Can You Play 8D Audio In Your Car? (Explained)

Streaming services such as Spotify, Pandora, and SiriusXM allow you to listen to your favorite music while you drive. But there’s a new way to get the same experience in your car without a monthly service charge.

8D audio works as a result of three different factors; effects, equalization techniques, and panning. All of them combine to create 8D music, which tricks the brain to believe the sound is coming from different places. For you to make the illusion of 8D audio real, the best thing to use is headphones and not car speakers.

Does 8D audio work with speakers?

One of the frequently asked questions about 8D music is – does the sound work with speakers. To answer the question, I’ll say yes; 8D audio works with speakers. However, you need to understand that this is not the best way to enjoy 8D music.

The true value of 8D sound comes with the use of headphones and not speakers. Before I proceed to explain why that is so, let me start by talking about what 8D music is all about, including how it works.

What is 8D audio and how does it work?

I’m sure you must have heard, read, or even used the 3D audio before. You know exactly what it means and how it works. Since 3D audio involves virtually placing sound sources anywhere in three-dimensional space, does that also mean 8D music is in 8 dimensions?

The answer is no! The “8D” name that comes with the trending 8D music technology is just a play on words for YouTubers. For them, choosing the name is just a marketing strategy to attract and get you to listen to the music and also subscribe to their channels. Although that’s true, you need to understand that there’s more to it than just the name.

Yes, 8D music is not in any way close to 8 dimensions. However, the sound has a way of getting you to feel as if you’re in another dimension than where you’re currently at.

According to sound experts, 8D audio is more of a 3D audio effect that mimics the principle of binaural recording to create a more immersive experience for us. As previously mentioned, 8D audio is possible because of a mix of three different things; equalization (EQ) approach, panning, and effects.

Here’s how the 8D technology works

As you now know, the 8D audio technology uses a mix of effects, panning, and EQ techniques, to produce more relaxing audio.

Technically, the EQ technique is a process that involves adjusting the tonal balance of various frequency components in an audio signal. In music, equalization works in two different ways. The first one is to by cutting the range of frequencies to remove irrelevant information. Alternatively, it could work to boost the frequencies, making them more emphasized.

Furthermore, panning in music production is often used by sound engineers to place sounds in the left to right spectrum of a stereo image. Panning plays an important role in how you deliver a good mix. It allows you to distribute audio signals, such as mono sounds, into a new stereo effect or multichannel sounds.

That said, 8D music is created with a combination of EQ technique, panning, and addition of effects. When the three factors are combined, they produce an audio effect that tricks our brain into thinking the sounds are coming from different locations.

Now, let’s go back to the burning question of whether or not 8D audio will work with speakers. Yes, the music will most likely work but won’t produce the much-needed sound effect that’ll provide you with a more immersed experience.

Here’s why you need headphones and not speakers

One of the factors that make headphones the best choice for 8D music is that the sound from the right piece doesn’t extend to that of the left piece. And of course, that is the principle upon which 8D music technology is built – the continuous movement of sound from the left ear to the right one. However, this is very unlikely the case when you make use of speakers.

Here’s a clearer illustration, imagine you set a pair of speakers very close to each side of your ears and play a sound. What you’ll experience is audio crosstalk. This situation, according to an explanation given by Hugh Robjohns of SOS, occurs when there’s an “unwanted ‘bleeding’ of sound from one channel into another.”

Furthermore, with crosstalk, it becomes pretty much difficult for the brain to understand exactly where the sound is coming from. With mini speakers fixed separately into your ears, you will only be able to hear sounds from both ears simultaneously. So, this is why I said that using speakers won’t enable you to enjoy the benefits that come with listening to 8D sounds.

Bottom line: for you to enjoy all the goodies that come with listening to 8D music, you sure need to use headphones.

Can you play 8D audios in your car?

Here’s another burning question; is it possible to play 8D audios in your car? The answer to the question is yes; you can always play 8D audios in your car. The only problem, however, is that you will most likely not enjoy the music this way. Before going ahead to explain further about why, here’s a quick question, where can you find 8D music to play in your car?

The best place to find 8D audios is on YouTube. The platform has tons of 8D sounds that you can always download on your phones or stream freely. All you need to do is to search “8D music” and you can start selecting your preferred audios. Furthermore, you can always find 8D music on several different streaming platforms, such as Deezer, Spotify, Soundcloud, etc.

So, after getting the 8D audios on your phone, you can connect the phone to your car to enjoy the sounds. Alternatively, use your vehicle’s CarPlay or Android Auto to connect to the YouTube music app and then start playing the 8D sounds.

Again, one of the few setbacks of 8D music technology is that it doesn’t work without headphones. While you’ll be able to play the sounds in your car, it’ll be very difficult for you to enjoy the benefits that come with the trending music technology with only your car speakers.

Does 8D audio help with anxiety?

According to a study, more than 275 million people suffer from anxiety disorders. In case you don’t know, that’s about 5% of the entire world population. So, here’s a quick question, can 8D music technology helps to address this health-related issue?

The simple and direct answer to the question is that listening to 8D music can always help to combat anxiety. By listening to 8D audio through headphones, you’ll notice the movement of the music from the left to right side and back.

As you already know, that the resulting bi-lateral sound of 8D audio is caused by the effect of panning when mixing the song. In case you don’t know, the same bi-lateral sound is utilized in Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing or EMDR.

An example of 8D sounds that could help to relieve anxiety and depression is the 8D Binaural Beats designed by Dr. Jeremy Alford. The sound, which was designed with a combination of 8D audio and binaural beats, offers an immersive and calming experience.

Conclusion

The trending 8D music technology offers tons of amazing benefits to us. First, it makes audio or previously created sounds more relaxing. The indirect benefit of that is it’ll help you relieve stress and anxiety. Furthermore, 8D music will offer you a more immersive experience by making you feel as if you’re in a new dimension, such as a live performance.

However, it has its issues. One of them is that you need to listen to the sounds using headphones and not speakers. That said, I’ll advise you to use noise-canceling earbuds for better results.