What is the difference between 360 Reality Audio and 360 Upmix on the Sony WF-1000XM6?

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Sony gives you two ways to get spatial audio on the WF-1000XM6, and they work completely differently. Let me clear up the confusion.

360 Reality Audio: The real deal

This is actual 3D audio, where artists specifically mixed their songs with instruments and vocals placed at different points around your head. When you move your head, the soundstage moves with you (thanks to head tracking). It's genuinely impressive when you find content for it.

The problem? Finding content is harder than it used to be.

Tidal dropped support. Deezer dropped support. You're basically left with Amazon Music Unlimited and nugs.net (which is mostly live concert recordings, especially jazz). If you're not subscribed to either, 360 Reality Audio is essentially useless.

360 Upmix: The workaround

This is processing that takes any regular stereo song and tries to make it feel more spacious. Sony's algorithms analyze the audio and spread elements out to create a pseudo-surround effect.

Does it work? Sort of. It's hit or miss.

On live recordings, it can actually sound pretty cool—more like you're at the concert. On studio albums, especially stuff that was carefully mixed and mastered, it can sound artificial. Sometimes it makes vocals feel distant or creates a weird hollow quality.

My honest take

I keep 360 Upmix off most of the time. When I'm just vibing to some live recordings or want background music while working, I'll turn it on. But for albums I actually want to focus on? I want to hear them the way the artist intended.

As for 360 Reality Audio, it's awesome when you can find it. But the limited catalog is a real bummer. Amazon Music is probably your best bet if you want to actually use this feature.