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Comment by joeel84 | Hacker News Reader

What speakers did you listen back on? I don't know anybody with a setup to play these back and I know some crazy audiophiles.

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From footnote 8 on https://www.apple.com/apple-music/

> Works with AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, BeatsX, Beats Solo3 Wireless, Beats Studio3, Powerbeats3 Wireless, Beats Flex, Powerbeats Pro, and Beats Solo Pro.

Am I missing something?

So, works with any headphones, as long as they have an apple brand sticker attached?

There's nothing technologically special about most of these.

I’m assuming they also have some special hardware/firmware for the head tracking feature

Lol, no.

I mean, most headphones don’t have accel/gyro - makes sense for Apple to use proprietary protocols for this, no? Also, see HN guidelines for comments.

Please review the list of supported headphones, and review their features. No, there is nothing special about most of them. If the feature is supported for all of them, then any are headphones/ earphones are capable of supporting it. Anyone with half a clue would see this, so, in not so may words, "Lol, no".

Also, respectfully suggest that you review the HN guidelines WRT your own comment. "I have no idea what I'm talking about, but I'm going to comment anyway" is clearly covered.

Maybe I’ve been unclear. Way I see it, Apple’s “spatial audio” branding really means a couple things.

1. Dolby atmos, obviously this is industry standard

2. Head tracking, where sound stays in the same direction despite movement. Introduced last year for the listed headphones, works on some video streaming services. Not supported by Apple Music yet but supposedly coming soon.

I only meant that the head tracking seems specific to apple headphones. If you still feel I’m dull please knock some sense into me.

> Am I missing something?

Yes, that's just for the automatic switch to Dolby Atmos. You can set "Dolby Atmos: Always" in Settings → Music.

> When you listen with compatible Apple or Beats headphones,8 Dolby Atmos music plays back automatically when available for a song. For other headphones, go to Settings > Music > Audio and set Dolby Atmos to Always On.

If you want Atmos you need either headphones that support the audio, or a multichannel reciever. Which are a dime a dozen. "Crazy audiophiles" won't have one because they spent all their money on $1,000/metre audio cable, CD-colouring pens, and magic rocks to balance their turntable on.

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