What is the point of spacial audio?

[Alias3800]

I'm in the minority, for sure, but I've been enjoying music more with it always turned on (along with Dolby Audio) on my AirPods Pro or AirPods Max. Mainly the Max though.

After giving it a real try (i.e., leaving it on for a full day or two), I've noticed that I don't want to turn it off. I like the soundstage it seems to create for music, not to mention podcasts and movies.

 

[perezr10]

I'm in the minority, for sure, but I've been enjoying music more with it always turned on (along with Dolby Audio) on my AirPods Pro or AirPods Max. Mainly the Max though.

After giving it a real try (i.e., leaving it on for a full day or two), I've noticed that I don't want to turn it off. I like the soundstage it seems to create for music, not to mention podcasts and movies.

I’m with you. Ive really enjoyed the increased dimensional aspect of it on most of the songs. I would never turn it off. To my unsophisticated ears, it’s a positive development.

Spatial audio seems divisive like 120hz screens. Some like it, others not so much.

 

[PhillyGuy72]

Have you tried it when watching a film?

The difference being, when listening to a podcast or music you have no reference point from where the sound should be coming as you don't tend to stare at the screen. It's the opposite when when watching a film, you do have a reference point and you tend to look at it for most of the time. So if you do move your head (you still have stereo) it just sounds like it is still coming from your reference point.

Eh, it might not be for you, but try it before making assumptions. Some people love it others do not. For me, it adds to the immersion in films, especially when watching my IPP. I do not have it on for music as my phone is in my pocket so head tracking makes no "sense" then.

I personally love it for movies. 2 nights was the first time I watched a full flick with this, The Matrix - first movie. I have HBO Max on my Fire Stick (I have older AppleTV, spacial audio doesn't work with that - or Fire device).

Ran the HBO app on iPhone & ran movie on the FireTV, synced up both. The movie sounded pretty darn incredible to me, hear sounds behind you off you left-right, etc. Faint sounds I never heard before.

 

[Bandaman]

For me it makes audio feel wider, fuller, and less claustrophobic. I prefer it now whenever it’s available.

 

[almostinsane]

I tried it, then left it behind. Its not even a gimmick like 3D, its more of a joke.

 

[Htsi]

Love watching movies with it. I do not like head tracking, but did move my noggin around when it was new. Felt super cool. The new iOS gives option for fixed spatial audio and movies sound crap in stereo now. For music unadulterated stereo is the best to my ears

 

[kingston73]

I was going to start a new thread and maybe this is far enough off topic I still should, but I'm curious. I have roku and Android TV, how do I watch a movie and get the most out of spatial audio if I don't have appletv?

 

[BATman.Berlin]

Not sure if I am the only one, but I love spatial audio while watching movies. Feels like sitting in the middle of the action.

 

[AL2TEACH]

I was going to start a new thread and maybe this is far enough off topic I still should, but I'm curious. I have roku and Android TV, how do I watch a movie and get the most out of spatial audio if I don't have appletv?

don't believe you can just yet. Apple has to stop being the Microsoft of old and open spatial audio up so others can use it and then they can sell more AirPods and AirPods Maxs and etc...

Apple Music: Spatial Audio Relations

Back in May 2021, Apple significantly boosted the appeal of its Apple Music streaming service with the addition of two new features: Lossless Audio (including high-res versions for some albums and tracks) and Spatial Audio. While the term "Spatial Audio" might indicate that Apple has created a...

www.soundandvision.com

 

[bigshot]

I suppose you could cast from your phone to Roku or Android, and monitor sound from the phone, but I'm not sure if sync would hold. It probably wouldn't.

 

[Mistercharlie]

I'm surprised how good it is on the new MacBook Pro. listening to Dolby Atmos music while using the computer doesn’t immediately seem different, but then you realize how the music seems to fill the space around you.

It’s a neat trick, and for me it makes it seem less like I’m using little speakers, and more like the music is just there around me.

 

[canyonblue737]

I'm not a fan for music or podcasts, but I admit it works well for surround sound movie watching on my iphone or ipad, it really is pretty cool for that. i wish i could set the headsets to have it off for all BUT video.

 

[PhillyGuy72]

I suppose you could cast from your phone to Roku or Android, and monitor sound from the phone, but I'm not sure if sync would hold. It probably wouldn't.

I had no issues with this personally. I was streaming HBO Max on TV (Fire Stick), also HBO Max on iPhone app - with APP Spacial Audio. Just had to perfectly sync up the scenes. The wifi held up, no buffering problems

 

[ignatius345]

I've been playing with the "spatialize audio" setting since it rolled out on my AirPods Max.

