Neumann’s RIME 1.5 update takes immersive audio monitoring on your headphones to new heights

Neumann has rolled out RIME 1.5, the latest version of its Reference Immersive Monitoring Environment plugin, tailor-made for its NDH headphone range.

Built to deliver a true “reference-quality immersive monitoring experience”, RIME lets producers and engineers monitor Dolby Atmos mixes, stereo balances, and everything in between with the kind of detail you’d expect from a high-end control room.

Version 1.5 takes that realism even further, enhancing precision, responsiveness, and overall usability for a more natural and controlled mixing experience.

So what’s new? For starters, RIME 1.5 now delivers extended low-end response for all non-sub speakers, improved transient accuracy, and 3DOF headtracking, letting you move naturally while maintaining a consistent sound image.

There’s also support for 5.1 and 7.1.2 formats, a wider ambience parameter range, and loudness-matched bypassing for more confident A/B comparisons. Add in quick solo/mute buttons, peak-aligned output, and a new standalone macOS version, and RIME is looking more powerful than ever.

“As RIME is tailor-made for Neumann headphones, this perfect signal chain extends all the way to the user,” explains Jorma Marquardt, Product Manager at Neumann. “Our NDH 20 and NDH 30 headphones are manufactured to extremely tight tolerances. And of course, we know all their acoustic parameters. Using groundbreaking AMBEO algorithms, we are able to realise true immersion with unmatched sonic consistency and razor-sharp 3D localisation.”

Marquardt continues: “RIME is not a simulation. It captures an optimal control room in ultimate quality. With version 1.5, we’ve pushed realism and usability even further – making immersive monitoring more accessible and accurate than ever before.”

For those new to the plugin, RIME combines AMBEO’s virtual acoustics algorithms with Neumann’s KU 100 binaural microphone capture, creating an incredibly lifelike 3D soundscape. Whether you’re mixing in immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos or simply checking stereo compatibility, RIME ensures your mix translates seamlessly across playback systems.

RIME 1.5 is available now via authorised retailers as well as on the Neumann Website for $99.95. Existing RIME users will receive the update free of charge.