BERLIN — (Marketwire) — 09/02/11 — , the leader in for the home, automotive, mobile and theater markets, today introduced Audyssey Personal Surround, a technology that blends audio from specially designed headphones and speakers for completely new audio capabilities. The result is an immersive surround sound experience without the need for additional speakers.
There are two key elements in surround sound: envelopment and localization. provide great localization, but to achieve envelopment requires a large number of them. Surround systems today range from 5 to 11 speakers in a room. While this can create a seamless bubble of sound at some distance from the listener, it cannot replicate the sound of something nearby, such as someone whispering in your ear. Headphones, on the other hand, can be used to create envelopment behind the listener and also render sounds up close. But, sounds and dialog from the front tend to appear “inside your head” instead of at the screen. Audyssey Personal Surround uses a new set of acoustical and perceptual algorithms to blend speaker and headphone sound delivery for a truly immersive surround sound experience.
Audyssey Personal Surround-s first application will be in 3D TV systems. Specially designed headphones combined with the speakers built into the TV will provide 5.1-channel surround sound. The Audyssey headphone design allows listeners to experience the surround content without isolating them from others in the room. The application will also be included in for use with stereo or surround speaker systems. This technology can also be added to video games where characters talk in your ear or provide nearby sounds for added immersion.
“Up to now, all attempts at 3D sound have focused on two front speakers trying to render virtual speakers around the listener. These methods simply don-t work because they rely on the listener having to sit still in one location. Move your head and they-re gone. Headphone based 3D audio relies on precise measurement of each listener-s ears and that is just not practical. With Personal Surround we can overcome these limitations and render a more immersive experience,” said Chris Kyriakakis, Audyssey-s co-founder and CTO. “In doing so, we can also offer artists a new option in the creative process — the ability to control the distance of each sound in the content.”
Audyssey Personal Surround is being demonstrated to manufacturers at the IFA Tradeshow in Berlin and the company expects to announce its availability to consumers early next year.
Established in 2002, Audyssey Laboratories is the industry leader in research-based audio technologies to correct the fundamental acoustical problems in every home, car, TV, mobile, PC and movie theater system. For more information, visit or follow us on .
John Snedigar
Faultline Communications
408-705-7518
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