I recently read an article about how spatial audio is now all the rage in VR, AR and MR experiential system design and it made me think of a visit I made to a local university not too long ago.
A contracting firm that I have worked with for many years asked me to join them on an evaluation visit to determine why their client’s main lecture/presentation venue was not performing as expected. When we arrived, I was a bit surprised to see that the room had a full-blown Meyers Sound Constellation system, installed back in 2016. The issue was not one of performance but of user training, and after a bit of system tweaking the audio in the room was a wonder to behold.
Though “Immersive AV” is all the rage when it comes to extended reality (XR), designing spaces and experiences that fully engulf the people inside them is nothing new. As it turns out, Immersive AV has been with us for some time and is now finding a new place in modern technology.
A New Perspective on Immersive AV
The fusion of spatial audio and extended reality (XR), where sound is no longer an afterthought but a core part of the experience, is reshaping how we think about immersive AV. Technologies like Dolby Atmos and Ambisonics allow creators to position audio objects in three-dimensional space, aligning perfectly with XR environments. In applications ranging from VR training to interactive installations, this creates a sense of presence that flat stereo or even traditional surround formats can’t achieve.
Long before XR became mainstream, systems like the Meyer Sound Constellation system were already pushing the boundaries of spatial audio in physical spaces. Constellation uses a network of microphones, digital processing, and loudspeakers to actively shape a room’s acoustics in real time effectively turning a concert hall or venue into a flexible sonic environment. While it was designed for architectural acoustics rather than virtual worlds, the core idea—dynamically controlling how sound behaves in space—directly parallels what today’s XR platforms are trying to achieve digitally.
Looking to the Future
Now, those two worlds are converging. The principles behind Constellation’s adaptive acoustics are informing how developers design spatial audio engines for AR and VR, where environments must respond convincingly to user movement and interaction.
As XR hardware improves and real-time rendering becomes more powerful, we’re seeing hybrid experiences that blend physical and virtual acoustics, such as live venues enhanced with spatial processing and virtual spaces modeled with real-world acoustic intelligence. The result is a new generation of immersive experiences where sound and visual media interact to create a new reality.
This post was authored by Associate Principal, Director of Engineering, Ken Abel and originally posted on his LinkedIn page. Ken provides audio visual consulting, design and project management services to help guide clients through the maze of technology and make complex systems easy to understand. His understanding of the AV contracting industry makes him a strong client advocate throughout the integration process.
Need Help?
Our team of technology experts is available to help you make sense of the latest technology evolutions so you can make design decisions that prepare your organization for long-term technology success.