Does Spatial Audio work on Mac?
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Show One of the options we have on Macs is to activate spatial audio. For all those who do not know exactly what this Spatial Audio is, we can briefly tell you that consists of listening to the sound with dynamic tracking depending on the position of the head. This sound is distributed throughout the space creating a totally immersive and immersive listening experience. Logically for this we need a device compatible with this sound and our Mac together with the AirPods Pro, AirPods Max or headphones compatible with this type of sound is the minimum necessary combo. The Spatial Audio you get a much more immersive experience by linking to the device the voice remains with the actor or the action that is seen on the screen. To enable spatial audio in Apple Music we must first be clear that we need iOS 14.6 or later on the iPhone, iPadOS 14.6 or later on the iPad and macOS 11.4 or later on Mac. This sound option is compatible with: AirPods, AirPods Pro or AirPods Max BeatsX, Beats Solo3 Wireless, Beats Studio3, Powerbeats3 Wireless, Beats Flex, Powerbeats Pro, or Beats Solo Pro Built-in speakers on MacBook Pro (2018 model or later), MacBook Air (2018 model or later) or iMac (2021 model) In this case you always have to select the option always on if we are using third-party headphones that do not support automatic connection. Now that we have all the indications let's see how to activate this spatial audio on the Mac:
In both cases we will already have this Spatial Audio activated on the Mac but if we choose automatic, the tracks will be played in Dolby Atmos whenever possible. The content of the article adheres to our principles of editorial ethics. To report an error click here!. Apple is extending support for spatial audio to macOS and tvOS. The feature will work with the company’s high-end AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, using the devices’ built-in accelerometers and gyroscopes to create a 3D audio effect that tracks the listener’s head movements. According to a press release from Apple, spatial audio for macOS will only work with the AirPods Pro and Max on Macs with the company’s latest M1 chip and the macOS Monterey operating system. During this week’s WWDC presentation, Apple said spatial audio would arrive on tvOS sometime “this fall,” offering a “full-surround experience” and “dynamic head tracking.” Some outlets are reporting that spatial audio on tvOS will only work with the Apple TV 4K, and it’s not clear what apps on the Apple TV will support the feature. Or when support for spatial audio through other headphones on either platform will be available. We’ve reached out to Apple to find out more and will update this story if we hear back. Key Takeaways
Apple Apple added its 3D Spatial Audio to the latest MacBook Pro, and it's way better than you may expect. Spatial Audio was born in the AirPods Pro. It's Apple's take on surround sound, but it can be used with all kinds of audio—not just movies, but music, and even relaxing soundscaping apps. Using audio trickery, your headphones fool your brain into hearing sounds above, below, and behind you, as well as the usual side-to-side sound we get from a stereo. That makes perfect sense in headphones, but MacBooks only have little speakers, close together, down by the keyboard. "I find Spatial Audio to be a disruptive experience for anything that was originally recorded in stereo, but there have been a few classical recordings I've listened to on Apple Music where the technology makes sense," musician Jon Moore told Lifewire via forum message. "I also agree... that it makes more sense with multimedia experiences such as games and VR." Special AudioWhen we listen to the real world, we have no problem knowing where a sound is coming from, how far away it is, and which way it's moving. We do all this with two ears and our brain. The latter is important because it processes the input from the ears and turns that into a 3D aural picture of the moment. One element we all know about is the stereo part. Our brain uses the minute differences between the sound arriving at each ear to determine where it's coming from. But we also rely on things like reverb to help distinguish distance. ... there have been a few classical recordings I've listened to on Apple Music where the technology makes sense. For instance, in a jazz club, the drummer may be behind the horn player at the back of the stage. The drummer's sound will arrive after the horn because she's farther away, but the drum sounds reflected off the back wall (their reverb) will be heard sooner after the direct sound. The horn's sound reaches you faster, but because it has further to go to and from the back wall, the reverb arrives later, relatively speaking. All this can be added artificially to recorded sound to create a 3D sound space. "Those types of psychoacoustic processors use crossovers, EQ, phase-shifting, to tiny delays, to reverb, and/or all of the above," audio expert and musician Ocelot told Lifewire via forum message. ListeningThis brings us back to the MacBook Pro. Apple has been honing its psychoacoustic tech, along with its physical speaker designs, for years now. It's why the speakers inside iPhones sound so good compared to other phones, how Siri can hear you even when your HomePod speaker is cranked up loud enough to annoy the neighbors, and how AirPods can trick you into thinking a movie's sound is coming from the iPad itself. When I first tried Spatial Audio on the new M1 MacBook Pro (I tested the 14-inch model), I thought it might be handy for movies, but to be honest, I wasn't expecting much. The speakers themselves sound great—for laptop speakers. But compared to good headphones or proper studio monitor speakers, they fall far short. "As with all things Apple, psychoacoustic audio is nothing new, but it will be interesting to see whether they can make the consumer tech stick with the general public any more than home 3d cinema or quadraphonic Hi-Fi," says Moore. Apple I tried listening to the new Billie Eilish album, too, which has been recorded in Dolby Atmos surround, just like you might do for a movie. At first, it just seemed like a great, clear recording and arrangement. Then, a voice sounded over to the left, behind the person standing next to me in the room. That might sound gimmicky, but the result is the audio seems more immersive and bigger. It doesn’t seem to be coming from those speakers down by the keyboard. I was expecting some kind of swirling quadraphonic extravaganza, but what I got was studio trickery used with subtlety to improve the experience. Spatial Audio for music might indeed be a gimmick, but it could also be used to overcome the shortfalls of the small speakers we use for our music these days. As they say, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Oh, and don’t put your hand
over one of the speakers because the whole illusion will fall apart. Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Can you use Spatial Audio on Mac?On a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS Monterey, you can use AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max to listen to music with Spatial Audio and head tracking (where sound stays fixed to the device as you move your head).
How do I listen to Spatial Audio on my Mac?Just connect your listening device on your Mac, pop them in your ears, and do the following: Go to the menu bar and open the Control Center. Click Bluetooth and find your listening device on the list. Turn on Spatial Audio or Spatialize Stereo.
How do I know if my Mac has spatial sound?To access it, connect a pair of AirPods or AirPods Max headphones to your Mac and start playing some audio. Next, click the Control Center icon in the menu bar, and then click the Sound volume bar. You should see the option to Spatialize Stereo in the dropdown beneath your headphones.
Does Spatial Audio work on Macbook Air M1?Spatial Audio requires an M1-equipped Mac and is limited to the third-generation AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. To download MacOS 12.3, users can click on the Apple icon, scroll down to System Preferences and then to Software Update.
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