Working solution: Spatial Audio on a big screen TV

[riffola]

OMG! This worked! Spatial Audio on a large screen!

iPad Pro 12.9” > Anker 4K@60 USB-C to HDMI cable > LG OLED TV for video + Audio via Bluetooth to the AirPods Max/Pro

I placed the iPad near the center of the tv, laying flat in front. It worked so well. I tried it with “The Martian” when they’re doing the mission scrub launch, without spatial audio the rockets sound uh regular, with spatial audio they rumble.

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[tHe Rk]

Interesting. What drawbacks were there? Quality drops, lip sync issues, etc? Was it really good? Or was it just cool that you found a way to get it to work?

 

[Dazultra1]

Omg this is amazing!

 

[haruhiko]

Is there any plan for Apple to support spatial audio on the Apple TV 4K?

 

[furbzv1]

Will be giving these a go when mine come in next week.

 

[LeonPro]

Good to know, but I'm just waiting on the new Apple TV they will release next year to make this a reality and not a work-around.

 

[Absrnd]

Good to know, but I'm just waiting on the new Apple TV they will release next year to make this a reality and not a work-around.

Don't get your hopes up, if you want surround with your Apple TV, you just buy a surround set, like everybody else

 

[LeonPro]

Don't get your hopes up, if you want surround with your Apple TV, you just buy a surround set, like everybody else

I have been doing that route since THX for Home Theatre was introduced. I had a massive JBL THX surround sound as my first "real" set (Bose surround sound was my first), then slowly kept on downsizing until I'm down to a sound bar and subwoofer.

Seeing the implementation of the AirPods Max surround sound with transparent audio is a game-changer without annoying your household peeps.

 

[Moyapilot]

Thanks for the cool workaround! I already have a USB C to HDMI that I use for Zoom that works really well.

One question: Are their black pillar boxes on your TV on the right and left because of the lesser aspect ratio of the ipads?

 

[riffola]

Thanks for the cool workaround! I already have a USB C to HDMI that I use for Zoom that works really well.

One question: Are their black pillar boxes on your TV on the right and left because of the lesser aspect ratio of the ipads?

Yes when mirroring. But when I played a 4K video it displayed at 16:9 2160 PCM

 

[Moyapilot]

Yes when mirroring. But when I played a 4K video it displayed at 16:9 2160 PCM

Oh very cool. I’ll give this a try. Spatial Audio is no match for my HT speaker setup, but its very very cool for headphones and you feel like you have mini speakers around your ears and it creates a neat a sense of space (as the name implies).

 

[Mikeeee]

OMG! This worked! Spatial Audio on a large screen!

iPad Pro 12.9” > Anker 4K@60 USB-C to HDMI cable > LG OLED TV for video + Audio via Bluetooth to the AirPods Max/Pro

I placed the iPad near the center of the tv, laying flat in front. It worked so well. I tried it with “The Martian” when they’re doing the mission scrub launch, without spatial audio the rockets sound uh regular, with spatial audio they rumble.

Best $20 upgrade to my late night movie watching experience

Anker USB C to HDMI Cable for Home Office, 6ft Type C to HDMI Adapter Supports 4K 60Hz, for MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iPad Pro, Surface Book 2, Galaxy S20, and More

USB-C to HDMI Cable The Plug-and-Play Adapter Cable From Anker, the Choice of 30 Million+ Happy Users • Industry-Leading Technology • 99% Positive Feedback USB-C Input Allows reversible plugging and provides universal compatibility with next-generation computers and devices. High-Def Video HDMI o...

www.amazon.com

Great idea. I don't have the Max yet but I have the AirPods Pro. Any reason why this wouldn't work equally as well with the Pros?

 

[riffola]

Great idea. I don't have the Max yet but I have the AirPods Pro. Any reason why this wouldn't work equally as well with the Pros?

As I mentioned in my post, it works with both

 

[matrix07]

Is there any plan for Apple to support spatial audio on the Apple TV 4K?

May I also ask, Is there any plan for Apple to support spatial audio on macOS? Even M1 will do.

 

[Abazigal]

Is there any plan for Apple to support spatial audio on the Apple TV 4K?

It more that the Mac and 4K Apple TV lack the necessary sensors to support spatial audio, so I doubt it.

 

[Sparxxx]

The question is which player did you used? Or was it a movie you have in Itunes/AppleTV app?
For example I would like to have Spatial Audio through Infuse player so that I can play my riped Discs.

 

[mpetrides]

Are you saying that you output video from the iPad Pro via HDMI but were still able to send the audio from the IPP to the AirPods Max? It seems like this is the only way it would work but I just wanted to be sure.

 

[itsmesteven]

Works great but iPad screen needs to be on for this to work.
If it goes off you only get stereo.

Edit: Connected to Benq PD3220U with thunderbolt cable.

 

[UBS28]

Honestly, I am not going to do this workaround. Apple should support this feature with their own Apple 4K TV.

