Does Spatial Audio work when you move your head?
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You can use your iPhone X or later to create a representation of your ear and head shape for Personalized Spatial Audio. Your Spatial Audio profile customizes audio to better match how you hear sound, and syncs across your Apple devices with iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, macOS Ventura, tvOS 16, or later, where you’re signed in with the same Apple ID. Show
To use Personalized Spatial Audio, do one of the following:
To learn more about how to set up Personalized Spatial Audio, see the Apple Support article Listen with Personalized Spatial Audio for AirPods and Beats. (Pocket-lint) - Apple's Spatial Audio was introduced with iOS 14 in September 2020 and has evolved a fair amount over time. It is Apple's answer to Dolby Atmos for Headphones and Sony's 360 Reality Audio, creating a virtual 3D surround sound effect in a stereo pair of headphones. It virtualises an audio mix that surrounds you, making it seem you are in the heart of the action. Uniquely though, it also uses tracking hardware in Apple devices, including the AirPods (3rd Generation), AirPods Pro and AirPods Max headphones, to track your head in real-time along with the position of an iPad or iPhone. This enables it to place the audio effect realistically depending on where you look or turn. Here's how it works, what devices it is available on, how you turn it on and off and everything else you need to know. How does Spatial Audio work?Spatial Audio enables you to hear three-dimensional audio from supported videos that follow the movement of your iPhone or iPad. It effectively recreates a cinema-style experience, where sounds appear to be coming from all around you - front, behind, from the side, even above your head. In order to do this, Spatial Audio uses the 5.1, 7.1 and Dolby Atmos mixes from a compatible film or video, applies directional audio filters and adjusts the frequencies relayed to each ear. Where Apple's Spatial Audio differs to other similar technologies like Dolby Atmos for Headphones is in its tracking. The accelerometers and gyroscopes within AirPods Max, AirPods Pro and AirPods (3rd generation) are used to track your head and position the sound accordingly. It also tracks your iPhone or iPad, so the sound you hear is also relative to the screen you are watching on. As a result, when Apple's Spatial Audio is turned on and you're watching a supported film or video, if you turn your head or move your device, the dialogue you hear remains with the actor or action on the screen. How about Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos?As well as Spatial Audio for movies and TV shows, Apple offers Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos music tracks on Apple Music. These have been remixed to include multiple channels around and above you, to give the impression that you are sitting in the middle of a recording studio or live concert. As with movies, it gives the impression of channels through regular stereo headphones, although in this case requires dedicated Dolby Atmos music mixes. There are thousands of songs available in Spatial Audio. When played through headphones, listeners hear music coming from all around them. In terms of what headphones are compatible, all Apple and Beats headphones with the H1 or W1 chip support the new surround mixes when played through an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV. However, so too do any decent headphones. Third-party headphones won't switch Dolby Atmos support on and off automatically though, just Apple's. To listen on your separate headphones you need to head to Settings > Music > Dolby Atmos and switch it to "Always On". This only works with Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos - regular movie and TV Spatial Audio is still an Apple device exclusive. You can also hear it coming through the internal speakers of an iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro or HomePod, although it defeats the object somewhat to listen to Dolby Atmos audio through an iPhone's stereo speakers. An Apple TV 4K will also play Dolby Atmos through a compatible TV or AV receiver (as with supported movies). Some Android devices also support Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos through the Apple Music app. This is manufacturer specific though. Pocket-lint Best wireless headphones 2022: Top Bluetooth options from Sony, Bowers and Wilkins, Bose and more By Conor Allison · 23 June 2022 · Updated Whether you're searching for on-ear or over-ear, favour top-end features or your wallet, we've tried them all.
Writing by Britta O'Boyle and Rik Henderson. Does spatial audio move with your head?Dynamic head tracking is a new feature that works on top of Spatial Audio, and makes it so that the music changes as you turn your head.
How does spatial audio with dynamic head tracking?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.
How does spatial audio head tracking work?The head tracking aspect of spatial audio uses motion sensors built into earphones or headphones to actively pan the mix based on how you move your head, to give the impression that all of the audio sources are anchored at specific points around you. It's perhaps a bit gimmicky, but it works.
Does spatial audio work automatically?On Apple and Beats headphones with a W1 or H1 chip, spatial audio will be enabled automatically, but for any other headphones you just need to switch Dolby Atmos to "Always On" in Apple Music app's settings.
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