Obviously this is all extremely subjective, but to me the results are definitely inconsistent with music. I find that for some tracks the effect can be quite cool and compelling -- particularly on simpler arrangements that put a lot of emphasis on vocals. On other tracks that are more complex, I find it can start to sound muddy and confusing. Note that I'm talking here about music that hasn't been specially mastered for Spatial Audio, but rather normal stereo tracks that have been "spatialized" and (I guess) have this effect layered on top.

I do think it can sound weird with podcasts. To me it can sound like yes, the sound seems to be coming from in front of me --but also like it was less well recorded because an echoey reverb has been added and the range of sound has been compressed tighter into that middle EQ vocal range. When you think about it, these are both things that people specifically try to avoid when mastering speech vocals.

I generally like it for movies though. They're generally speech-heavy but also have a range of other sounds and even in a quiet scene have room tone to kind of "anchor" the spatialzing effect more than a stripped-down podcast. (The effect is also convincing enough that I've mistaken the sound from the headphones as coming from my MacBook's speakers.)

If I had to pick a mode and stick with it forever, I'd leave Spatialize Audio turned off, but as it is I just turn it off and on depending on what I'm listening to.

 

[one more]

On my AP3 I use it in various modes for different scenario. I set it to “Fixed” mode (no head tracking) for music, as it sounds way better to me than with SA set to OFF. For things like audio-books and podcasts I set it to OFF. For random quick videos I watch on Youtube I still keep it on “Fixed”, but for movies I do use “Head tracking”, as I found it more immersive this way. In my experience your device then remembers your settings for each app/media type, so you do not really need to switch it back and forth afterwards. So to sum it all up, to my ears “Spatial fixed” mode sounds the best in most situations, with some exceptions. Turning it off altogether just makes they sound duller, IMO. ?

 

[Zapdoc]

On my AP3 I use it in various modes for different scenario. I set it to “Fixed” mode (no head tracking) for music, as it sounds way better to me than with SA set to OFF. For things like audio-books and podcasts I set it to OFF. For random quick videos I watch on Youtube I still keep it on “Fixed”, but for movies I do use “Head tracking”, as I found it more immersive this way. In my experience your device then remembers your settings for each app/media type, so you do not really need to switch it back and forth afterwards. So to sum it all up, to my ears “Spatial fixed” mode sounds the best in most situations, with some exceptions. Turning it off altogether just makes they sound duller, IMO. ?

Serious question can I get spatial audio with the wired Apple earphones as I read you can get the best quality lossless with the wired ones rather than bluetooth

 

[one more]

Serious question can I get spatial audio with the wired Apple earphones as I read you can get the best quality lossless with the wired ones rather than bluetooth

Nope. ??‍♂️

Listen with spatial audio for AirPods and Beats - Apple Support

Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking brings theater-like sound from the movie or video you're watching, so that sound seems like it's coming from all around you.

support.apple.com

 

[Jeff Flowerday]

For me, I like it with music as I want some crossfeed. I just turn off head tracking.

 

[DeepIn2U]

deleted irrelevant.

 

[DeepIn2U]

But the thing is, headphones CAN replicate the sound of a multichannel speaker system if your individual HRTF is taken into account. With a Smyth Realiser, you can accurately hear the directionality and space all around you, pointing at each speaker with your eyes closed. You can also do room simulations, creating everything from a recording studio ambience to a concert hall. You have over a dozen different sound sources which can be placed anywhere in space around you. It's still a little buggy and not as flexible as it could be, but it shows that someday it will be possible to create an aural "holodeck" around you using headphones.

I bought the AirPods Max in hopes that spatial audio would be a stripped down version of the Smyth Realiser, but it isn't. It's just normal headphone sound with some random reverbs and phase shifts thrown in. Some of them sound good, some sound terrible. The difference is all in the quality of the mix, not what spatial audio is adding to the sound.

Um it’s possible you need the right audio track mastered with spatial audio and head tracking. There have been a few tracks where I’ve listened and I can definitely hear specific sounds at different heights or even around me.

I think this would be incredible for horror game genre’s and jump scar films like Alien/s and the like. A killer sneaking up to you right behind your left or right shoulder. Yup 👍🏿

 

[DeepIn2U]

I personally love it for movies. 2 nights was the first time I watched a full flick with this, The Matrix - first movie. I have HBO Max on my Fire Stick (I have older AppleTV, spacial audio doesn't work with that - or Fire device).

