July/August 2024
ertonline.co.uk
The Model M1 also has Heos built-in and comes with Virtual Dolby processing, designed to create a three-dimensional sound field from two-channel content.
UK outfit Lithe Audio is also taking a different
approach to home theatre which could prove catnip to curious buyers, as well as a boon for retailers who have moved into custom install. It’s new WiSA-enabled Dolby Atmos home cinema Hub (pictured below) couples wirelessly to the all-weather WiSA iO1 speaker, as well as WiSA ceiling speakers and subwoofers.
The system can support as many as 30 stacked speakers! Buyers can build their home cinema system as funds allow. With no need to run cables, new speakers can be paired wirelessly and assigned a channel role (centre, rear, height etc).The system also supports AirPlay 2, Chromecast and Bluetooth. When it comes to selling Hi-Fi, it’s often the likes of Sonos and Bose that are moved front and centre, but many will be surprised to hear that Samsung is actually one of the world’s biggest audio brands, thanks to its domination of the soundbar category and its strength in earbuds (where it’s second only to Apple). The brand’s R&D, and sonic tuning, is carried out in California at its Digital Media Solutions (DMS) Audio Lab. I recently paid a visit to learn more about the operation. The man in charge is Allan Devantier, VP of Audio R&D, formerly of Harman. Mr Devantier helped launch the Lab in 2013. The brainchild of Jong-Hee Han, President
of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, and HS Kim, President and CEO of Samsung’s Consumer Electronics Division, it was initially launched with the aim of improving TV audio, but went on to develop the Wireless Audio Radiant 360 R7, a futuristic multiroom speaker featuring a novel Ring Radiator, effectively foreshadowing where the rest of the audio industry was heading.
Music Frame Recent
innovations include the Samsung
Music Frame (pictured top right), a sibling to the Frame TV. Mr Devantier’s team developed the Perceptual Bass extension used by the picture frame speaker, which adds low-order harmonics to bass tones for a fuller tone. Interestingly, it’s not just retailers that feel the
Above: Lithe Audio home cinema Below: Samsung’s Q930D
Soundbar, Subwoofer & Speakers
pressure when it comes to selling new audio concepts to consumers… “When you’re Samsung, every year you’ve got to come up with something new and it’s getting really hard!” Mr Devantier told me. The Samsung Audio Lab boffins are determined to stay ahead of the competition, particularly when it comes to soundbars. Mr Devantier and his team are looking to improve the scale and sound quality of soundbars, with
19
advanced driver technology and innovative virtual sound coding. He says his team are “trying to improve immersion and spaciousness even more so. But it takes work. It takes research…” Currently impressive from Samsung is the Q-Series 9.1.4ch Q930D, a cinematic soundbar with subwoofer and rear speakers. This high-end home cinema package, which retails for £1,149, delivers immersive Dolby Atmos from no less than 17 individual drivers. It’s also Q-Symphony capable when paired to compatible Samsung TVs – in addition to its native array, the set’s own speakers work simultaneously, creating an even larger soundstage. The supplied wireless rear speakers come with an up-firing Dolby Atmos module, which works in partnership with the up-firing drivers on the ‘bar itself, to create a canopy of sound. For those customers who find it difficult to
hear TV dialogue during dramas, Samsung’s Active Voice Amplifier (AVA) feature is able to detect background noise and boost dialogue clarity accordingly. The system also comes with SpaceFit Sound Pro which quickly calibrates the output to the listening environment. >>
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
