Dolby Atmos

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on Dolby Atmos:

Indie record labels say Apple’s Spatial Audio payment plan will hurt them

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Spatial Audio
Spatial Audio from Dolby Atmos technology creates surround-sound.
Photo: Apple

Independent record labels say Apple’s recent promise to pay 10% more for Dolby Atmos tracks in Spatial Audio will take money away from them and give it to major labels and their stars, according to a new report Friday.

“It’s literally going to take the money out of independent labels and their artists, to benefit the biggest companies in the marketplace,” said a senior executive at one of the bigger independent record companies.

More than 600 new spatial apps and games await Vision Pro

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Vision Pro apps
A new app lets you sit in a throne room a la "House of the Dragon" on HBO.
Photo: Apple

A day ahead of Vision Pro’s release, Apple put a spotlight on more than 600 new “spatial” apps and games made specifically for the headset. They join more than a million Vision Pro-compatible apps Friday in the App Store.

“Apple Vision Pro is unlocking the imaginations of our worldwide developer community, and we’re inspired by the range of spatial experiences they’ve created for this exciting new platform,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations.

Apple pitches Vision Pro as ‘ultimate entertainment device’

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Apple Vision Pro Environments
Environments are dynamic vistas in your space that change as the day progresses.
Photo: Apple

New entertainment experiences launching with Apple Vision Pro on February 2 should be dazzling, as users can turn any space into a personal theater, enjoy more than 150 3D movies and experience “the future of entertainment” with Immersive Video, Apple said Tuesday.

“Apple Vision Pro is the ultimate entertainment device,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing. “Users can turn any place into the best seat in the house, enjoy personal concerts and adventures with Apple Immersive Video, interact with lifelike prehistoric creatures in Encounter Dinosaurs, and even land on the surface of the moon using Environments. It’s unlike anything users have ever seen before and we can’t wait for them to experience it for themselves.”

Apple may pay artists more to use Dolby Atmos

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Spatial audio with head tracking
Artists might profit more from mixing tunes with Dolby Atmos.
Photo: Apple

Apple plans to offer financial incentives to artists and record labels who mix songs using surround-sound Spatial Audio technology Dolby Atmos, sources close to the matter said Monday.

Greater weighting placed on those audio streams starting in 2024 will likely mean higher royalties paid out.

Jabra’s new top-shelf Elite 10 noise-canceling earbuds add Dolby Atmos

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Jabra's newest flagship noise-cancelling earbuds features Dolby Atmos with head tracking.
Jabra's newest flagship noise-cancelling earbuds features Dolby Atmos with head tracking.
Photo: Jabra

Jabra just rolled out its new flagship wireless active noise-canceling earbuds, Jabra Elite 10, alongside its rugged Jabra Elite 8 Active buds.

Elite 10 features 10mm drivers, comfortable open-ear construction and, in a first for Jabra, Dolby Atmos spatial audio with head tracking.

New Sonos Era smart speakers take direct aim at HomePod

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The Sonos Era 300 is the larger and better-equipped of the two new smart speakers.
The Sonos Era 300 is the larger and better-equipped of the two new smart speakers.
Photo: Sonos

A new leak indicates Sonos will release its new Sonos Era 100 and 300 smart speakers in March with a slew of features that challenge Apple’s recently relaunched HomePod.

Of the two new Sonos speakers, the pricier Era 300 features a version of spatial audio. Both support Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and USB-C line-in for versatile connectivity. The Era 100 is likely to replace the much-liked Sonos One, launched in 2017.

Crank it up: Klipsch overhauls 10 speakers in its best-selling Reference series

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Klipsch speakers in the Reference line include floor-standing models.
Klipsch speakers in the Reference line include floor-standing models.
Photo: Klipsch

If you’re in the market for new speakers for home use, consider waiting to buy until next month, when Klipsch rolls out 10 overhauled speakers from its iconic, affordable Reference line. If you live in the Europe or the U.K., you can get them now, but the U.S. launch is in May.

Klipsch, which features the slogan “Pissing off the neighbors since 1946” on its website, overhauled the series for use in hi-fi, home theater and Dolby Atmos systems.

Lossless audio and Dolby Atmos return to HomePod in 15.1 beta

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Apple Music lossless audio coming to HomePod, HomePod mini
But you need an invite to get it.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s newest HomePod beta, issued alongside the iOS and iPadOS 15.1 betas on Tuesday, brings back lossless audio and Dolby Atmos support. Both features can be enabled from inside the Home app, but only if you have an invite.

