When Sony Electronics unveiled the WF-1000XM6 earbuds, the choice of venue was not a standard event decision.
Instead of a hotel ballroom or urban conference centre, Sony brought its launch event to Daft in the Belgian Ardennes. The reason was not only the presence of a professional recording studio, but the fact that Daft operates as a complete audio and event ecosystem: studio, accommodation, hospitality and large-scale event infrastructure in one connected site.
In collaboration with Sleek Events, the launch became a multi-layered experience where product presentation, immersive listening, technical demonstration and hospitality unfolded across the entire domain.
For one day, Daft was not a location. It was a working environment built around sound.
A Product Launch Designed Around Real Listening
The WF-1000XM6 is an audio product for the audio lovers, and Sony’s approach reflected that reality.
Rather than presenting the earbuds in a static conference room, the event was structured around movement and listening. Guests travelled between different spaces on site: the Studio Hall for keynotes and first demonstrations, private interview corners across the property’s rooms and an outdoor hospitality area under the marquee.
Each environment offered a different acoustic and social context, allowing visitors to experience the product in conditions closer to real life than a conventional launch setup.
This reflects a broader shift in immersive product launches, where brands increasingly move away from static presentations toward experiential environments built around interaction and perception.
Dolby Atmos, Mastering and the Technical Core of the Event
A central moment of the launch took place inside Daft’s Dolby Atmos control room.
There, mastering engineer Michael Romanowski, known for his work with artists including Prince and Alicia Keys and recently awarded his sixth Grammy, joined Sony’s engineering team from Japan for a deep dive into spatial audio performance.
Using Daft’s Rupert Neve Designs console and Dolby Laboratories Atmos environment, the session focused on how immersive audio translates across consumer listening systems, and how mastering decisions shape the final perception of sound.
Rather than a presentation, it functioned as a live technical session inside a professional studio environment.
This was a key reason Sony selected Daft: the ability to demonstrate immersive audio inside an actual Dolby Atmos mixing room, not a simulated event setup.
Why the Entire Site Matters, Not Just the Studio
While the control room played a central role, Sony’s decision to come to Daft was not based on the studio alone.
Large-scale international launches require infrastructure that extends beyond technical capability.
Daft combines:
- professional recording studios and Dolby Atmos facilities
- Daft Hotel accommodation on site
- a 5,000m² private domain in the Belgian Ardennes
- full catering services and event production capacity
- flexible indoor and outdoor spaces including the Studio Hall and the covered Marquee
This allows entire events to unfold across multiple environments without moving between external venues.
Guests can attend keynotes, participate in listening sessions, move into interviews, join dinners and return to accommodation all within the same site.
For Sony, this made it possible to design a full-day experience rather than a single launch moment.
A Rare Location: Remote in Feeling, Central in Reach
Another factor in the decision is geography.
Daft is located in the forests of the Belgian Ardennes, giving it a sense of isolation that supports focus and immersion. At the same time, it sits at the centre of Western Europe, within reach of Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France.
Major transport connections make it accessible for international teams:
- Liège Airport and Brussels Airport for air travel
- high-speed rail connections via Liège
- direct motorway access across Belgium and neighbouring countries
This combination creates a rare balance. The environment feels remote, but logistics remain simple for international arrivals.
The region is also known globally through the nearby Spa-Francorchamps circuit, which similarly attracts international audiences seeking both accessibility and immersion in nature.
From Tokyo to the Belgian Ardennes
The Sony WF-1000XM6 launch brought together teams from Japan and across Europe, turning Daft into a temporary hub for audio engineering, product design and media presentation.
Throughout the day, the experience shifted between structured presentations and informal encounters across the site. Guests moved from technical demonstrations in the studio to hospitality moments in the gardens, and from Dolby Atmos analysis to evening gatherings under the Marquee.
This movement across environments was intentional. It reflected how audio itself behaves in different spaces and conditions.
