News

Airsound develops stereo reproduction from single speaker enclosures (3/9/2007)

System offers major performance advances in professional audio and MI applications

* AIRSOUND(tm) returns to founding principles of stereo reproduction to engineer 'single point' stereo from speaker enclosures of all types and sizes.

* Airsound LLP actively seeks licensees for its technology in professional audio and MI markets, where AIRSOUND(tm) stereo offers significant performance and cost advantages over conventional stereo speaker systems.

AIRSOUND(tm) is a new method of reproducing stereo signals from a single speaker enclosure. The technology returns to the founding principles of stereo reproduction, reproducing signals as 'direct' and 'spatial' sound, instead of as discrete left and right channel audio (see Editors' Notes). This method of reproduction provides significant advantages over conventional spaced left and right speaker stereo, in professional audio, MI, and commercial audio applications.

Airsound LLP, the company founded to exploit AIRSOUND(tm) technology, has registered several patents in respect of the development, and is currently seeking licensing agreements with professional audio and MI manufacturers.

The direct and spatial AIRSOUND(tm) reproduction system enables authentic stereo reproduction from a single speaker enclosure, filling a room with a full and balanced stereo signal everywhere in front of the enclosure: the on/off axis and limited stereo 'sweet point' issues of conventional stereo do not apply to AIRSOUND(tm) stereo.

The ability to reproduce true stereo from a single enclosure of almost any size, enables integration of the technology in a wide range of products, including small to medium PA, studio monitors, home keyboards, portable practice amplifiers, guitar amplifiers, and commercial audio installation systems.

INHERENT BENEFITS OF AIRSOUND(tm) STEREO

* The AIRSOUND(tm) speaker system processes conventional left / right stereo audio, reproducing a spatial stereo soundfield that can be heard anywhere in the room.

* The signal is frequency and phase response are accurate throughout the entire soundfield and not just within a stereo sweet spot

* Dissipation of the AIRSOUND(tm) stereo signal over distance is considerably less than with conventional stereo.

* The use of AIRSOUND(tm) in portable or integrated playback systems (such as for keyboards, musical practice and rehearsal products, and small PA) enables the reproduction of true hi-fidelity stereo signals from even the most miniature of these; typically replacing low quality mono or 'faux' stereo speaker arrangements.

* For PA and commercial audio systems employing multiple cabinets or enclosures, the smaller number of AIRSOUND(tm) systems required to cover a given area, and the greater distance between them, compared with conventional stereo systems, means that there is no loss of energy or quality through the frequency cancellation effects of filter combing between adjacent cabinets. Path length phase distortion, inherent separate left and right channel speaker systems, is also eliminated, further improving signal clarity.

* The AIRSOUND(tm) system offers significant power and component efficiencies over conventional stereo, since
i. the main and spatial channels together require significantly less power draw than conventional two channel stereo systems: the spatial channel requires (on average) only 20% rms power consumption of the main signal channel, representing an aggregate saving of 40% over conventional stereo systems.
ii. AIRSOUND(tm) speaker systems greatly reduce the number of speaker enclosures required in any given space, both by providing stereo reproduction from one rather than two speaker cabinets, and by reducing the number of cabinets required to provide stereo coverage for any given area.

AIRSOUND(tm) enables true and effective stereo replay systems to be integrated within any electronic product (including low profile or portable AV devices, such as flat panel displays, compact home entertainment systems, mobile media players and communications devices) or to be installed in almost any kind of environment.

www.airsound.net