In This Month's Edition Of Home-Cinema Choice, Steve Withers Immerses Himself In 3d Audio With Our Own Altitude16 Processor
HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE REVIEW:
Trinnov has been at the forefront of 3D audio since the beginning, and that shows with the Altitude16. It’s the most sophisticated and flexible processor I’ve encountered and, while not cheap, it certainly delivers the goods, creating a seamless, immersive audio experience thanks to its 16-channel talents.
The Trinnov, which handled the bass like a champ, keeping it taut, smooth and controlled but also thick enough to liquefy your insides. The overall sound field was so spacious that the ceilings of my demo room seemed to collapse.
Having tested every room equalization system available, I can say with some confidence that Trinnov’s Optimizer is the best example I’ve come across. Its closest competitor is Dirac Live and while that takes a similar approach, the Optimizer offers more nuanced control, greater subtlety and infinitely more flexibility.
There’s always a worry that the law of diminishing returns will apply to these high-end systems. Do they really make a difference and can they justify the cost?
In the case of the Altitude16, I’d say it does. This processor has a sense of cohesion and transparency that simply amazed me. When you consider the processing and amplification involved, it was always going to sound good, even with the optimization turned off. But as soon as you turn it on, the sound field is transformed, the room itself disappears, and the audio displays a complete sense of realism.