Okeanos Pro: Headphones with 16 Virtual Speakers and True Spatial Illusion
This is what a Studio Without Speakers Sounds Like!
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Okeanos Pro: Headphones with 16 Virtual Speakers and True Spatial Illusion · Source: Brandenburg Labs
With Okeanos Pro, Brandenburg Labs presents a system that completely redefines working with spatial sound. Developed under the direction of Karlheinz Brandenburg, co-developer of the MP3 format, it combines state-of-the-art audio technology with elements of augmented reality. The idea is simple yet radical: rather than sitting in a room with expensive speakers, the acoustic environment is created directly in the headphones. The result is an immersive listening experience that feels as if real speakers are all around you. This is precisely what makes Okeanos Pro one of the most exciting projects at this year’s NAMM Show 2026.
All About Okeanos Pro
Is This What the Future Sounds Like? Okeanos Pro Simulates Real Speakers!
At its core, the system is based on a technology that Brandenburg Labs calls ‘Deep Dive Audio’. It analyses the acoustic behaviour of a real room and transfers it to a virtual environment that is reproduced entirely through headphones. This eliminates the need for complex surround or Dolby Atmos setups, which otherwise take up a lot of space and budget. Okeanos Pro can simulate up to 16 virtual speakers, which can be placed anywhere in the room – from classic stereo to complex formats such as 9.1.6. The key feature is that these speakers dynamically adapt to the user’s head movements, so they are not static.
This is where the AR component comes into play. Thanks to a precise head-tracking system based on HTC Vive hardware, the virtual soundstage reacts to every movement in real time. When the head is turned or tilted, the sound sources remain fixed in the room as though real speakers were located there. This movement fidelity gives the listening experience a spatial depth that is difficult to achieve with conventional headphones. Okeanos Pro thus makes technology previously only available in expensive studio environments accessible to all. Studio professionals can evaluate mixes as if they were sitting in front of a real surround sound system, but with just headphones.
More Space, More Sound, Less Hardware
The system is controlled via a browser-based interface that provides a three-dimensional visualisation of the virtual speaker setup. Users can create their own room configuration, switch between layouts and adjust the characteristics of individual virtual speakers. Even the directivity can be changed to replicate the differences between different speaker types in a realistic way. This means that Okeanos Pro is aimed not only at sound engineers, but also at producers who want to test their mixes in different room environments without having to change studios constantly.
The system already supports 32-bit audio at 48 kHz and will soon support 96 kHz too. Okeanos Pro can be seamlessly integrated into existing studio environments via interfaces such as Dante or Ravenna. While the price of over €5,000 may seem high at first, it is significantly less than the cost of a comparable physical installation with 16 speakers. Another advantage is that no complex room acoustics are required, as the virtual space is provided through the headphones.
Okeanos Pro: The studio of the future fits in your pocket!
Karlheinz Brandenburg describes the development of the system as the next logical step after MP3. After years of intensive research, the goal of creating a solution that makes spatial sound accessible in every workplace has been achieved. The first studios and educational institutions worldwide are already using Okeanos Pro to experiment with immersive sound and create new listening experiences.
The concept represents a future in which virtual and real sound spaces increasingly overlap. Okeanos Pro facilitates this transition and demonstrates that spatial sound is no longer confined to physical speakers; it can be produced anywhere someone puts on headphones and gets creative.
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