Apple runs multiple (in thousands) tests to test and refine the audio experience of the AirPods. The company does so in a music test facility which has real musical instruments which is basically multiple recording studios, as described by Engadget’s Billy Steele who got a chance to visit the facility.
To create a sound profile that’s exciting for customers and still maintains all of that authenticity, the media tuning team listens to thousands of hours of music, movies, podcasts and YouTube videos in mono, stereo and Dolby Atmos. There’s also a lot of vinyl lining the shelves of these tuning studios. During the development process, the team will test multiple versions of hardware with tons of tuning variations using computational audio. The goal is for all of the tuning decisions to translate better to all users, with a desire that everyone hears the same sound from Apple’s products.
Retro hi-fi music setup is a reminder of its heritage
The facility reportedly has retro speakers which serve as an inspiration for Apple’s music products. The standout appears to be the hi-fi music system which the audio engineers of Apple received from Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs. In addition to inspiration, it acts as a constant reminder of the compnay’s heritage of building products for music, i.e., the iPod which saved Apple from bankruptcy, its first product which was popular with the masses.
The facility serves as a music testing lab not only for the AirPods but also all other Apple products with speakers which includes the Mac, the iPhone, the iPad, etc. According to 9To5Mac, the audio engineering team compares the sound of live instruments with the recorded sound. The referencing helps in tuning the speakers and the associated software to sound natural, in-line with the sound produced from the actual musical instruments.
Apple has named the music testing room as Fantasia Lab.
