After an extensive testing period, Microsoft has now widely rolled out spatial audio for its Teams desktop app on both Windows and macOS. This implementation, similar to Apple's FaceTime, creates a more immersive conference call experience by spreading out the voices of participants based on their positions on the screen.
The purpose behind this spatial audio feature is to help users track who is speaking, understand better when multiple speakers are talking simultaneously, and reduce meeting fatigue and cognitive load, as explained by Hong Sodoma from Microsoft.
However, there's a limitation with spatial audio concerning Bluetooth earbuds and headphones for now. It requires a stereo-capable device, such as wired headsets or stereo-capable laptops, as Bluetooth devices are not currently supported due to protocol limitations. The support for the next generation of LE Audio with stereo-enabled Bluetooth devices is expected to address this issue in the future.
LE Audio, which allows for more seamless audio experiences, is still in its early stages and requires support from both the source device and the audio accessory. Some earbud models from manufacturers like Samsung, Sony, OnePlus, and EarFun have already been updated to be compatible with LE Audio. Windows 11 has also gained support for Bluetooth LE, indicating that Teams' spatial audio might work wirelessly with certain compatible earbuds in the near future.
Microsoft's own Bluetooth gadgets, including the Surface Earbuds and Surface Headphones 2, have not received LE Audio support yet. In contrast, Apple's ecosystem has been offering spatial audio across its platforms for a while. Nevertheless, the hope is that LE Audio will gain significant momentum as the technology advances in the coming months, particularly as we head into the fall season.
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