it's not because it's not YOUR usage that it's not MY usage.
It's got nothing to do with usage. It's laws of physics.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ClemyNX
If you want to argue that stereo isn't needed I'm not even going to answer.
Okay, but for anyone else reading this I'm going to explain why stereo isn't needed anyway..
By separating speakers out to positions to the left and right of the listener, stereo simulates a sense of space by varying the volume of certain elements in one speaker relative to the other. When the speakers are placed together, side-by-side, the way they would be on an iPad, the one and only benefit of stereo is defeated. There simply isn't enough separation to do any good.
There are tricks a designer can perform with phase to create an artificial impression of the speakers being further apart than they are, like what Apple appears to be using in their laptops, but those still require at least SOME separation of the speakers (like at least wider than your head). Such tricks also alter the fundamental character of the sound, but that's generally not considered a great concern because the devices that use it are generally those with shitty little speakers, so any problems with mix balance take a distant back seat to other distortions and severely limited frequency response. That leads some to argue that maybe one is better off with one less horrible speaker than two even worse ones (see below).
That leads us to the practical limitations, the first of which I mentioned in my initial response. The kind of amplifier and speaker a designer can fit inside a tablet or phone is necessarily severely limited in quality. It's there primarily for alert sounds, and as a convenience for non-critical listening. Of the things that are wrong with the sound, the fact that it isn't broken down into discrete left and right is so far down the list as to be essentially irrelevant.
Further, because the space inside such a device is so limited, jamming in a second speaker means either making the device larger or giving up something else. Splitting the available speaker space into two smaller, even crappier speakers will sound WORSE than one, somewhat less crappy speaker.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ClemyNX
I want stereo
I know you THINK you do, but honestly I think you'd be disappointed if you got it. Cost would increase and sound quality would DECREASE.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ClemyNX
I'm disappointed that Apple hasn't added it, looking that many other manufacturers have for a long time.
But aren't those the same manufacturers who use specmanship to sell their product? Boasting faster processors and more RAM even though the software yields a net result that's slower than an iPhone? Just because a feature looks good on a sales brochure doesn't mean there's actually any benefit to the buyer.
Who knows, Apple may buckle and include it anyway at some point, but if they do, it won't be because there's any actual advantage to it.
Obviously I was talking about usage in landscape mode... you know, the way people watch movies on the iPhone most of the time. And the argument doesn't work on iPad whatever the orientation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lorin Schultz
Because the only advantage to stereo over mono is spacial diversity, and there is none when the speakers are separated by less than an inch.
Okay, I was talking about both speakers being on the bottom of the device, but I see your point.
Yeah, I suppose if there was one speaker at the "top" and another at the "bottom" (referenced to portrait orientation) there may sufficient separation to provide some sense of space when using it in landscape.
I still honestly believe that stereo sound from an iPad is like putting $3000 worth of Pirellis on a Yugo, in that the inadequacies of the system as a whole swamp the comparatively minor benefit of the single feature and make the added expense impractical and poor economy, and it still doesn't deal with the issue of finding space for another speaker, but I will concede that it is possible to overcome the separation issue with an iPad.
I don't understand why you wouldn't just use headphones and get the best possible bang for the buck, but as you say, that's a usage issue.
I'm mostly on your side, as I think a phone's speakers are best used for ringtones and notification tones and nothing else, but I think you're overstating it a little bit. The HTC One speakers are pretty well reviewed, and managed to have noticeable stereo:
Comments
it's not because it's not YOUR usage that it's not MY usage.
It's got nothing to do with usage. It's laws of physics.
If you want to argue that stereo isn't needed I'm not even going to answer.
Okay, but for anyone else reading this I'm going to explain why stereo isn't needed anyway..
By separating speakers out to positions to the left and right of the listener, stereo simulates a sense of space by varying the volume of certain elements in one speaker relative to the other. When the speakers are placed together, side-by-side, the way they would be on an iPad, the one and only benefit of stereo is defeated. There simply isn't enough separation to do any good.
There are tricks a designer can perform with phase to create an artificial impression of the speakers being further apart than they are, like what Apple appears to be using in their laptops, but those still require at least SOME separation of the speakers (like at least wider than your head). Such tricks also alter the fundamental character of the sound, but that's generally not considered a great concern because the devices that use it are generally those with shitty little speakers, so any problems with mix balance take a distant back seat to other distortions and severely limited frequency response. That leads some to argue that maybe one is better off with one less horrible speaker than two even worse ones (see below).
That leads us to the practical limitations, the first of which I mentioned in my initial response. The kind of amplifier and speaker a designer can fit inside a tablet or phone is necessarily severely limited in quality. It's there primarily for alert sounds, and as a convenience for non-critical listening. Of the things that are wrong with the sound, the fact that it isn't broken down into discrete left and right is so far down the list as to be essentially irrelevant.
Further, because the space inside such a device is so limited, jamming in a second speaker means either making the device larger or giving up something else. Splitting the available speaker space into two smaller, even crappier speakers will sound WORSE than one, somewhat less crappy speaker.
I want stereo
I know you THINK you do, but honestly I think you'd be disappointed if you got it. Cost would increase and sound quality would DECREASE.
I'm disappointed that Apple hasn't added it, looking that many other manufacturers have for a long time.
But aren't those the same manufacturers who use specmanship to sell their product? Boasting faster processors and more RAM even though the software yields a net result that's slower than an iPhone? Just because a feature looks good on a sales brochure doesn't mean there's actually any benefit to the buyer.
Who knows, Apple may buckle and include it anyway at some point, but if they do, it won't be because there's any actual advantage to it.
Less than an inch?
Obviously I was talking about usage in landscape mode... you know, the way people watch movies on the iPhone most of the time. And the argument doesn't work on iPad whatever the orientation.
Because the only advantage to stereo over mono is spacial diversity, and there is none when the speakers are separated by less than an inch.
Okay, I was talking about both speakers being on the bottom of the device, but I see your point.
Yeah, I suppose if there was one speaker at the "top" and another at the "bottom" (referenced to portrait orientation) there may sufficient separation to provide some sense of space when using it in landscape.
I still honestly believe that stereo sound from an iPad is like putting $3000 worth of Pirellis on a Yugo, in that the inadequacies of the system as a whole swamp the comparatively minor benefit of the single feature and make the added expense impractical and poor economy, and it still doesn't deal with the issue of finding space for another speaker, but I will concede that it is possible to overcome the separation issue with an iPad.
I don't understand why you wouldn't just use headphones and get the best possible bang for the buck, but as you say, that's a usage issue.
I'm mostly on your side, as I think a phone's speakers are best used for ringtones and notification tones and nothing else, but I think you're overstating it a little bit. The HTC One speakers are pretty well reviewed, and managed to have noticeable stereo:
EDIT: Posted before I saw the most recent reply.