According to the company, this is the world’s first true next-generation scalable audio format. Auro-CX is designed to deliver full-scale, high-resolution 3D audio while using less storage space and fewer encoding steps than existing codecs.
Auro-CX scales on demand
The new format scales word length (bit depth), sampling rate and the number of channels/objects in a single data stream. This means the decoder can extract exactly what it needs, whether it’s 48, 96 or a full 192 kHz. Only one stream is needed, regardless of the desired quality and number of channels at the other end.
This enables content providers to stream to everyone from discerning audiophiles with huge home theatres to ordinary users with simple TV speakers – without any additional coding. Just by downscaling the quality.
World-class 3D sound?
Additionally, Auro-CX handles the audio objects required for immersive surround sound in the same bitstream. They claim that competing formats (such as Dolby Atmos / DTS:X) have to extract the objects from a 7.1 base mix, and when adding height channels, the overall sound quality suffers. Especially in the height channels.
Auro does it differently by integrating the objects directly into a much larger 13.1 mix. This should result in much better sound quality when raising the height information by adding extra height channels to a 7.1 soundstage. The result is a much more accurate approximation of the sound creator’s intent.
In short, the Auro-CX sounds to deliver 3D audio in exactly the quality you need and want, customised for your system. Whether you’re a discerning enthusiast or a regular consumer. Whether the codec lives up to its promise remains to be seen.
More info: auro-3D.com