Fraunhofer IDMT has developed SpatialSound Wave, a 3D audio technology that has been made available in Mercedes-Benz vehicles equipped with the latest-generation Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system.
The technology creates a spatial audio effect throughout the vehicle interior, so music, voices and other sounds are perceived as three-dimensional rather than originating directly from the loudspeakers. Stereo content can also be processed to produce a spatial listening experience, and users can adjust the intensity of the effect.
SpatialSound Wave is being introduced in vehicles equipped with the fourth generation of the MBUX system, starting with the Mercedes-Benz CLA, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Mercedes-Benz GLB and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Additional models are expected to follow.
“What was developed here in Ilmenau impressively demonstrates how cutting-edge research directly reaches people’s everyday lives – enriching and enhancing them,” said Christian Tischner, the Thuringian Minister of Education, Science and Culture.
Prof. Holger Hanselka, president of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, added, “For more than 20 years, Fraunhofer IDMT has stood for internationally recognized expertise in audio technology. The success story of SpatialSound Wave clearly shows how professionally and entrepreneurially the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft systematically translates research results into economic and societal impact – from scientific excellence to a finished automotive application.”
Spatial sound in all equipment variants
The spatial sound experience is available in all vehicles equipped with premium or high-end Burmester sound systems, as well as in all Mercedes-Benz vehicles featuring the fourth generation of the MBUX infotainment system.
The Fraunhofer 3D sound algorithm can be integrated into existing vehicle and sound systems.
Adjustable spatial sound
An integrated control feature allows users to adjust the level of spatial enhancement applied to stereo audio content, including music streaming, radio programs and audiobooks. The effect can be set from subtle to more pronounced. As the level increases, the perceived soundstage within the vehicle expands and audio elements are experienced as less directly tied to the loudspeakers, creating a more spatial listening environment.
“Thanks to our technology, every journey in a Mercedes-Benz becomes a unique sound experience – from an intimate club concert with subtle room acoustics to an epic concert with a wide stage and remarkable depth perception,” explained Fraunhofer IDMT head of development Christoph Sladeczek.
From the concert stage to the car
Starting in 2021, Fraunhofer IDMT worked with Mercedes-Benz and Burmester to adapt the 3D sound algorithm for use in Mercedes vehicles. The adaptation focused on optimizing computing efficiency, installation space and integration costs. Sladeczek, an acoustic expert, explained that the algorithm had to be integrated into existing processors and made more efficient, as numerous audio and vehicle functions operate simultaneously. In 2025, the algorithm was successfully integrated for the first time into the sound systems of the fully electric Mercedes-Benz CLA.
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