And they should also support it with their own computers (I did not manage to get it working with my Intel Mac's using Big Sur).

 

[mpetrides]

Are you saying that you output video from the iPad Pro via HDMI but were still able to send the audio from the IPP to the AirPods Max? It seems like this is the only way it would work but I just wanted to be sure.

I answered my own question by sending video from a Mandalorian episode on my iPad Pro via HDMI to my TV and listening to the audio via Bluetooth to my Beats headphones. It worked fine but I was really struck my how flat the sound was when compared with the same video segment playing to my HomePod stereo pair. Until 14.2 came out, I had been using the Beats to listen to audio from movies playing on my Apple TV 4K. Now I really understand in a visceral way how much I was missing. I can’t wait to get my AirPods Max in a month or two and start listening to spatial audio on them.

One nuance with this workaround is that you can’t control video playback using your ATV remote because the ATV isn’t involved in this arrangement. Duh! Now I’m going to have to try setting up a spare ATV remote to work with the iPad.

I agree with the poster who says Apple should be providing the solution but I’m not about to cut off my nose to spite my face and stop using this workaround. Many thanks to the OP for posting!

 

[Rubgee]

Honestly, I am not going to do this workaround. Apple should support this feature with their own Apple 4K TV.

And they should also support it with their own computers (I did not manage to get it working with my Intel Mac's using Big Sur).

I bought a new MacBook Air and I can't use virtual surround (aka Spatial Audio) when using the AP Max? I am forced to watch a movie on my small iPhone? That doesn't make sense :/ (I don't care if the audio moves when I tilt my head. I just want that surround experience :`( )

 

[mpetrides]

I bought a new MacBook Air and I can't use virtual surround (aka Spatial Audio) when using the AP Max? I am forced to watch a movie on my small iPhone? That doesn't make sense :/ (I don't care if the audio moves when I tilt my head. I just want that surround experience :`( )

Apple really is giving the Mac short shrift when it comes to connecting Macs to their own high-end audio equipment. I have a stereo pair of OG HomePods that I had intended to use as output from my 16 inch MBP. NOPE! I can send audio out to a single HomePod or HomePod mini but not to a stereo pair. WTF? And now their flagship Mac laptops don’t support spatial audio on the AirPods Max. Why? What’s the point of touting seamless switching between devices when half of your devices (Apple TV 4K and Macs) don’t support the full set of features of the AirPods Max (or HomePod/HomePod mini for that matter)?

I certainly hope this is fixed in a software update soon—but considering that the output to stereo paired HomePods remains an issue, I’m not holding my breath.

 

[Zimmy68]

I bought the Apple USB-C Digital AV adapter (~$33 used) on Amazon.
The Anker looks interesting but I wanted to make sure I got 4k@60 with HDR.
The Anker may be able to do that but Apple specifically states it does (with the iPad).

 

[Absrnd]

I bought a new MacBook Air and I can't use virtual surround (aka Spatial Audio) when using the AP Max? I am forced to watch a movie on my small iPhone? That doesn't make sense :/ (I don't care if the audio moves when I tilt my head. I just want that surround experience :`( )

And the MacBook air probably never will support it.
They need extra hardware, like a compass and such.

I think it is funny, Apple gives us Spatial Audio for the airpods with iPhones and iPads, to have better experience when on the go, and what everybody does is complain it does not work on all their devices

 

[mpetrides]

And the MacBook air probably never will support it.
They need extra hardware, like a compass and such.

I think it is funny, Apple gives us Spatial Audio for the airpods with iPhones and iPads, to have better experience when on the go, and what everybody does is complain it does not work on all their devices

Why is that funny? Spatial audio is a major differentiator for the APM when compared with other high-end headphones. Frankly, it is the primary reason I am considering buying the APM.

Yes, I have a real surround system downstairs in my home theater but there are times when I just want to watch a movie on the TV in the great room. The ability to get simulated Dolby Atmos from a pair of headphones should provide a better experience than I get with my OG HomePod pair in the same room—because Atmos doesn’t work as well with cathedral ceilings. If there isn’t either a software fix or a new Apple TV that fixes this issue by the time my APM arrive in a month or two, there’s a pretty good likelihood I’ll be returning the APM. I rarely listen to music, certainly not enough to justify $550 headphones.

Apple needs to clearly articulate why I can get Dolby Atmos/7.1/5.1 out of my Apple TV 4K when playing to my OG HomePod pair, when NEITHER the ATV 4K nor the OG Homepods have gyroscopes/accelerometers, yet this is “impossible” when the sound is output to APMs.

And, yes, I understand that sound output to HomePods is via AirPlay 2 and not Bluetooth (as it is with the APM). But what are the technical issues about this difference that prevent my getting surround sound from ATV 4K to APM and what can be done to fix it? Like Rugbee said “I don’t care if the audio moves when I turn/tilt my head. I just want that surround experience” watching movies on a big screen 4K TV using APM.