When we covered the initial news last month that Sennheiser had enabled Dolby Atmos playback in the smart #5 via an over-the-air update, the picture was still a little thin on detail. Sennheiser has now published the full technical and rollout story, and it's worth a second look — particularly for anyone watching the German brand's push into premium OEM audio against entrenched rivals like Bowers & Wilkins, KEF and Burmester.
According to Sennheiser and smart Europe, the free OTA update is live now for owners of the smart #5 Premium and smart #5 BRABUS, and has been deployed in cascades across all European markets from early March. It makes the smart #5 the first Sennheiser in-car audio system in Europe to support the immersive format. Atmos content is delivered through the Amazon Music app built into the car's infotainment system, so no smartphone connection is required — though an Amazon Music Unlimited subscription is needed to stream in Dolby Atmos.
The Signature Sound System in the smart #5 is a 20-speaker installation built around Sennheiser's Concerto software with AMBEO technology, which the company says reproduces music in three dimensions without adding artificial reverb. During development, Sennheiser's tuning engineers used the brand's immersive reference studio in Zürich as the benchmark environment, with the stated aim of translating the spatial precision of a mastering room into the cabin of the all-electric smart #5.
"Bringing Dolby Atmos through Amazon Music to the smart #5 showcases what is possible when automotive, audio, and technology leaders collaborate with a shared vision for immersive sound," said Dr Veronique Larcher, Managing Director of Sennheiser Mobility.
Sennheiser says the Signature Sound System was engineered from the outset to accept regular OTA updates, and this release fleshes out the story beyond the initial announcement — confirming the studio tuning reference, the 20-speaker count and the software chain doing the heavy lifting. The platform caveat remains the same one we flagged previously: Atmos playback on the smart #5 is tied to Amazon Music Unlimited within the car's own app, so the experience still depends on which streaming services commit to immersive delivery in the automotive environment.
The smart #5 is not currently sold in Australia. Local enthusiasts will be watching to see whether Sennheiser's in-car Atmos work filters through to the broader Mercedes-Benz/Geely joint-venture range, and to the forthcoming smart #2 city car, which has been confirmed to carry a Sennheiser sound system at launch.
Continue the Discussion
Gallery
Posted in: Stereo AUTO
Join the Discussion
What do you think? Head to the forums and share your thoughts with 100,000+ other community members.
Go to Forums
