STACK #237 July 2024

FEATURE TECH

At a glance, it can be hard to tell one set of speakers or headphones from another. So, here are a few features that you might otherwise overlook when buying new audio gear. Words Michael Irving AUDIO TECH CHECK

Spatial audio

TV Audio Swap Say you’re watching an action movie but someone else in the house is trying to sleep. Rather than turn it down and soften the audio experience, you can switch the output from your home theatre soundbar straight to your headphones, so you can still immerse yourself in a movie or game without keeping the whole house awake. Sonos has a feature called TV Audio Swap, and it works if you have the Sonos Ace headphones and a compatible Sonos soundbar, while other manufacturers have their own versions of the tech too.

Many speakers, headphones, and earbuds feature some form of spatial audio nowadays. The idea is to surround the listener in a 3D sound field for a more immersive experience when watching movies, playing games, or enjoying music. There are a few different ways that can be done. Home entertainment systems can use physical speakers placed around your living room, so the sound seems to be coming from the front, sides and behind you. For a simpler setup, soundbars often simulate that experience by featuring multiple

use the same technique, with multiple speakers inside each ear cup. Now you’ll frequently find a virtual spatial audio system at work in headphones and earbuds, which use powerful signal processing to convert the audio into virtual surround sound. One nifty trick that many headphones and earbuds use is called head tracking. Basically, the gear can sense when you turn your head and will adjust the audio processing accordingly, so it seems like you’re moving inside the sound field, rather than it moving with you. In other words, if you hear a sound to

your left and turn your head, that sound will now come from in front of you, instead of always staying to your left. It really adds to the immersion of games and movies, and helps you feel like you’re at a gig if you’re jamming out in your lounge room. To enjoy music with spatial audio generally

speakers inside the one unit, which can bounce sound waves off the walls or ceiling to make it seem like it’s coming from everywhere. Occasionally, headphones

requires accessing tracks that have been mixed and remastered to support the format, however Bose Immersive Audio works with all streaming sources.

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