Samsung and Google’s Eclipsa 2.0 Challenges Dolby Atmos

The battle for supremacy in home entertainment has a new front, and this time it’s all about what we hear.

Samsung and Google, a formidable alliance in the tech world, have just pulled back the curtain on the second generation of their Eclipsa 3D Audio format, a move that signals a serious intent to challenge the long-standing dominance of Dolby Atmos.

Much like Samsung’s pursuit of Dolby Vision with its HDR10+ Advanced video standard, Eclipsa 2.0 is not just an incremental update; it’s a strategic play designed to carve out a significant share of the immersive audio market.

Set to arrive in what Samsung ambiguously calls “the near term,” Eclipsa 2.0 takes the foundational promise of its predecessor and elevates it significantly.

The most impactful enhancement is the shift to truly “object-based” sound. This isn’t just about adding more channels – though the format now supports an expanded channel count beyond its previous 28-channel limit – it’s about giving sound designers unprecedented precision.

Imagine a scene where a helicopter flies overhead, or an arrow whizzes past your ear; with object-based audio, these sounds aren’t merely assigned to a general speaker array. Instead, they become discrete “objects” that can be precisely placed and moved anywhere within a 360-degree soundscape, creating a far more convincing and dynamic three-dimensional experience.

This level of granular control allows for sound stages that are not just immersive, but genuinely interactive and tailored to the on-screen action.

What truly sets Eclipsa Audio apart from its competitors like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, however, is its open-source foundation. Built upon the Immersive Audio Model and Formats (IAMF) specifications, Eclipsa is entirely royalty-free.

This is a crucial distinction, acting as a powerful incentive for content creators and hardware manufacturers alike.

In an industry often constrained by licensing fees, the promise of a high-fidelity, advanced audio format that doesn’t come with a per-unit cost could be a game-changer. For independent content creators, particularly those on platforms like YouTube where Eclipsa is already available, this means access to cutting-edge audio tools without the financial barrier.

It fosters innovation and broadens the accessibility of advanced sound design, potentially democratizing immersive audio in a way proprietary systems simply cannot.

The ecosystem supporting Eclipsa is rapidly expanding, bolstered by the powerful influence of its creators. Samsung TVs and Harman audio products, including Samsung’s own soundbars developed through Harman’s labs, already support the format.

But the real strategic muscle comes from Google’s deep involvement. Google has not only released an open authoring tool for Eclipsa Audio/IAMF content creation but, perhaps more critically, has confirmed that the format will be supported on upcoming versions of the Android OS.

This integration alone could propel Eclipsa into millions of mobile devices, smart TVs, and other Android-powered gadgets, giving it an unparalleled reach. Furthermore, the IAMF specification itself was officially adopted in 2023 by the Alliance for Open Media (AOM), a global consortium that includes tech giants like Netflix, Meta, alongside Samsung and Google.

This collective backing signals a serious industry commitment, lending Eclipsa a credibility and potential for widespread adoption that few nascent technologies ever achieve.

To ensure that this open nature doesn’t come at the expense of quality or consistency, Eclipsa has also launched a new certification program. Managed by HDR10+ LLC, with testing performed by the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA), this program is designed to guarantee consistent performance and compatibility across a diverse range of devices and platforms.

This proactive step addresses a common concern with open standards – the potential for fragmentation or varying quality. By adhering to ITU-R BS.1770-4 loudness standards, Eclipsa also aims to ensure consistent audio levels across streaming platforms, a small but significant detail that greatly enhances the user experience by eliminating jarring volume shifts.

Samsung, naturally, is leading the charge, with its latest TVs being the first to formally meet these stringent new certification requirements. Having experienced a demonstration of Eclipsa 2.0 recently, running through a Samsung TV paired with a Samsung surround soundbar and rear speaker system, I can attest to its remarkable leap forward.

The debut version, which I heard at the beginning of 2025, showed promise, but Eclipsa 2.0 is a revelation. The sense of three-dimensional space was far more defined, allowing individual sound effects to be placed with uncanny precision. Transitions of sounds moving around the soundstage were handled with a newfound smoothness and aggressive dynamism, pulling you deeper into the content.

Perhaps most striking was the reduced dependency on a precise “sweet spot.” Unlike many immersive audio systems that demand a very specific listening position for optimal effect, Eclipsa 2.0 delivered a compelling spatial experience across a much wider area, making it more practical for real-world living room setups.

Eclipsa 2.0 represents more than just a technological upgrade; it’s a statement of intent. With its royalty-free model, object-based capabilities, and the combined might of Samsung, Google, and the Alliance for Open Media, it poses a formidable challenge to the established audio order.

As the format wars continue to rage across the AV landscape, Eclipsa Audio is certainly one to watch, with further developments likely to emerge, perhaps as early as the upcoming CES in January 2026.

The sound of our future entertainment could very well be open, precise, and profoundly immersive.