Apple has released a firmware update for the AirPods and AirPods Pro, and one of the big news is the implementation of spatial sound.
Spatial sound is one of the technologies related to sound that is causing the most talk in recent years. It consists of modifying the sound to give an enveloping sensation even with only two channels of audio.
It is a technology that works best with headphones, and that if applied well, it can be the equivalent of having surround equipment without having to pay as much or even without the sound being mastered as surround.
What is spatial sound?
The spatial sound algorithms are capable of taking an audio source and applying an surround effect to it, in such a way that the sound that reaches our ears is modified so that it seems that it comes from different parts.
Depending on what we are doing, the effect is different. For example, on Razer’s Kraken Tournament Edition gaming headsets, we once found that games felt very different. In action games, the impact of the shots was more noticeable, as if the shock wave were around us; in racing games, we noticed the engine noise as if we had it next to it. More recently we have been able to test the JBL Quantum, which provides spatial sound for more precise listening.
Windows 10 also includes spatial sound, and by activating it we can see how our music changes as if we were playing it on a stereo.
It should be clarified that the spatial sound will not please everyone. If you are looking for maximum fidelity, you should avoid it as it adds effects that may be unwanted. Also, its impact depends a lot on the type of sound; but we lose nothing by trying it.
Spatial sound on AirPods Pro
Now, if we have AirPods Pro and the beta of iOS 14, we can check it on our own. The latest firmware update for Apple headphones includes spatial sound support.
When we update the headphones, a new option will appear in the sound control of our iPhone or iPad; At the moment it is only available in the beta of iOS 14, but when the final version is released it will be available to all users.
With this new option, we can activate and deactivate the spatial sound. Apple’s implementation is curious since it is based on the gyroscopes and accelerometers implemented in the headphones to follow the movement of our head; Based on that, the device automatically changes the sound. For example, if a sound comes from the left and we move our head in that direction, we can feel it better.
Therefore, it seems that it can be an interesting option to watch movies or play video games, although it will be interesting to see how it behaves in music.
In addition to spatial sound, the AirPods Pro and the second generation AirPods have received the function that will allow us to switch between devices automatically. If we have associated our AirPods with an iPhone and an iPad, for example, the sound will automatically change to the device we are using.