I won't profess to know anything about American football. In fact, I merely tuned into the Super Bowl late on Sunday night in hopes of catching the highly anticipated Halftime Show headlined by Kendrick Lamar. It was only by chance I then caught the end of the second half of the game. Apparently, it was an unprecedented and surprising win for the Eagles... whatever that means.
That digression aside, eventually the second half came to a close, and the Apple Music-backed showcase began. It was truly an exceptional performance by the hip-hop star with plenty of social commentary and spectacle, aided by R&B superstar SZA. I watched the performance live on ITVX, and while I got plenty of enjoyment from the dazzling choreography and occasional cameo from Hollywood legend Samuel L Jackson, I wasn't enamoured by the sound quality.
Ultimately, ITVX is a free service so I wasn't going to make any complaints, however, if I had to share some gripes, I found the sound mixing to be middling which resulted in Lamar's vocal performance being lost in the mix, and I wouldn't consider it to be particularly immersive either. Now, I don't expect ITV to drop me directly into the centre of a 70,000-plus capacity stadium, but considering the magnitude of the crowd, I was left wanting more.
So, when I opened the Apple Music app on my Apple TV 4K to put some background music on the other day, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Halftime Show had been uploaded in full, with higher audio quality and support for Spatial Audio. I ended up watching the entire show and was immediately struck by how much more immersive it sounded, thanks to the inclusion of Dolby Atmos. For reference, I use a Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus at home, which we awarded five stars thanks to its spacious sound and impressive musical ability.
And, while audio is the main focus, Apple Music also streams the performance in 4K Dolby Vision. This was a greatly appreciated addition as the red, white and blue outfits of Lamar's dance troop all popped with additional vibrancy, while the extra detail was noticeable in the wide shots capturing the entire stadium bobbing along to the music.
Back to sound, and it must be said that Apple Music has since been my go-to place to rewatch this performance. The vocal mix is greatly improved, elevating Kendrick Lamar's and SZA's vocals to sound clearer and more textured, while the buzz of the crowd surrounds them to add excitement and an atmosphere that was missing from the original broadcast. You get a much greater sense of the audience singing along without overshadowing Lamar, and it's especially evident when the crowd chants the infamous "A-minor" line from the ruthless (and Grammy-winning) Drake diss track.
Standout tracks from the performance include All The Stars, Luther, Not Like Us and HUMBLE, all of which sounded grander and more immersive thanks to the Dolby Atmos mix.
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On a broader scale, this has advanced my appetite for Dolby Atmos concerts; something I've explored tentatively before but never truly dug into. I've seen clips of concert films at various product launches and demos which have been played in Dolby Atmos. These include Billie Eilish's Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles and Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour (Taylor's Version) on Disney Plus. With both, I have been generally impressed with how the sound mixing captures the performance space and adds a sense of immersion that's usually hard to capture.
While they'll never replace the feeling of watching the performance live, I'm warming up to the idea of concert films presented in Dolby Atmos. Speaking of recreating the live experience, I've managed to snag tickets to see Kendrick Lamar and SZA on tour later this year, so I'm eager to find out how well Apple Music emulates the live experience of their performances.
While the Super Bowl itself was broadcast in Dolby Atmos, it was only provided in the US for Comcast Xfinity subscribers; disappointingly the UK didn't get the option to watch with immersive audio.
However, with the next Super Bowl a year away, I hope that time is spent wisely on bringing Dolby Atmos audio live from the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California to more locations, including the UK. In the meantime, I'll brush up on my American football knowledge so I'm prepared for next year's big game.
Lewis Empson is a Senior Staff Writer on What Hi-Fi?. He was previously Gaming and Digital editor for Cardiff University's 'Quench Magazine', Lewis graduated in 2021 and has since worked on a selection of lifestyle magazines and regional newspapers. Outside of work, he enjoys gaming, gigs and regular cinema trips.
