By the time Sony's first 360 Reality Audio speakers were available to the masses, it had been over two years since the company first introduced the platform. Although the immersive audio format has been part of streaming libraries since fall 2019, Sony initially relied on third-party speakers to evangelize the public. The company eventually added 360RA supports to its headphones, but until this spring, it didn't have any compatible speakers. At CES 2021, the company officially announced the SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000 (after two years of teasing). The SRS-RA5000 is the larger and more powerful of the duo -- and it's the more expensive.

Along with its smaller sibling, the RA3000, Sony's latest sonic hardware is first and foremost a vessel for the company's immersive music format, 360 Reality Audio. From its multi-directional, seven-driver configuration to support for high-resolution audio over Wi-Fi from 3D sound sources--and a sticker-shocking $700 price point--Sony's intentions for the RA5000 as a 360RA ambassador are clear from the get-go. Following Amazon's Echo Studio smart speaker, which supports the rival Dolby Atmos Music service, the RA5000 is tasked with helping Sony blaze its own trail in the 3D music landscape. However, while the RA5000 is an ambitious device with impressive sound quality, it's also got some serious limitations at the moment, including a half-baked app, an awkward design, and a highly limited collection of songs to make it sing. But before we get into the details, what exactly is 360RA?

Earlier today, Sony announced plans to expand its 360 Reality Audio platform. The key updates were a two-fold approach for expanding the limited content library, licensing tech to other companies and -- most importantly -- news that it would ship its own speakers built for the immersive sound this spring. At the time, the company said it didn't have any info beyond a few vague details, but that's wasn't entirely true. Sony's UK website has already posted full details for both the SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000 "premium wireless speakers." If you've been following our 360 Reality Audio coverage since 2019, you'll recognize the designs.