1) Built-in speakers audio quality. Setting aside spatial audio for a moment—exactly how good do these sound? Do they sound comparable to AirPods, or AirPod Pro Max, or somewhere in between, or worse/better? I’m guessing the first batch of reviewers didn’t get a chance to rigorously test out the audio, but have any mentioned anything? I’m sure they sound good, but for movies/TV and music, I (and I think many) really want the best sound quality possible. (Personally I’m not concerned with spatial audio for those uses. I like spatial audio for spatial experiences [AR/VR]. For a single movie/TV screen, no matter how big it is, I only want stereo. For music, I’m undecided.) It seems like the VP can provide one of the best visual experiences for movies, if not the best, but the audio I might want to delegate to something else if I can.
2) Built-in speakers and spatial audio. But I also wonder how good the spatial audio is. It’s kind of crazy they were able to put that tech in those little directional speakers. I wonder how well it works compared to AirPod Pro, AirPod Max, and HomePod. The VP film said it’s their most advanced system, but that might just mean they needed it to be advanced to make it work with these built-in speakers.
3) Built-in speakers around other people. How much can others around you hear?
4) On/over-ear headphones fit. Is VP only compatible with in-ear headphones? That would be disappointing, but it looks like it.
5) AirPod Max and audio raytracing. IF you’re able to comfortably wear AirPod Max and VP together, I wonder if it would block any sensors for audio raytracing*. I assume otherwise it would work, and I assume it works for AirPod Pro.
*From the VP film:
(Narrated over a woman watching a movie) “Apple Vision Pro also features our most advanced spatial audio system ever. Personalized sound is delivered directionally to your ear. And audio raytracing uses sophisticated sensors to understand the materials and objects in your room, so sound feels like it’s coming from the world around you.”
6) All headphones and transparency mode. Could it do audio pass through for any headphones? Since it has built-in mics and processing, it seems possible. I don’t know if Airpods use spatial audio for transparency mode, but it could probably be just stereo for other headphones.
7) AirPlay. I assume since you can use AirPods with VP, you can AirPlay to say a pair of HomePods? I might do that when watching a movie.
Sidebar- I also wonder if you could AirPlay a video from the VP. Also the reverse—could you AirPlay audio or video from another device to the VP? You can have a virtual Mac display, so I assume video AirPlay to VP is possible. Not sure when you would want to AirPlay audio to the VP though.
8) A little perspective. I also just want to note that I’m really glad they put in those spatial audio directional speakers. They could have put in non-spatial audio speakers, which would have been a very diminished experience for spatial computing, or put in or required headphones, which would have made the device inherently isolating. I’m sure people will often need to use headphones with VP when working around other people (just like they already do with their traditional computers), but I’m glad this device doesn’t force you to be less present than you want to be while using it.
2) Built-in speakers and spatial audio. But I also wonder how good the spatial audio is. It’s kind of crazy they were able to put that tech in those little directional speakers. I wonder how well it works compared to AirPod Pro, AirPod Max, and HomePod. The VP film said it’s their most advanced system, but that might just mean they needed it to be advanced to make it work with these built-in speakers.
3) Built-in speakers around other people. How much can others around you hear?
4) On/over-ear headphones fit. Is VP only compatible with in-ear headphones? That would be disappointing, but it looks like it.
5) AirPod Max and audio raytracing. IF you’re able to comfortably wear AirPod Max and VP together, I wonder if it would block any sensors for audio raytracing*. I assume otherwise it would work, and I assume it works for AirPod Pro.
*From the VP film:
(Narrated over a woman watching a movie) “Apple Vision Pro also features our most advanced spatial audio system ever. Personalized sound is delivered directionally to your ear. And audio raytracing uses sophisticated sensors to understand the materials and objects in your room, so sound feels like it’s coming from the world around you.”
6) All headphones and transparency mode. Could it do audio pass through for any headphones? Since it has built-in mics and processing, it seems possible. I don’t know if Airpods use spatial audio for transparency mode, but it could probably be just stereo for other headphones.
7) AirPlay. I assume since you can use AirPods with VP, you can AirPlay to say a pair of HomePods? I might do that when watching a movie.
Sidebar- I also wonder if you could AirPlay a video from the VP. Also the reverse—could you AirPlay audio or video from another device to the VP? You can have a virtual Mac display, so I assume video AirPlay to VP is possible. Not sure when you would want to AirPlay audio to the VP though.
8) A little perspective. I also just want to note that I’m really glad they put in those spatial audio directional speakers. They could have put in non-spatial audio speakers, which would have been a very diminished experience for spatial computing, or put in or required headphones, which would have made the device inherently isolating. I’m sure people will often need to use headphones with VP when working around other people (just like they already do with their traditional computers), but I’m glad this device doesn’t force you to be less present than you want to be while using it.
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