Ran the HBO app on iPhone & ran movie on the FireTV, synced up both. The movie sounded pretty darn incredible to me, hear sounds behind you off you left-right, etc. Faint sounds I never heard before.

I’m VERY curious how jump scare movies like Alien/Aliens would be like. But I’m with you guys team spatial audio always on.

 

[BulkSlash]

I have to be honest, I leave spatial audio off as it just feels like those gimmicky sound modes old PC sound cards used to have. While it sounds different I’m not sure it necessarily sounds better.

 

[Phuz01]

I'm in a small NYC apartment, and the other day I was watching my Apple TV while my partner was trying to do some work, so I put in my AirPods Pros. I had spatial audio turned on with head tracking. My home setup is 5.1 surround (Definitive satellite/center speakers and a Klipsch sub). At various points, I got up to go to the kitchen, wash my hands, whatever, and I actually forgot that I was wearing earbuds. Spatial audio created a sufficiently authentic surround soundstage, and head tracking simulated the experience of physically moving through that soundstage to the point where it felt like I was listening to the audio through the speakers, not headphones. It was only when my partner tried to talk to me and I realized I had noise cancellation on that I was struck by how cool the complete effect was.

 

[Macmamamac]

For those who enjoy Spatial Audio with movies, does it work with Disney+ app on AppleTV?

In particular, I’m wondering if it works with the Star Wars movies?

 

[Stuey3D]

With the right content the AirPods Max head tracked spatial audio is f’ing amazing!

Got my AirPods Max the other day so been listening to various things to really test them out, I am a proper surround sound geek and have been desperate to get a convincing surround experience out of headphones for years and failed until now.

I have had multiple home cinema setups in my time and currently own two 7 speaker and sub Atmos systems with front height channels so I know what I am listening for.

First real wow moment with the AirPods Max came when I paired them up to the Bedroom Apple TV and stuck Star Wars: Episode 1 on (specifically when Dual of Fates kicks in and Darth Maul finally reveals his double ender)

At first because it was only quiet I was sure I must have still had the surround sound system turned on extremely loud to come over the noise cancelling… Nope it was the AirPods on just quietly but my god was it convincing the dialogue truly sounded like it was coming out of the centre speaker just under the TV and when I moved my head it stayed there including when I looked down and the vocals sounded like they were above me. When I properly cranked the volume to maximum it was like a my full home cinema on extremely loud, the sub bass really vibrated my skull and gave a good sensation of actually listening through the surround sound system. Only downside is for some reason when using AirPods Spatial audio Disney+ seems to drop to 5.1 it seems as the AppleTV only reports “Multichannel - Head Tracked” rather than “Dolby Atmos - Head Tracked”

Next I tried a David Attenborough on Netflix as that was in full Atmos and again absolutely amazing! His voice came from the TV and when a big crack of thunder happened it was right above me.

I have also tried the same stuff on the iPad and it still works but I believe because the iPad is closer to me the effect of the vocals coming from the screen isn’t quite as pronounced as when you are sat a few meters back from a 55” TV but its still awesome.

Next I’ve tried some of my old 5.1 music rips as I know exactly how those are meant to sound and which stuff is meant to come from behind you etc and for the most part everything plays and sounds almost as good as the full surround system too.

Atmos Apple Music is hit or miss because some Atmos is mastered amazingly well and sounds incredible, others (Papa Roach I’m looking at you) sounds garbage as they’ve clearly used a demo to ”remaster for Atmos”

Now I’m the sort of person who uses the Dolby Surround decoder for everything on my home cinema setups as that upscales everything to a faux Atmos effect Dolby claims it can do everything from Mono upto Atmos to create the effect and actually for the most part does very well. So I’ve tried Spatialise Stereo and that also for the most part that sounds great too, the only things I don’t use Spatialise Stereo for is for YouTube as that seems to add an odd reverb to the videos.

Head tracking is great if you are sat still but soon as get up and move you’ll wanna turn that off as the sound goes all over the place. On the iPad I’ll keep head tracking on if I’m sat and off if I get up and move about, on the iPhone head tracking is disabled.

However in my experience the head tracking is the secret sauce of the AirPods Spatial Audio experience, without it the effect becomes far less convincing and static. Don’t get me wrong its better than not having spatial audio at all, but it does make the audio sound more restricted to your head rather than you being surrounded in an audio bubble.