Mercedes-Benz is finally implementing Apple Music’s Spatial Audio in certain electrified and premium cars, over a year after introducing it. The Dolby Atmos-powered surround sound audio is currently available on many Apple products, including the HomePod speaker, Apple TV, and AirPods headphones, but this is the first time it has been used in a car.
“Mercedes-Benz drivers who are already Apple Music subscribers receive instant access to an ever-growing selection of songs and albums accessible in Spatial Audio,” the firms stated in a news statement. If you don’t have an Apple Music subscription, some Dolby Atmos material will be accessible via Universal Music.
The function will be offered in a limited number of EQS and EQE sedans and SUVs (including the new EQE SUV), as well as Mayback and S-Class models. To utilize it, you must possess a car equipped with the MBUX interface and optional 31-speaker Burmester 3D or 4D sound systems, which start at $4,550 on top of the vehicle’s base price (the 2023 EQE 350 sedan is estimated to start around $70,000). According to Mercedes, the technology will be available in additional models “soon.”
The Dolby Atmos implementation in Apple Music produces a 3D soundscape by distributing sounds over several channels, albeit the intensity of the impact depends on the mix of the song. The spatial audio effect will be provided by six of the 31 speakers situated above the driver in the Mercedes installation. There are four near-ear speakers in the front seats, eight sound transducers (two per seat), and two amplifiers with a total power output of 1,750 watts.
