Yves Trélohan, StormAudio senior VP
StormAudio, a consumer electronics hardware company owned by Belgium-based Auro Technologies, made its U.S. debut at CEDIA Expo last week by launching a line of immersive sound processors and power amplifiers equipped to accept and play the leading 3D audio formats including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Auro-3D.
The company said its mission is to make and market “the ultimate in high-end immersive audio, pushing the boundaries of home theater to new levels of performance.”
StormAudio products are designed and manufactured in France and are specialized in immersive audio processing, like the Auro-3D channel specific 3D audio format championed for professional cinema applications by the parent company. However, Yves Trélohan, StormAudio senior VP and head of the Home Entertainment and Luxury Audio Product Division, said the StormAudio product line is manufactured and marketed to be audio-format agnostic and does not focus on one format over another.
Read more on the new StormAudio immersive audio product line after the jump:
Trélohan said that StormAudio is a licensee of Auro-3D technology just as it licenses Dolby Atmos and DTS:X under long-term contracts, and its products are engineered to handle all three at a premium level of performance not seen in the consumer marketplace.
He said that changes in the high-end home theater market through the arrival of immersive audio technologies, created an opportunity to capitalize on StormAudio’s exceptional R&D team, consisting of some of the world’s most knowledgeable engineers in the immersive audio field.
Looking to expand its roll in technologies originally developed for the professional cinema business, Auro Technology acquired StormAudio in 2015 to branch out into the emerging consumer 3D audio market. The company’s products all offer advanced feature sets and state-of-the-art performance.
The StormAudio ISP 3D.16 Elite Immersive Sound Processor
Current products include: three immersive sound processors (ISPs) including the ISP 3D.16 Elite ($13,800 suggested retail), ISP 3D.32 Elite ($18,400) and ISP 3D.32 Elite Reference Edition ($23,000). All were designed for compatibility with the three immersive audio sound formats and include an intuitive user-interface, offer a scalable modular platform design and remote-monitoring capabilities.
Best Selling Soundbars and 5.1 Surround Systems
Key features include: StormOptimizer room calibration and automatic equalization; SpherAudio binaural immersive sound for headphones; StormRemote monitoring; fully configurable speaker management; unlimited multi-subwoofer channels; multi-way active and passive speaker management; HDMI connectivity (7 inputs/2 outputs) with 4K UHD and HDCP2.2 support; up to 16-channel immersive sound decoding and upmixing; up to 32 channels post-processing; 6x SPDIF digital inputs; high quality analog audio with high-grade ADC/DAC; network and internet-based control (over Wi-Fi or wired network); optional module slots for feature expansion and single home/rack casing with removable rack mount ears.
To ensure top level sound calibration, Trélohan said that StormAudio reached an agreement with Barco to deliver “the best room optimizer on the market.”
The company’s power amplifier line includes models PA 8 Master ($6,900), PA Elite 8 ($9,200) and PA 16 Elite ($11,500). Each model includes a large power supply with highly-efficient high-current amplifier modules. An electronically-managed vent system is included for temperature control and rack-mounting capability. Like the ISPs, the amps can also be remotely-monitored and serviced.
Key features include Class D amplification; network monitoring; analog XLR inputs; trigger in, and trigger out.
The flagship PA 16 Elite offers 16 channels of high power output with optimization for use with multi-purpose high-profile speakers. The Class D amplifier lists 200W @ 8 Ohm and 400W @ 4 Ohm with up to 8 channels driven, and 225W @ 4 Ohm with all channels driven. It comes with XLR inputs, remote control via trigger and high-quality speaker binding posts that support banana plug and large wire sections.
The PA 16 Elite comes in a home or rack version.
“We offer a system that is second-to-none in the market,” said Trélohan. “With all of this and our comprehensive support, I think we provide the most attractive package as a business case.”
StormAudio products are distributed and sold in the United States through the custom installation channel with representation by Clarity AV International.
By Greg Tarr
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