I am confident that once someone listens to Dolby Atmos music in their car, they will not want anything else. Sound Wrap transforms the cabin of your car into an immersive, engaging experience. Every time I hear a demo – whether it’s in a Rivian, Cadillac, or Mercedes – it gets me energized and excited. But up to this point, Dolby Atmos has only been available in luxury vehicles that have a full array of speakers.
Pioneer is changing this with the Sphera, an aftermarket in-dash receiver with a 10.1-inch capacitive screen that enables Dolby Atmos playback in Apple CarPlay. And it works with at least four speakers installed in your car, creating an Atmos environment with virtualization.
The Pioneer Sphera head unit fits into a single-DIN or double-DIN slot in your car’s dash. Once installed, initial setup involves placing an inserted mic on the driver’s headrest and leaving the car parked for about five minutes to allow Pioneer’s processing to calibrate the system to your car’s interior. Once completed, you can select your listening location on the screen as driver, passenger or the entire cabin. I heard the Sphera in action in a 2017 Toyota Highlander with four speakers and a sub. For the demo, the stock speakers were replaced with Pioneer A-series speakers, which cost around $100.
Pioneer’s virtualization does an impressive job of properly filling the cabin using only four speakers. While listening to the beginning of “Money” from Pink Floyd the dark side of the MoonCash register sounds were placed in their proper place throughout the cabin, and when the full band came in, the interior felt larger than before. Similarly, uhhSand ahhThe music blossomed into the chorus of “Rocket Man” and was punctuated by Elton John’s vocals.
The placement didn’t have the specificity you can get with more than four speakers, but it doesn’t take away from the experience in a significant way. The Sphera still delivers a rich and full soundscape that properly fills the space within the car’s cabin. The Pioneer Sphera will be available in the spring for $1,300. That’s not a trivial amount, but if you want Atmos in your car, it’s a lot more affordable than looking for a luxury vehicle.
<a href