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Hi!
I have a confession to make: I seldom use the speakers on any of my iPads. Thatās true for my Macs over the years, too. Itās not that theyāre bad speakers, any of them. On the contrary, Apple is best in class more often than not. Especially the iPad Pro speakers, with their four-point system, is lauded for being enough for most.
Except, I donāt agree.
So, this will be a letter about iPad speakers, and perhaps help you decide if they matter to you, as you consider a new iPad. Because weāre always considering new iPads, arenāt we?
So, whatās the difference?
There are three speaker setups in the current iPad lineup (generations are omitted below).
- The iPad has two speakers situated at the bottom in portrait mode.
- The iPad mini and iPad Air have two speakers, positioned on either side in landscape mode.
- The iPad Pros have four speakers.
Speaker position matters, obviously, albeit less than youād think for most people. However, thereās no doubt that using the iPad in landscape mode does make the sound come from one side. Itās noticeable if you look for it, for sure.
Likewise, while the iPad Air and iPad mini has balanced audio in landscape mode, thanks to the speaker position on either side, it gets a bit weird in portrait. Itās less noticeable, Iād say, but itās there, for sure.
Finally, the four speaker system on the iPad Pros means that they can make sure the sounds comes out balanced, no matter the orientation. These speakers obviously sound the best, and the most. Most laptops will struggle to come close to the iPad Pros. In fact, itās probably just the current generation of MacBook Pros that stand out as clearly better.
Looking at the sound quality from any current iPad model, Iād say you get good value. Iāve never tried a tablet that comes close, although it may very well exist, and you need to find premium gaming laptops (or, again, the current MacBook line-up) to reach the same quality. Given how thin iPads are, thatās remarkable. Apple might not be the pinnacle of sound quality, but theyāre always market leaders within their segment.
Theyāre not good enough
Thatās it, thatās why I donāt use the iPad speakers particularly often: Theyāre not good enough. That might sound controversial, so let me expand on that to include every laptop, screen, TV, and stationary computer Iāve ever had, seen, or tried. Not good enough, for me, isnāt a matter of good or bad, itās just the way these kind of speakers are for me.
Now, let me elaborate somewhat. If I stumble upon a news clip on Twitter, or just want to get the gist of a YouTube video, I find the speakers good enough. Itās enough to listen to whatever that was, for a short period of time. Itās not a way to enjoy anything more immersive, like a game, a TV show or movie, or music for that matter.
At the same time, I see people using iPads and MacBooks as entertainment centers. They proudly declare that theyāre relying on them for all their media consumption, including music. Iām uncertain if I envy them, or am horrified.
Isnāt it amazing that weāre all different?
Look, whatever works for you. Iām not a hater, Iām not going to say that my way to, say, listen to music is better than yours. Maybe Iām especially sensitive due to my tinnitus, or itās a matter of what you find interesting and important, I have no idea. It really doesnāt matter.
What I use? Oh, right now, Iām listening to music using my AirPods Max, which are decent enough, sometimes brilliant thanks to the Dolby Atmos ā sorry, spatial audio ā implementation. I like the Bowers & Wilkins Px headphones too, and Iāve got a pair of Band & Olufsen Portal for gaming, too. If Iām out and about, I use the AirPods Pro because I just canāt bring myself to walk around with cans on my head. For more serious music listening sessions, well, suffice to say my audio setup can shatter windows without sounding like shit.
Suffice to say, audio quality, especially when listening to music, is essential to me. Itās less important when Iām watching a movie or a TV show, but I still rely on sound-bars (when space is limited), or a proper system, with a decent amplifier. Thereās nothing in a computer of any kind out there that comes even remotely close to any of this.
But, again, if Iām going to watch a short news clip, I canāt always be bothered to get my headphones. If Iām playing a game, and thereās really no sound design to speak of, I might have it on set to very low, but most likely the soundās on mute.
This is all me. You donāt have to be the same, thereās no shame or value in any of this. If anything, you could argue that Iām shackled to my habits, and anyone who enjoys a TV show on their iPad is better off.
Speakers matter (to some)
What it all boils down to is that yes, speakers matter, if youāre so inclined. To me, I really donāt care if Iām watching a clip on my iPad mini or iPad Pro, despite the obvious difference in sound quality. Theyāre both decent-to-good, but neither is close to being good enough for That Real Important Experience.
That is, to me, thatās true, and even important. So, to me, the iPad speakers doesnāt matter at all ā they can never deliver.
However, if youāre a person who uses the speakers on your tablet or computer, then Iād urge you to consider your usage. Do you have your iPad in landscape mode at all times? The pick the iPad Air or iPad mini over the iPad. If you do a lot of work, and listening, in portrait mode, then maybe consider stepping up to the iPad Pros. The iPad Pros, obviously, always work, thanks to the four speaker setup. Iād go so far that you should possibly look for refurbished 11ā iPad Pros, rather than the new iPad Air, if thatās the size youāre after, but youāre worried about the sound in portrait mode. Although, again, I donāt think it matters.
Or, you know, get headphones or a bluetooth speaker, if that fits the bill better.
Itās all so bloody personal, isnāt it?
These are horrible times for some, and even worse for others. Russiaās invasion of Ukraine is such a tragedy, I hope you would consider pitching in. This tweet thread has some resources to get you started, or you could just donate to UNICEF through the App Store, as previously reported. Iām also matching any Switch to iPad subscriptions with a donation of my own (up to $1,000). Every bit helps, as they say, and this has the added benefit of letting me help out while still seeing some growth to this very project. It feels better, and donations are well over the hundreds already.
Iām glad youāre a paying subscriber, and I hope youāll stay subscribed. Thank you. šš»
What do you think about the iPad speakers? Iād love to know, so either hit reply (if youāre reading this in your email app), or tweet to @tdh.
Until next time, happy listening, no matter how you do it.
ā Thord D. Hedengren ā”