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Although there's a chance that Apple is waiting to enable spatial audio on ATV until after Netflix / Prime apps support it. For some unknown reason, they still don't.
 
Look. There is nothing complicated here. Apple just need to enable the spatial audio effect on the headphones but disable head tracking and have the audio present as if the screen is in front of you. It’s not like you sit and turn your head around when watching a film anyway. This would give you the surround sound audio field effect with the Apple TV.
 
My only hope is that this is a tvOS 15 feature. But without it, there's not a lot of reason for me to upgrade the Apple Tv.
 
In the meanwhile, connect your iPad to your tv’s with HDMI. Put your iPad underneath the tv, put your Airpods in.. works like a charm.

Of course it would be better if the Apple TV supported this, but this solution works for me.
 
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In the meanwhile, connect your iPad to you tv’s with HDMI. Put your iPad underneath the tv, put your Airpods in.. works like a charm.

Of course it would be better if the Apple TV supported this, but this solution works for me.
Smart! Now we just need a way to get the remote to work with the iPad.
 
I wonder if you could have a feature where you center an AirTag under your TV to relay the screen’s location to the AirPods….?
 
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In the meanwhile, connect your iPad to your tv’s with HDMI. Put your iPad underneath the tv, put your Airpods in.. works like a charm.

Of course it would be better if the Apple TV supported this, but this solution works for me.

Do you know if older iPad pros, or at least the new m1 generation, support 4k HDR at 60p through any hdmi adapter (like Moshi)?

I've been thinking of this solution for some time now, but it feels forced and expensive. Although I'm interested in the new ipads anyway.
 
All it would take is a quick "look straight at the center of the screen" calibration so it knows what direction that is. I agree completely that this is a really strange omission, and was the #1 reason I was interested in a new Apple TV.

HDMI 2.1 isn't necessary for anything I care about. WiFi 6 is pointless when my setup uses Ethernet. The new remote is vaguely interesting but I can buy it separately if necessary - and I mostly rely on a universal remote anyway, so it's not that big a deal.

*EDIT* My reply went to the wrong thread lol. But yes, I hoped that the new AppleTV would have had a way to use spatial audio, especially now since I sprung for the AirPods Max.
 
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In the meanwhile, connect your iPad to your tv’s with HDMI. Put your iPad underneath the tv, put your Airpods in.. works like a charm.

Of course it would be better if the Apple TV supported this, but this solution works for me.
Is there any noticeable lag when doing this?
 
Is there any noticeable lag when doing this?
I didn't notice lag but I am suspect that you are able to get 4k/DV outputting from the iPad to the TV this way.
My LG OLED displayed Dolby Vision logo but I am not sure it was full 4k.
 
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Having given up hope, I now have a faint hope that spatial audio may be coming, tied in with the imminent higher quality Apple Music. Apple may have withheld this information.

If it’s restricted to the new Apple TV 4K, I’ll bung an order in immediately for one and cancel the remote I’ve got ordered.

Edit: No mention of it in the latest news release, but I think it’s more likely than it was a week ago! The press release does say this (below), but that doesn’t mean via Airpods/headphones does it?

“You can also hear Dolby Atmos music using the built‑in speakers on a compatible ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, MacBook Pro, or HomePod, or by connecting your Apple TV 4K to a compatible TV or audiovisual receiver.”
 
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I have read alot about the new Apple music update etc., but I'm not sure if the Apple TV will be able to airplay spacial audio out to airpod pros. Any new information about this?
 
Apple doesn't specify AirPod spatial audio support on Apple TV. We'll have to wait and see...
 
Not sure why they would have to specify? Spacial audio will be supported for the AirPods. The 2017 ATV4k and 2021 ATV4k both support Dolby Atmos, so will support Apple Music spacial audio playback. I currently enjoy Atmos for any movie titles that support it.
 
Not sure why they would have to specify? Spacial audio will be supported for the AirPods. The 2017 ATV4k and 2021 ATV4k both support Dolby Atmos, so will support Apple Music spacial audio playback. I currently enjoy Atmos for any movie titles that support it.
Do you watch Dolby Atmos movies with Airpod Pros or Max? and does it play with spacial audio on the current Apple tv's and os?
 
Do you watch Dolby Atmos movies with Airpod Pros or Max? and does it play with spacial audio on the current Apple tv's and os?
Just regular AirPods. Seems pretty realistic. Never really had cause to use headphones as my Sonos Arc / One surround system works just fine.

Watching Okja at the moment.


...and you're not actually doing "AirPlay" to your headphones - you're using bluetooth, as you would connecting to any other source. AirPlay is over Wifi.

Ah, I see - you're concerned about "Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking". Specifically, you're concerned with the head tracking?
 
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Thanks for the respnse and information. I currently use my ipad with a/v dongle connected my TV. The spacial audio with my airpods pro from Apple TV+ and HBO Max is great. I'll look into the new Apple TV box.
 
Thanks for the respnse and information. I currently use my ipad with a/v dongle connected my TV. The spacial audio with my airpods pro from Apple TV+ and HBO Max is great. I'll look into the new Apple TV box.
Well, if you have an existing ATV4k, it should also support spacial audio in Apple Music when Apple turns it on in June.

The ATV HD only had Dolby 5.1 and 7.1, but not Atmos support - so not sure if Apple will be able to extend that capability to those units.
 
