has dug up a patent Apple-ication (that's definitely going to stick) filed in March, and related to another filing from 2007. It allows for a software 'panner' in which surround sound setups can support multiple inputs and multiple configurations, and be extensively customised for optimal subjective sound quality.

The gist of is that this new system's principle virtue will, in classic Apple style, be that of simplicity.

"Conventional sound panners present a graphical user interface to help the operator to both manipulate the source audio signal and to visualize how the manipulated source audio signal will be mapped to the sound space," the filing reads. "However, given the number of variables that affect the sound manipulation, and the interplay between the variables, it is difficult to visually convey information to the operator in a way that is most helpful to manipulate the sound to create the desired sound... improved techniques are desired for visually conveying information in a user interface of a sound panner."

AppleInsider's parsing of the patent is that "Apple's solution is a panner that would allow users to manipulate a source audio signal as it applies to all speakers in the surround sound setup at once."