The high-quality audio doesnt work on AirPods, and music has to be specially engineered for Atmos.
So who is this all for?
Apples new music offering is a little complicated.
Alphacolor / Unsplash
There are two parts.
One is lossless audio, which comes in two tiers.
Spatial Audio is a neat gimmick, but has some compelling uses.
Brett Jordan / Unsplash.
Lossless audio is also a nice addition, but the technical details put it beyond most users.
“Imagine attending a virtual concert or theater performance in which one can choose from several vantage points.
With virtual audio, the soundstage at each point can be made to match the live experience.”
Lossless audio keeps all that data, so you hear it as it sounded at the artists mixing desk.
Apple Music now provides two tiers of lossless audio.
Thats because Bluetooth, itself, compresses the audio to transmit it.
To listen, youll need to use wired headphones, like it was the 2010s all over again.
Then it gets even crazier.
The iPhones built-in DAC doesnt stretch to these quality levels.
And even professional musicians cant always tell the difference.
Some people can, but you really have to know exactly what to listen for."
Quadraphonic All Over Again?
At first, this seems like the1970s-era quadraphonicsall over again.
Brett Jordan / Unsplash.
“I think the most likely user will be somebody like me.
And if theres one thing musicians like, its playing with fancy sound in their work.
Adding Dolby Atmos to their songs could be very tempting and make Spatial Audio more than just a gimmick.