Currently, there is no spatial audio/Dolby Atmos from the current ATV4K—>AirPods Pro/Max, and the same applies to the new ATV4K box at this point. If you think you’ve experienced it this way, you are mistaken unfortunately.

These boxes do, of course, support Dolby Atmos to amp/speaker/soundbar Atmos setup, but I’m talking *specifically* about wireless audio from ATV4K box to AirPods Pro/Max.

There’s nothing in the new information about Apple Music that directly says spatial audio is coming in this form (wirelessly) either. If in doubt, read the news release in detail;

“You can also hear Dolby Atmos music using the built‑in speakers on a compatible ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, MacBook Pro, or HomePod, or by connecting your Apple TV 4K to a compatible TV or audiovisual receiver.”

Remember, I’m referring specifically to wireless spatial audio from box to AirPods Pro/Max not being supported. It is confusing, and I’m baffled it is not imminent. If it needs hardware, it should be in the new ATV4K (a parts bin upgrade if there ever was one). If it’s software, I’m surprised it’s not present in the new ATV4K and withheld from “old” ATV4K, because Apple.

(Note - I don’t care one iota about head tracking, but I like the wider sound stage that spatial audio offers)

I still hold out hope it will happen via software, but as of right now there’s no confirmation it’s coming.
 
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Currently, there is no spatial audio/Dolby Atmos from the current ATV4K—>AirPods Pro/Max, and the same applies to the new ATV4K box at this point. If you think you’ve experienced it this way, you are mistaken unfortunately.

These boxes do, of course, support Dolby Atmos to amp/speaker/soundbar Atmos setup, but I’m talking *specifically* about wireless audio from ATV4K box to AirPods Pro/Max.

There’s nothing in the new information about Apple Music that directly says spatial audio is coming in this form either. If in doubt, read the news release in detail;

“You can also hear Dolby Atmos music using the built‑in speakers on a compatible ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, MacBook Pro, or HomePod, or by connecting your Apple TV 4K to a compatible TV or audiovisual receiver.”

Remember, I’m referring specifically to wireless spatial audio from box to AirPods Pro/Max not being supported. It is confusing, and I’m baffled it is not imminent. If it needs hardware, it should be in the new parts-bin ATV4K. If it’s software, I’m surprised it’s not present in the new ATV4K and withheld from “old” ATV4K, because Apple.

(Note - I don’t care one iota about head tracking, but I like the wider sound stage that spatial audio offers)
Definitely sounds like a software limitation. You never know - Apple may be keeping some of the features on lockdown for WWDC so they can have a bigger gaming push for the ATV4kv2. (ala 120Hz frame rate support - rumoured)

Spacial audio for gaming is pretty much a no-brainer that you need headphone support.
 
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(Note - I don’t care one iota about head tracking, but I like the wider sound stage that spatial audio offers)
I think you should - head tracking plays a role in tricking your brain that virtualized channels are real. As you move your head slightly your brain expects to hear sound direction change accordingly. If it doesn't, then it senses that something is wrong. HRTF alone is good, but head tracking adds another layer for realism. Even if it's not obvious, on subsoncsious level it'll contribute to a more realistic surround effect.

Head tracking in Airpods is implemented really well, and this feature separates Spatial Audio from other virtualized surround implementations (higher-end gaming headphones, Sony WH-L600, some Sennheisers, JVC Exofield). The only system that has head tracking is Smyth Research Realiser A16, and it costs 4000 USD without headphones. According to some reports, Spatial Audio is very close to A16 in quality.
 
I think you should - head tracking plays a role in tricking your brain that virtualized channels are real. As you move your head slightly your brain expects to hear sound direction change accordingly. If it doesn't, then it senses that something is wrong. HRTF alone is good, but head tracking adds another layer for realism. Even if it's not obvious, on subsoncsious level it'll contribute to a more realistic surround effect.

Head tracking in Airpods is implemented really well, and this feature separates Spatial Audio from other virtualized surround implementations (higher-end gaming headphones, Sony WH-L600, some Sennheisers, JVC Exofield). The only system that has head tracking is Smyth Research Realiser A16, and it costs 4000 USD without headphones. According to some reports, Spatial Audio is very close to A16 in quality.
If it’s head tracking that makes the difference between Apples spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, you may be right. I’ve listened to Dolby Atmos supported games on my Series X and the effect doesn’t compare.

It’s just the effect itself at its most obvious, most notable when moving head 90 degrees left or right, strikes me as clever but a gimmick.
 
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I think you should - head tracking plays a role in tricking your brain that virtualized channels are real. As you move your head slightly your brain expects to hear sound direction change accordingly. If it doesn't, then it senses that something is wrong. HRTF alone is good, but head tracking adds another layer for realism. Even if it's not obvious, on subsoncsious level it'll contribute to a more realistic surround effect.

Head tracking in Airpods is implemented really well, and this feature separates Spatial Audio from other virtualized surround implementations (higher-end gaming headphones, Sony WH-L600, some Sennheisers, JVC Exofield). The only system that has head tracking is Smyth Research Realiser A16, and it costs 4000 USD without headphones. According to some reports, Spatial Audio is very close to A16 in quality.
How much would you be moving your head when gaming on the ATV though? It makes sense for iPhone or iPad, as you're moving the device around. Your TV is stationary.
 
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