Sennheiser joins Samsung to develop immersive sound programme for Android devices

German audio technology company Sennheiser is developing an immersive sound programme for Android-powered devices in partnership with South Korea's Samsung Electronics, the company's CEO said.

''We are working with Samsung on the AMBEO smart headset to make it available for Android devices,'' Andreas Sennheiser told The Korea Herald at the IFA Global Press Conference. ''Because a dominant layer of the smartphone market is Android-based phones.''

The company's AMBEO ecosystem is a 3-D audio technology involving a proprietary algorithm that made games and movies sound more realistic. It offers a pair of binaural audio-recording headphones.

''We are working (with) Samsung because we need credibility,'' he said. ''And we are doing this technology collaboration for compatibility.''

Sennheiser had had a presence in Korea for over 30 years, but it had been only two years since the company established a subsidiary in Seoul for the expansion of its operations in Korea, according to the firm's chief. He added that the country was an important testbed for new technologies.

''Korea is one of most technology-savvy countries,'' he said. ''Every trend happening in Korea happens in Europe one or two years later.''

According to Sennheiser the gaming industry in Korea is also highly attractive and he saw significant opportunities to expand the company's business in this area.

Sennheiser's Ambeo Smart Surround earbuds, which the firm showcased at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in January, are among the first binaural recording devices that do not require a big, bulky rig.

The earbuds which wrap around the ear, contain microphones that can capture three-dimensional sound. ''It places the listener in the exact original sound field, so whether you capture a rainforest or a buzzing city, listening to the binaural recording will make you feel you are there,'' Sennhesier said in a press release.