CES 2025: New Samsung TVs and soundbars to support Eclipsa Audio, a potential rival to Dolby Atmos
Samsung and Google have joined forces to bring a new spatial sound format to your living room, but can Eclipsa Audio dethrone Dolby Atmos?
Tech giant Samsung is bolstering the audio performance of its 2025 AV range with support for Eclipsa Audio, a new spatial sound format developed in partnership with Google.
The Korean brand announced the move at CES this week, but details about the 3D sound technology were relatively thin on the ground. We do know that the tech will be available across Samsung’s latest TV lineup, which spans from entry-level Crystal UHD sets to eye-wateringly expensive Neo QLED 8K options, as well as on its new soundbars.
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Quite how the technology works is less clear but Samsung has said it “allows creators to adjust audio data such as the location and intensity of sounds, along with spatial reflections, to create an immersive three-dimensional sound experience.”
It will initially only be available on YouTube, but given the sheer volume of content watched on the video hosting platform, that’s an attractive starting point. YouTube creators will be able to upload content with Eclipsa Audio soundtracks for those with a compatible Samsung device to enjoy what’s been described as “premium spatial audio”.
Speaking about Eclipsa Audio, Taeyong Son, executive vice president of Samsung’s Visual Display Business, said: “This innovation opens new possibilities for immersive audio experiences and reinforces our commitment to shaping the future of home entertainment.”
It’s too early to say whether or not Eclipsa Audio will become a direct competitor for Dolby Atmos, which Samsung TVs and soundbars have supported for a while now. Still, it certainly sounds like it has potential.
Jim Bankoski, Google Chrome’s vice president of engineering, has very high hopes for what the tech can do for the home entertainment industry. “We believe that Eclipsa Audio has the potential to change the way we experience sound,” he said.
While he would say that, any partnership between two goliaths as big as Google and Samsung has to be taken seriously and I look forward to hearing Eclipsa Audio in action when I get to check out Samsung’s new TV and audio range later this year.
