Apple Highlights Spatial Audio on AirPods in Colorful New Ad Starring Harry Styles

[Octavius8]

Gimmick.
“I can hear an incredible difference!”.
If the source is recorded with 10 mics or in 10 tracks, then is ok to have a 10 Chanel’s encoder and decoder.
But faking it is like those home theaters of the 90s that had “stadium”, “concert hall”, etc. simulated modes.
Or like 3d TV. Just a fad.
What do you prefer?: 3d tv or 8k tv?.
None! Unless the source is encoded in that way!

 

[ipedro]

AirPods are the true successor to iPod.

I love these ads. I hope we see more of them.

I wonder if AirPods Shuffle could be a thing. Give AirPods internal memory and let Apple Music load them with shuffled songs when connected to an iPhone. Then you could go for a run without your phone. Might pair with the rumour that AirPods are getting their own fitness sensors. AirPods Fit? ?

 

[jctevere]

What are people's experience with Spatial Audio? I . . . don't really find any use out of it and it's not so groundbreaking that i need to keep it on.

One time I was at trader joes and got confused because when i turned to put something in my cart, my audio got quieter and I realized I had SA turned on. So i turned it off and left it that way.

Spatial audio is absolutely amazing, definitely can hear the difference. The best way I can describe it is instead of just listening to the music, it makes you feel like you’re IN the music or right there listening to it live, surrounded by it.

There is an option for head tracking, which you can turn off while still retaining spatial audio, I leave mine in this setting as I typically listen to music while being active (gym, yardwork, etc) and the head tracking feature can become distracting.

 

[randomgeeza]

Yep. Wonder what the original vocal pickup sounded like. This is so processed it sounds rather alien. Also, massive DRC which sadly is used for nearly 100% of pop music today. But that is what folks are used to, and presumably sounds better via headphones. "Dynamics"..."Who needs 'em".

DRC?

 

[BuffaloTF]

What are people's experience with Spatial Audio? I . . . don't really find any use out of it and it's not so groundbreaking that i need to keep it on.

One time I was at trader joes and got confused because when i turned to put something in my cart, my audio got quieter and I realized I had SA turned on. So i turned it off and left it that way.

On songs actually mastered for it, it seems to separate the instruments quite well so long as you select fixed position or you end up experiencing exactly what you've described as it's orienting the sound as a source from where you are in relation to your phone. On ones where it is forcing the effect, it's garbage -- like pressing the old "surround sound" button on my first CD boombox in the 90s. In summary though, it's not something I'd feel sad about disappearing, just so long as it remains for TV and movie consumption.

 

[aw1998]

I’m still trying to figure out who is Harry?!!

Up until 2wks ago never heard of him then suddenly every music channel shouting his name. Any accolades or awards or just music corp pushing with big dollars to entice their sales investment in this performer?

A former member of one of the world’s most successful boy bands who then went on to become a multi platinum selling, Grammy Award winning solo musician.. never understood why ignorant people publicly post such painfully stupid sentiments.

 

[svish]

Very different and colourful ad! Also looking forward to seeing new Airpods Pro soon.

 

[Karma*Police]

Apple has been recycling old ideas; “new” iPhone design from almost 20 years ago; the multi-colored iMacs; the new MacBook Pro which is nearly indistinguishable from 20 years ago; Mac Pro cheese grater redesign; and now this commercial from the iPod days. It seems like they’ve run out of ideas.

 

[Macative]

Hey, that's one of the 30 songs on Apple Music that's actually available in Spatial Audio!

 

[NYCValkyrie]

I’m still trying to figure out who is Harry?!!

Up until 2wks ago never heard of him then suddenly every music channel shouting his name. Any accolades or awards or just music corp pushing with big dollars to entice their sales investment in this performer?

I say this kindly but you may be too old for his demo or perhaps you just don't listen to popular music. Was in a boy band called One Direction which is one of the most popular boy bands in history. His first solo album was in 2017, 2nd in 2019 and this is his third. His list of awards are here. I was definitely too old for one direction but I work in music so there's that. But he's really a brilliant musician and I was taken by surprise by his 1st album. I just wrote him off as a teeny bopper until then. Fantastic musicality. The new record has album of the year potential and his tour dates are all already sold out globally. Headlined Cochella where Shania Twain joined him on stage as she is one of his major musical influences.

In essence, one of the biggest music artists currently and of his generation.

I'm not even a Harry uber fan or anything though I do think he's talented and I enjoy his music. But all of the above are simply facts. It's ok that you don't know who he is but that's more a reflection of you than it is his music or popularity.

 

[needsomecoffee]

DRC?

Dynamic Range Compression - everything is loud:

Is dynamic range compression destroying music?

When music's natural soft-to-loud dynamics are squashed flat music sounds louder, but is louder better?

www.cnet.com

 

[Apleeseed84]

Dynamic Range Compression - everything is loud:

Is dynamic range compression destroying music?

When music's natural soft-to-loud dynamics are squashed flat music sounds louder, but is louder better?

www.cnet.com

You can totally tell the difference when you use analog versus Digital headphones, analog will be 300 times louder at 3/4 of the volume versus 4/4 full volume via Bluetooth headphones while listening to the same song.

😭😭😭

 

[turbineseaplane]

I've tried very hard to get into Spatial Audio with my AirPods Max ...for months now... with the free Apple Music trial

After a ton of A/B testing on many many tracks, especially on ones I know well.
I simply do not care for it.

At best I find it "different", and at worst, I find it very unappealing.
Different strokes and all that, but for me it's off all the time.

 

[turbineseaplane]

In summary though, it's not something I'd feel sad about disappearing, just so long as it remains for TV and movie consumption.

That's my exact summary of SA as well

Much better used in those contexts

 

[DeepIn2U]

Spatial audio is a gimmick. It's a neat trick, but doesn't make the listening experience better for most things. A lot of the tracks I heard on Apple's playlist sound objectively worse than the original mix, so much so that I was kind of shocked they picked those tracks to promote the feature. I could see it being useful for gaming or a AR/VR headset though.

I’ve noticed tracks in the feature for spatial audio having been partially done or half-stepping in production and implementation Quality.

Just quick implementation and application. Others very subtle like the Marving Gaye tracks featured.

 

[DeepIn2U]

A former member of one of the world’s most successful boy bands who then went on to become a multi platinum selling, Grammy Award winning solo musician.. never understood why ignorant people publicly post such painfully stupid sentiments.

One not ignorant about the artist I just don’t follow the typical music.

Stupid sentiments - if you understand music conglomerates and how this major push of an album release happens for any music artist then you understand business.

Calling someone stupid or their posts as such when clearly they’re asking shows a specific amount of ignorance.

Thanks for the negativity while many others have taken the kindness to inlighten me as I have towards others of many different genres.

 

[Apleeseed84]

Apple has been recycling old ideas; “new” iPhone design from almost 20 years ago; the multi-colored iMacs; the new MacBook Pro which is nearly indistinguishable from 20 years ago; Mac Pro cheese grater redesign; and now this commercial from the iPod days. It seems like they’ve run out of ideas.

The only thing missing is the ipod it’s self.

 

[Mug_narwhal.0m]

Apple’s first 4K ad! 🤣