Pioneer head unit brings Dolby Atmos and spatial audio to your car

Spatial audio technologies like Dolby Atmos were once only available on a handful of premium cars, like the Polestar 4. But that’s about to change, thanks to a new dashboard head unit from Pioneer.

Announced at the CES technology show in Las Vegas this week, the Pioneer Sphera is an aftermarket audio receiver like many others – including a 10.1in HD touchscreen and support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. But its major selling point is an ability to play Dolby Atmos content, through even a simple, four-speaker car audio system.

Pioneer says this is a world-first, and it’ll bring spatial audio technology to cars with fairly basic sound systems, such as those with just two speakers in the front of the cabin and two in the rear. The Sphera does this by leveraging Pioneer’s Pure Autotuning technology, a proprietary in-vehicle calibration system designed specifically for car interiors.

The tech company explained: “Vehicle cabins vary widely in size, shape, and materials, and aftermarket upgrades can further influence acoustical variables. To account for and adapt to these differences, Pure Autotuning technology precisely adjusts time alignment, frequency response, and channel levels to optimise performance and place the listener at the acoustical centre position.”

So, while the system doesn’t physically surround the listener with a bunch of speakers – like an Atmos system in your local cinema, or a high-end home setup – Pioneer claims the new Sphera head unit can tune itself, taking the size shape and materiality of your car interior into account, and put you in the centre of a virtual sphere of sound. The rest of the system sounds equally impressive, with wireless smartphone connectivity for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there’s Bluetooth too.

Pioneer says the head unit is “designed for universal installation…[in] a wide variety of vehicles with minimal modification, ensuring that immersive audio reaches drivers without an overly complicated upgrade process.”

As with other head units like this, you’ll have to check if your vehicle is compatible before purchasing. These products tend to be better-suited to the double-DIN setup of older vehicles, instead of the integrated infotainment setups of newer cars.

The Sphera will be available from the spring and is priced from $1,300 in the US. UK price and availability is unknown for now.