How does Apple Spatial Audio Improves Head Tracking – Guide
Spatial audio is an effect that gives the impression that the sound is coming from three dimensions. It’s common in gaming headphones and has caught on in other types of headphones, especially now that Apple is supporting the technology through its latest pairs of AirPods and Beats. Spatial audio is a catch-all term for various spatial effects that you can experience through headphones or speakers. Headphones are a system that adjusts the balance and frequency response for different sounds between your ears to give the impression of directionality, incorporating motion sensors and head tracking into the process in some cases. Spatialized Stereo is simply an effect applied to music that is not mixed to spatial audio. It takes the stereo channels of whatever you’re listening to and applies various processing effects to add some directionality to the pure left-right mix. It can sound cool, but it can also sound pretty awful (especially with music) and it’s definitely the least impressive type of spatial audio. Dolby Atmos, on the other hand, is a technology that some music and a lot of movies (and some TV shows) are being mixed with. Instead of simply mixing audio to 5.1 or 7.1 channels (the x.1 is the subwoofer, which is not directional), it maps individual audio sources to different positions in a 3D space around you.
What works with spatial audio?
Almost any pair of headphones you can pair with your iOS device will work for Dolby Atmos content (yes, we have a lot of headphones, not just Apple or Beats). In the Music app on your iPhone, enable Dolby Atmos downloads and switch Dolby Atmos to Auto, and whenever Dolby Atmos mixes are available, listen in Dolby Atmos. With Apple Music, by default, headphones with Apple’s H1 or W1 chip will automatically play Dolby Atmos audio when it’s available. This includes Apple and Beats headphones, including all AirPods, as well as Beats Flex, Powerbeats, Powerbeats Pro and Studio Buds. The list gets much shorter for spatial audio with dynamic head tracking. All these headphones have one thing in common: in addition to incorporating H1 or W1 chips, they have accelerometers that track your head movement.
What does it look like?
Head-tracking spatial audio is quite different from a standard “flat” stereo stream, and not everyone will always like it. Overall, the mixes feel bigger, with more breathing room compared to stereo. This can make the listening experience less tiring, but it can also reduce the impact of some mixes. Depending on the music you’re listening to, the effect can be subtle or pronounced. On older tracks remastered for the format, like Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” or the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” the lead vocals really stand out. By moving your head, you can clearly hear voices coming from a certain direction, and the same often happens with guitars and melodies. In that respect, it’s a bit like watching a live show, where the highs feel more directional but the low-tempo sections resonate around you. Live music can be one of the best uses of technology as it captures the essence of being surrounded by a crowd. Modern pop and hip-hop typically go a step further by applying directional sound to a variety of sounds and frequencies. The opening bars of Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” sound like the music is coming from behind, creating a strong juxtaposition when the track starts well. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work everywhere and won’t please purists. Some tracks, like the Atmos remaster of Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle,” lack power compared to the flat stereo mix. You might want a track like this to sound like your face is pressed against the sound system during a stadium show, but in Atmos it sounds more like a bad car radio. It’s not necessarily a matter of genre, because Sublime’s “Santeria” sounds great, like sitting in a dirty Long Beach backyard circa 1992. The head tracking creates a more dynamic soundscape and, without a doubt, an ambiance of more interesting audition. But it can change the way the music sounds. Not everyone will see this as a good thing. Some tracks that sound almost claustrophobic in stereo are easier to hear in Atmos and also sound less “overproduced”. Classical music may be the genre where the results are most predictable. It’s as close as you can get to being in the orchestra without actually seeing an orchestra, and the results are almost always better than a stereo mix (boring by comparison).
How does tracking and head movement work?
Head tracking is arguably more fun when you’re standing still. When you watch a TV show or movie, your device (like an iPad) remains the center channel no matter where you watch it. When it comes to music, things are a little different. If you step outside while listening to spatial head-tracking audio, the music will respond to your movements. The good news is that if you look in the same direction for a few seconds, the flow will correct itself. If you turn 90º to make a turn, a few seconds later the sound will gradually adjust so that the direction you are looking becomes the new “center” position. It takes some getting used to and you can turn it off if you want.
How to Enable (or disable) spatial audio
when you bring up your iPhone’s Control Center screen, your paired AirPods (or other compatible headphones) should appear where the volume slider is. Hold down this slider and you’ll see a screen with three controls: a large volume slider, a noise canceling switch (for AirPods Pro), and a spatial audio toggle. Spatialize audio is shown as Spatialize Stereo Fixed or Spatialize Stereo Head Tracked (or Spatialize Stereo Off if you are listening to content that has not been downmixed to spatial audio). When you turn on spatial audio, the icon turns blue, and when the audio you are listening to works with spatial audio, the icon is animated. If Dolby Atmos audio is available, your options are Spatial Audio Fixed, Spatial Audio Head Tracked, or Spatial Audio Off instead of Spatialized Stereo. A Dolby Atmos icon will appear above these options on the screen when in use, and when the effect is off it will say Dolby Atmos available.
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