Apple has been working to bring its newest audio features to HomePod speakers for a while now. It first began testing them shortly after WWDC 2021 in June when the third HomePod 15 beta was made available to testers.

OnePlus guns for AirPods Pro with new $149 ANC earbuds

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OnePlus Buds Pro will feature active noise cancellation and support for Dolby Atmos.
OnePlus Buds Pro will feature active noise cancellation and support for Dolby Atmos.
Photo: OnePlus

OnePlus is rolling out another Apple-esque product at a lower price point — a new set of Buds Pro that improve on its original Buds with active noise cancellation (ANC) and some upgraded audio features. They look a lot like Airpods Pro, actually, except with silver stems rather than white ones.

Apple Music’s spatial audio will get dynamic head tracking this fall

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Spatial audio for Apple Music
You'll need AirPods Pro or AirPods Max to enjoy it.
Photo: Apple

Spatial audio inside Apple Music will get dynamic head tracking later this year, Apple has confirmed. The feature promises an even more immersive experience by adjusting sound based on your movements.

The confirmation comes just as Apple rolls out spatial audio with Dolby Atmos and lossless music for Apple Music subscribers.

What you need to enjoy amazing lossless audio on Apple Music

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What you need for lossless audio on Apple Music
AirPods simply won't cut it.
Image: Cult of Mac

Apple will roll out lossless audio and Dolby Atmos support on Apple Music next month, and the upgrades will come at no additional cost to subscribers. But they do have one rather significant caveat.

High-resolution lossless tracks can’t be enjoyed on AirPods — not even the $549 AirPods Max. So what can you enjoy them on? We’ll explain everything you need to make the most of Apple Music’s big changes.

iPhone 12 first impressions, and HomePod gets crazy new features, this week on The CultCast (now in video!)

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Dolby Atmos on Apple TV 4K: HomePod's new Apple TV features look like game-changers.
HomePod's new Apple TV features look like game-changers.
Image: Apple

This week on The CultCast: The reviews are in, so let’s talk about iPhone 12! Plus: The honest truth about iPhone 12’s 5G; the original HomePod gets powerful new features, and Jony Ive gets a brand-new job.

And now, The CultCast has video! Or subscribe to our audio episodes if you don’t like our faces.

LG confirms Dolby Atmos coming to Apple TV app, AirPlay 2 on its Smart TVs this year

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LG UM6X UHD in room
LG confirms Dolby Atmos coming to its TVs via Apple TV app and AirPlay.
Photo: LG

TV maker LG has confirmed it will add Dolby Atmos support to 2018, 2019 and newer 2020 models of selected televisions this year for both the Apple TV app and AirPlay 2.

In a published report Thursday, a company representative told FlatpanelsHD that support for Dolby Atmos will be delivered “later this year.”

tvOS 12 brings cinematic sound to Apple TV

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tvOS12
Apple TV now supports the Dolby Atmos sound bar.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2018 bug Cult of MacApple TV introduced a better picture in 2017 with 4K HDR. In 2018, tvOS 12 will add cinematic sound to match.

Apple announced today that tvOS 12 will support the Dolby Atmos soundbar for an audio format that gives movie sound a kind of 3-D effect. The addition of Dolby Atmos makes Apple TV the only streaming device that supports both Dolby Vision and Atmos.

Apple promises Dolby Atmos is coming to Apple TV 4K

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Apple TV 4K
Apple TV 4K may look amazing, but its sound doesn't quite match. Yet.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new Apple TV 4K set-top box doesn’t currently support Dolby Atmos surround sound, an early review reveals. However, this is something Apple plans to add in a future update.

Atmos, along with competitor DTS:X, are next generation surround sound formats, referred to in the industry as “object-based surround.” In contrast to regular surround sound, which sends specific audio tracks to different speakers, Atmos lets sound engineers place their sound “objects” in 3D space, and then makes your sound system work out how to replicate this.

LeEco Le Pro3 looks pretty good for a dirt-cheap Android

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The LePro3 comes packs powerhouse features into a brushed-aluminum body.
Get your LeEco Le Pro3 cheap today!
Photo: LeEco

With a sharp screen, a fast processor and 4GB of RAM, the new LeEco Le Pro3 is a bold shot across the bow of Apple and other premium smartphone makers.

While the hardware nudges the phone toward the high end of the spectrum, the rock-bottom pricing should send shivers through Cupertino. At just $399 — or $299 if you get in on LeEco’s generous instant rebate, which starts today — the Le Pro3 is a steal when compared to the iPhone 7 Plus.