Sony has opened preorders for the ECM-AX10, a USB-C smartphone microphone that captures spatial audio using four omnidirectional capsules, at a US MSRP of $249.99. The Canadian MSRP is CAN $349.99, and sellers include Sony, Best Buy and Amazon, alongside specialist audio retailers and other authorized dealers. Buyers can choose among three recording modes, including one intended for producing spatial audio videos for YouTube.
The ECM-AX10 requires a phone with a USB-C port running iOS 18 or later, or Android 14 or later. Sony advises buyers to consult its smartphone compatibility list before purchasing because it has not tested operating quality on unlisted devices. Video recording, editing and export functions require Sony’s dedicated app, and recording quality can differ according to the phone’s performance.
Read more: Sony launches XYN spatial capture platform for virtual production this summer
Sony’s Spatial Audio Video Tool lets users capture video, review footage, perform basic edits and export videos containing spatial audio from their phones. The app supports both iOS and Android and is distributed through the App Store and Google Play. Although preorders are already open, Sony plans to add support for 4K recording from December 2026 onward.
For creators publishing to YouTube, the Ambisonics recording mode works with Spatial Audio Video Tool to produce content in Eclipsa Audio. The stereo option accommodates playback through speakers or headphones, while binaural recording targets a three-dimensional listening experience through headphones, including where Eclipsa Audio is unsupported. Sony says the binaural mode uses its own spatial audio technology, which it also employs in 360 Reality Audio.
The microphone weighs approximately 24 grams and plugs directly into compatible smartphones, allowing recording without a separate recorder. Its spherical microphone module houses the four capsules, while Sony says its audio processing can convey the direction and distance of sounds. The ECM-AX10 also works with general-purpose video and recording apps as well as Sony’s apps.
Sony calls the ECM-AX10 the first smartphone spatial audio microphone certified for Eclipsa Audio, with certification dated September 15, 2026, covering encoding and compatibility requirements under the IAMF standard. Eclipsa Audio uses the IAMF specification and is open source, with a royalty-free license available from the Alliance for Open Media. Sony PCL, a Sony Group company that produces content and spatial experiences, helped tune the microphone’s sound.
