Miami startup Next Galaxy is turning to crowdfunding to finance Ceekars 4D. The smart headphones are designed to bring a new level of immersion to virtual reality, gaming and other media through haptic feedback and a more immersive sound technology.

Virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift and the Gear VR are certainly bringing an entirely new level of visual immersion to the world of gaming and beyond, but relatively little has been done so far in terms of auditory immersion. While it's true that Oculus' latest prototype is adding positional audio to the equation, the visual side of things is unquestionably getting the lion's share of focus from VR developers, so one does feel there may be room for more dramatic improvements in the audio domain.

Using a patented "4D sound" technology, Ceekars 4D headphones try to take the idea of surround sound systems further than ever before to make sounds feel like an integral and dynamic part of the environment. For instance, say their creators, Ceekars let gamers experience sound differently depending on where they are in the environment, with noise becoming louder and clearer as they move toward their source or softer if it's coming from behind a wall or a closed door.