France - Denmark, April 29th, 2024 - In partnership with Perlisten, Trinnov will debut a new form of WaveForming at the Munich High-End show, from May 9th to 12th. The demonstration will consist of an exciting 11.1.6 channel system with Perlisten’s THX Certified Dominus surround system, utilizing no less than 8 D15S Perlisten 15” active subwoofers.
Trinnov to introduce Cylindrical WaveForming in Munich
WaveForming development continues following the introduction and selective rollout of the uncompromised Planar WaveForming model over the last 18 months. The response and reaction to WaveForming demonstrate that a holistic design-led approach guarantees the best results in control of standing waves and decay in the low frequencies.
At this year’s Munich show, Trinnov will showcase a new, less restrictive approach suitable for specific types of rooms and applications. Subwoofers will not need to be lifted off the ground but ideally distributed along the width of the room both at the front and the back of the listening areas.
This advancement further confirms Trinnov’s intention to provide realistic guidance as to what can be expected from the latest technologies, rather than falsely pretending signal processing can solve everything, regardless of electroacoustic and physical limitations of a loudspeaker system and a listening room. It also highlights the flexibility and adaptability of WaveForming and Trinnov technologies to an increased number of specific types of rooms and target applications.
Along with Perlisten’s refined high-performance loudspeakers and subwoofers, the demonstration will show how audiophile expectations can be met in a home theater setting.
Cylindrical WaveForming leverages the natural wave propagation of the low frequencies in a room to form an optimal wavefront using a line array of subwoofers placed below the screen and distributed along the width of the room.
In combination, the subwoofers within the line array, controlled by our WaveForming algorithm, produce a well-controlled cylindrical wave that reduces the reflections against the front and side walls whilst the rear subwoofers block the reflection from the back wall.
Having no subwoofer above the floor significantly reduces the system’s ability to control vertical axial room modes, yet it retains other benefits of WaveForming such as width and length room modes control over the entire room and significant decay reduction in the listening area. The ideal room for this implementation of WaveForming either features a highly absorbent low-frequency ceiling, or an open ceiling. In all cases, we strongly advise against placing the listener's head at the halfway point of the ceiling’s height.
Cylindrical WaveForming significantly reduces standing waves, but over a smaller area compared to planar WaveForming. This is why using WaveForming with a line array of subwoofers rather than a planar array is best suited for smaller listening areas.
Waveforming also supports hybrid layouts with a line array of subwoofers at the front, positioned on the floor, and a planar array at the rear.
Results obtained in a 5.17m x 7m x 3.3m room with a line array of 5 subwoofers at the front and planar array of 4 subwoofers at the rear.
Before
After
How does it compare to WaveForming with a planar array?
Below is a comparison table to understand what to expect from each implementation, including the use of the WaveForming algorithm in a conventional subwoofer setup.
WaveForming Comparison Table
In other words, we could summarize the different approaches as follows:
- Conventional subwoofer placement:
- Requires a minimum of 4 subwoofers, placed in corners or preferably moved toward the center of the room (to get close to the minimum requirement of Cylindrical WaveForming)
- Audible improvements with the WaveForming algorithms engaged include better decay control and improved clarity in low-mid frequencies.
- However, as subwoofers are outside the recommended positions, the front array cannot properly control the formation of the first wavefront, affecting the overall level of performance.
- Seat-to-seat consistency will be limited making these setup suitable for single or narrow listening areas in Home Cinema, HiFi or professional sound mixing environments.
- Line array of subwoofers:
- Follows the same subwoofer placement requirements as WaveForming planar in terms of horizontal distribution (up to 4,5m wide and 2,5m high rooms, the minimum requirements are limited to 4 subwoofers in total with 2 on each side of the room), except subwoofers are placed on the floor and specified with increased output capabilities.
- Maintains most of the benefits of Planar WaveForming but cannot fully control vertical room modes, which is why it is recommended for rooms with high ceilings and/or absorptive treatment for low frequencies.
- Achieves great control of the decay time in the low frequencies
- Improves seat-to-seat consistency for a larger area compared to a conventional setup, but not across multiple rows if there’s a significant amount of reflexions against the ceiling.
- Suitable for small rooms with single seating rows
- Planar array of subwoofers:
- Best, no compromise approach
- Highest WaveForming Results Guaranteed
- Achieve maximum seat-to-seat consistency and decay control
- Recommended for anyone willing to achieve the highest performance and for large rooms with multiple seating rows
How to experience it in Munich?
To experience this new implementation of WaveForming, visitors of the High-End Munich show are invited to make an appointment in Atrium 3.1, room C112. The room is made specially for the show and accommodates 18 people for each demo session.
The incredible Perlisten loudspeaker and subwoofer system will be driven by an Altitude32 and all speakers will be powered by an Amplitude16 and an Amplitude8.
Trinnov’s technology will also be found in other demonstrations:
- Monitor Audio will use an Altitude16 and an Amplitude16 for their 7.2.4 demonstration in Hall 3, M307.
- Potar will use an Altitude32 and an Amplitude16 for their high-end 2 channel demonstration. Their brand new flagship active 3-way high-end loudspeaker radipotar will be demonstrated in Hall 3, R07.
We look forward to meeting you at the show.
About Perlisten
Established by audiophile engineers with extensive experience at some of the world's most respected audio companies, Perlisten Audio distinguishes itself by implementing proprietary designs and technologies that enhance the listening experience, bringing home theater to a level typically associated with leading movie theaters across the globe. Perlisten's global footprint encompasses the company's R&D and management team based in Europe, North America, and Asia.