capabilities. From the 6th April 2021 in North America, Sony’s SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000 speakers can now stream Amazon Music HD using Alexa Cast. This subscription plan offers 70 million songs available in High Definition (CD Quality 16-bit lossless FLAC), over five million songs in Ultra HD (HiRes 24-bit lossless FLAC), and a growing catalogue of 3D Audio, which includes 360 Reality Audio content.
Introduced in 2019, Sony’s 360 Reality Audio makes it possible for artists and creators to produce music by mapping sound sources such as vocals, chorus and instruments with positional information and placing them within a spherical space. In addition to Amazon Music HD, 360 Reality Audio can also be streamed via TIDAL, nugs.net and Deezer on the RA5000 and RA3000 speakers. Listeners can currently access approximately 4,000 songs in 360 Reality Audio from artists like Alicia Keys, Megan Thee Stallion, Noah Cyrus, Zara Larsson, Paloma Faith and more. Nugs.net and Deezer will be available via the built-in Chromecast whilst Amazon Music HD will be available with Alexa Cast. Deezer streaming is scheduled to be available in summer 2021.
SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000 key features
Based on 360 Reality Audio and Immersive Audio Enhancement technologies, the RA5000 and RA3000 fill the space with sound – both vertically and horizontally – to create a broad and wide sweet spot. 360 Reality Audio tracks incorporate three-dimensional sound location data to deliver a 360-degree soundscape. Immersive Audio Enhancement, a unique algorithm from Sony, can transform any two-channel stereo tracks to fill the room with sound and further enhance the listening experience.
The RA5000 is HiRes Audio certified and features a trio of up-firing speakers that spread music vertically, while the three middle sited speakers spread sound horizontally. The speaker unit incorporates high-magnetism neodymium magnets and a mica reinforced cellular diaphragm that gives strength to the speaker while still maintaining a compact size. These are complemented by a subwoofer, which helps to flood the room with rich, deep bass.
The RA3000 achieves omnidirectional sound with deep bass by using a full range speaker, an omni-diffuser that spreads sound throughout the room in every direction and a dual passive radiator to produce deep bass. The speaker’s overlapping beam tweeters form a wave front that goes upward, which delivers sound vertically.
The RA5000 and RA3000 both feature Sound Calibration that offers optimal sound performance wherever they are used. Simply hold the Immersive Audio Enhancement button on the RA5000 and it will conduct a detailed sound calibration adjustment for optimum audio performance for the room it is placed in. The RA3000 provides auto adjustment, which takes place in the background while you are enjoying your favourite tracks. To activate the RA3000’s automatic recalibration, simply turn the speaker on wherever it is placed in the home and it will recalibrate itself to the new position.
To maintain a consistent volume, the Auto Volume feature on both the RA5000 and RA3000 takes the stress out of finding the perfect volume for each track. The speaker adjusts the sound, track-by-track, to make the listening experience stress-free.
The RA5000 and RA3000 are compatible with Google Assistant-enabled devices with Chromecast built-in and Amazon Alexa enabled devices. Customers can now start or stop music, adjust the volume and other actions, all hands-free. You can also control the speakers from anywhere in the house with the ‘Sony | Music Center’ app on a smartphone, allowing users to customize various settings for a personalized listening experience.
The RA5000 and RA3000 also wirelessly connect to compatible BRAVIA TVs. Both speakers are Wi-Fi enabled, feature Bluetooth technology, have NFC, are compatible with Spotify Connect and have Chromecast built-in to easily pair the speaker with a smartphone or tablet.
The SRS-RA5000 has a suggested retail price of $699.99 and further details can be found here. The SRS-RA3000 has a suggested retail price of $299.99 and further details can be found here.
