Apple's AirPods might not be the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to watching movies, but I've found that they're some of the best wireless earbuds for surround sound.
Link them up with an Apple TV 4K and you've got a great recipe for movies when the rest of the house is asleep, or if you live in an apartment and need to keep quiet. You don't even have to click any buttons or change settings to get them working.
I love watching movies with my AirPods: Here's why you might as well.
Spatial Audio — not it for music, everything for movies
I don't really like Apple's version of Spatial Audio when I'm listening to music. I find it too distracting from the music at hand, and I'm not really a fan of "surround sound music" from the get-go. For movies and TV shows, on the other hand, I am sold.
Movies have, traditionally, been all about the 'massiveness' of their sound. Powerful surround sound mixes that immerse you in the movie, placing audio in precise locations. Dolby Atmos has only served to increase that immersion, with more places for those sounds to come from. Namely, above you.
That's not always possible in a small apartment, or when you want to watch you movie late at night. When your mom's in bed, or your partner is trying to sleep. Best not to poke the proverbial bear, in that case — turn to something with Dolby Atmos that won't disturb their slumber.
One way is to pick up some Sonos Ace headphones and a Sonos Soundbar. It's good! It's also very, very expensive. That's $450 for the cans alone, and even more for the additional soundbar you'll need.
The AirPods option makes more sense if you're looking to watch Dolby Atmos in your ears. The AirPods 4 without ANC cost $129, and an Apple TV 4K base model sets you back $180. That's $150 less in total than the Sonos Ace headphones and soundbar combo. Nice.
You'll get better movie sound
Even with the AirPods 4, you'll get a decent movie-watching experience. No, you won't get the bassy rumble you can feel in your bones a la soundbar+subwoofer combo, but that's a good thing. Everyone is in bed, remember, and you don't want to wake them up? It's a sacrifice you have to make for being a horror-movie watching night owl.
The Spatial Audio built into the AirPods comes into its own when you watch movies and TV. The surround mixes are incredibly immersive, as you can hear cars zoom by you and helicopters hover overhead. Explosions still have plenty of wallop, and there's a lot to be said about the musical abilities of the buds and how well they turn their hands to soundtrack reproduction.
Things are even better when it comes to dialog clarity. Thanks to their excellent audio credentials, the buds are very good at not only placing voices well in the mix but also making them easy to understand. I've had occasions when it feels like a character is whispering over my shoulder (creepy), really adding to the immersion in horror films.
The drawbacks
Unfortunately, there remains no way to connect Spatial Audio-capable earbuds or headphones to your TV without the need for an extra device. As such, this method means you do need to have both AirPods and an Apple TV 4K — neither of which are cheap.
It's also only going to work with content you watch on your Apple TV. That means you'll need to find a way to watch everything on your streaming box, which isn't always possible. Want to watch the news all night long? Tough luck, no late-night news bulletins for you.
It's not the perfect solution, but the AirPods are still my preferred way to enjoy Spatial Audio content from my TV when I don't want to disturb anyone's slumber.
