Boom for iOS is an app that changes your music, presumably for the better. The app is an equalizer that adds depth and bass to regular MP3 files, turning audio played through even the junkiest of ear buds into something worth listening to complete with better bass and the sort of 3D sound that makes various speakers “appear” in mid-air.
Now obviously the changes aren’t for everyone. Purists won’t want to listen to the late Peter Schickele albums on anything but an old Victrola, for instance.
The app is an interesting addition to your music arsenal. It’s quite simple. You play your music through it and then select various effects, including 3D surround sound simulation and various boosters. It is free for five days and then you have to pay to unlock it. It also cannot modify DRM-protected or streaming music.
How does it work? On the songs I was able test it on there was definitely a nice sense of separation as well as some applied reverb that was just at the edge of perception.
The app has already been available on OS X for five years and the company that created it, Global Delight, has over 2.5 million monthly active users. They also create Camera Plus and Vizmato.
“The key differentiator in the market is its unique audio processing logic, by which Boom iOS app can spatialize ordinary stereo music into a very realistic surround experience on headphones. So it’s basically surround sound anywhere, anytime without any expensive hardware,” said the software architect Sandhya Prabhu.
The company is licensing the technology to streaming services and manufacturers, which means your P.D.Q. Bach tracks may soon sound amazing on your old JVC headphones, a dream that the great flugelhorn players have had for centuries.
