[Editorial] Tired of old 2-channel stereo? DeepStereo might lend a hand!

This is not the first time we have to deal with fancy attempts to overcome stereophonic audio with sound spatialization algorithms. The latest in chronological order is the DeepStereo⁽¹⁾, an innovative technology that aims to realize a dream of the music industry for 50 years: to immerse listeners in a sound-scape, regardless of the components used. The catchy motto is “The Stereo is Dead, Long Live DeepStereo!” Mmmmmh, we'll see.

DeepStereo brings together an innovative format and cutting-edge tool to transform any mono or stereo file into a high-quality 3D immersive audio experience. It will be compatible with all headphones, speakers and sound-bars. Created by Music Unit, a pioneer of audio innovation, and their spin-off LESON, DeepStereo aims to “democratize” (or so they say) immersive audio, freeing it from the audio equipment of any listener.

Julien Chirol, co-founder of Music Unit and LESON, says: “We are proud to unveil DeepStereo at CES 2025. This technology offers artists and producers an unprecedented way to create 3D sound-scapes. For example, artists can precisely position instruments and effects within three-dimensional space, adding depth and detail to their compositions. This allows listeners to feel uniquely connected to the music, as if they were surrounded by the sound.”

According to Music Unit and Leson, DeepStereo places listeners into an acoustic bubble comparable to a live performance. This instant, immersive and unprecedented quality experience delivers natural, smooth soundscapes in any environment, improves engagement and emotional impact, turning every listening session into a completely new experience. Not only that, but DeepStereo also transforms live sound engineering. By incorporating spatial audio into concerts, sound engineers can create 3D environments that amplify audiences' sonic experiences.

How does it work? Content creation in DeepStereo is based on Music Unit's patented My Bee Knows binaural technology, which stands out for its ability to preserve the quality of the original signal, making it compatible with any playback device, be it headphones or speakers. Binaural synthesis mimics natural hearing, where each ear perceives sound with slight temporal and tonal differences. The artificial reproduction of these “transfer functions” induces the brain to perceive the virtual spatialization of a sound that was originally devoid of it.

DeepStereo is the result of 12 years of collaboration between LESON and prestigious French institutions, including the CNRS, the École Polytechnique and the Paris Conservatory. DeepStereo is already adopted by the City de la Musique for the production and distribution of audiovisual content. It is also integrated into NOUS Digital's Sonic HR 6DoF headphones used in museums and is currently on trial at Radio France.

Allow me some ramblings. It all seems very cool but, frankly, I don't understand this tension towards spatialization and sound bubbles (???). When I attend an acoustic concert, the instruments are IN FRONT of me, I'm not surrounded by cellos, violins or double basses. If I listen to a piano, I see and hear it in front of me, unless I sit on it. The same thing can be said for soloists and choirs. And what about electrified music? Any stage where a band plays will be in front of me and not around me, unless the band already plans to create an enveloping live sound via strategically placed speakers. So...what exactly are we talking about? Perhaps we're trying to make listening with headphones or PC desktop speakers or notebook a little less boxed; to make the audio of a film or video game more engaging, perhaps. The gentlemen of DeepStereo, however, expressly speak of audiophiles, declaring stereophony as “dead”. Unfortunately, the sound reality is not immersive, but substantially frontal. And, as audiophiles know well, the beauty of it is to reconstruct at home the three-dimensional stage that you would experience in a real event, a stage that develops in front of the listener, never around him.

⁽¹⁾ The term Deep Stereo appeared for the first time in the Italian magazine Audioreview in January 2015 (link), as an attempt to increase the spatial information extracted from a stereophonic signal, via three audio channels.

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January 2025 Editorial

Tired of old 2-channel stereo? DeepStereo might lend a hand!