Why the new AirPods Pro 2 are needed for Apple Vision Pro lossless audio
Alongside adding USB-C charging to the AirPods Pro, Apple also updated them to provide lossless audio, and now explains exactly what was needed to achieve that.

AirPods Pro
To distinguish between the old and new charging cases for the AirPods Pro, you just have to look underneath at the USB-C port. But there's been another substantial change to AirPods Pro that is impossible to see.
Apple calls it lossless audio, and also says that it is required for the forthcoming Apple Vision Pro. As noted by AppleInsider, though, lossless audio in the AirPods Pro means 20 bits at 48 kilohertz with lower latency than now, which is less than Apple's previous lossless 24 bits at up to 192 kilohertz.
Now, Apple executives Ron Huang, vice president of Sensing and Connectivity, and Eric Treski, director of Product Marketing, have been speaking about the update. On Brian Tong's YouTube channel, they've revealed how what it took to get lossless working, and how it fits into the future of audio at Apple.
"To bring in lossless and ultra low latency audio to Vision Pro, many things have to work," said Huang. "[Shorter] latency lossless means bigger bandwidth. So you need a much more pristine wireless pipe to communicate between the two."
"And with the new AirPods Pro, we are able to run it at 5 gigahertz," he continued. "If you think back, Bluetooth typically runs at 2.4 gigahertz, which is quite a messy and noisy airspace."
"And so, Apple Vision Pro and AirPods Pro are now able to communicate at 5 gigahertz, in addition to H2, allowing us to build a new audio protocol," said Huang, "but it's also the cleaner airspace that allows us to to do that and USB-C AirPods are now 5-gig capable."
Huang also says that this increased Bluetooth bandwidth means auto-switching between, say, the iPhone and iPad "connects way faster and switches way faster than it used to before."
Eric Treski also spoke about the current advantages that the new AirPods Pro provides, and says it's the overall experience that Apple has been working toward.
"I would say that obviously making music and podcasts more listening to more enjoyable [is key]... also to what's in your surrounding environment and interacting with that in a more unique and beneficial way," said Treski. "And really just being this more and more continual companion throughout your day to actually just help you and be something that's truly important for you, which is great to see AirPods Pro doing that today."
The updated AirPods Pro cost $249, and went on sale in Apple Stores alongside the iPhone 15 today.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
For the wireless connection, Huang didn't specifically say they are running Bluetooth at 5 GHz. What he said was the H2 chip in the Vision Pro and the AirPods Pro USBC are able to communicate at 5 GHz. The rationale for 5 GHz is there are less devices using 5 GHz as compared to a 2.4 GHz, so it represented a cleaner connection. Ie, bandwidth is much more guaranteed.
Latency will be much more important for the Vision Pro than lossless, especially low latency that is spatially aware.
Also interesting that they are running a machine learning model on-device, in the AirPods Pros, for adaptive audio.
Sitting on your sofa, you often won't need to be aware of what's happening around you and no doubt at some point in the future the chips will be able to identify specific sounds which will be white-listed and let through to the user (the voices of house residents, doorbells, alarms, fixed lines phones etc).
From the video, I'd say bone conduction is coming.
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-upgrades-airpods-pro-2nd-generation-with-usb-c-charging/
"AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with MagSafe Charging Case (USB‑C) will enable Lossless Audio with ultra-low latency to deliver the perfect true wireless solution with Apple Vision Pro. The H2 chip in the latest AirPods Pro and Apple Vision Pro, combined with a groundbreaking wireless audio protocol, unlocks powerful 20-bit, 48 kHz Lossless Audio with a massive reduction in audio latency."
The bit depth can be whatever size, it's just a data encoding same with color. 16-bit = 65536, 20-bit = 1.04m, 24-bit = 16.7m, each increase is 16x more info.
The lossless wireless method doesn't need to be compatible with Bluetooth, both the Vision Pro and Airpods will have special chips that can send this kind of data and other devices with revert to Bluetooth without lossless.
Well, I'm glad some forward progress is being made in this area. Hopefully we'll see this improve for the short range needed between AirPods and Vision Pro (i.e.: minimal obstacles and distance). I wonder if a very low power WiFi could be used here for better audio quality, but I'm guessing that 20 bits / 48 kHz will appeal to the most for a long time to come.
If you understand currently popular audio formats and codecs, it's a moot point to say that bit depth can be whatever size because this isn't the concern. When you choose a format which is not matching the source then you have to transcode. Transcoding costs time/latency, energy and generates heat. Either the transcoding cost isn't a major concern to them or they intend to have everyone, making audio for the Vision Pro, make it to this specification. This could also include adding a 20-bit/48kHz prepared file of every track in Apple Music. All to avoid the additional transcoding cost. It is not a common audio format today and most audio software will not currently include this configuration in its standard UI. I want to know the rational behind this decision they've made. Why didn't they just opt for 16-bit/44.1kHz, if 24-bit/44.1kHz (most common lossless format on streaming platforms) was too big. It's like some kind of middle ground. Everything needs transcoded but it's less work to get from each of the common formats to this middle ground. That's all I can think of right now.
I certainly didn't say it needed to be compatible with Bluetooth. As per above, the article associated the reference to 5Ghz with Bluetooth. As I said, Apple can't just transmit whatever it likes over 5Ghz. It must be registered with many authorities worldwide, if it is not an existing standard.
As another commenter rightly points out, the device is mounted to your head already and the band wraps around near the ear. Why would we need a wireless earbud for this? I like the idea of a jack so you could choose between over the ear or in-ear buds assuming they would be offered as options.
Also, if the quotes from the article are accurate, is it just me that finds Eric Treski‘a comments complete fluff and nonsense? I mean, he’s Director of marketing? Marketing is generally bs but there are gradations: AAA to to weak AF. This was closer to the later - not too good at his job.
Also, they are saying that 2.4 band is too noisy and crowded so the move to 5gig will improve the situation? How’s that? All modern WiFi is typically 5ghz though you have the legacy (ie 10 years ago) when 2.4 was the standard). 5GHz certainly would give them more bandwidth but shorter range and probably uses more power. Also, since this is supposedly being done as as some prelude to the VisionPro do people really have so many 2.4 gHz devices in there immediate vicinity to cause a problem? Doubt it.
2) 2.4 GHz has considerably more interference. Just because newer WiFi is using 5GHz doesn't change that fact. Even there was saturation parity (there isn't) a use of a higher frequency would lower the chances of interference because the higher frequencies are going to penetrate walls and other objects as well as a lower frequency.
The extra bandwidth will be useful if they have more channels, this will support lossless Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio:
https://blog.son-video.com/en/2023/09/airpods-pro-2-lossless-and-wireless-dolby-atmos/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_Atmos