Audio Video News

Trinnov Audio Altitude16 Surround Sound Processor: $18,000

Yes, you read that right — there are three zeros. The Altitude16 surround processor from Paris-based Trinnov Audio is quite possibly the most advanced surround processor on the planet. For starters, it’s a 16-channel PC-based device with onboard processing for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro, and Auro-3D, plus it’s equipped with eight 18Gbps-cable HDMI 2.0 inputs to name but a few of its numerous connections. The A16 is compatible with all of the major custom-installation controllers and its modular design erases worries of obsolescence, ensuring you can easily upgrade to HDMI 2.1, for example, when that update becomes available. Most important, it delivers spectacularly realistic sound.

Once he got beyond the intimidation of reading through the 172-page owner’s manual, reviewer David Vaughn engaged the A16’s setup wizard and specified a 7.1.4 speaker layout before letting Trinnov’s auto-calibration system work its magic. He loved having near-infinite tweaking capability with the ability to save multiple custom calibrations (up to 29!) and switch between them on the fly. He also marveled at the Dolby Atmos Object Viewer, which displays a three-dimensional depiction of your room that indicates which speakers are active and when. Of course, we’re just scratching the surface of the processor’s capabilities here, which is to say the A16 is a dream come true for the obsessive audiophile.

Vaughn admitted to “falling in love” after a month of living with the Trinnov Altitude16. “It was able to take my multipurpose space and make it sound like a fully enclosed theater. No other room-correction system I’ve evaluated has performed as effectively — the Trinnov Optimizer is literally in a class by itself.” Running through his collection of Dolby Atmos demo discs, Vaughn observed: “Discrete pinpoint sound effects moved around the room in a precise manner, while the Optimizer’s bass management allowed for a seamless transition from my main speakers to the subs without any audible peaks or dips — my system never sounded better.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Phenomenal sound quality
Software-based platform makes upgrades easy
Superior room-correction processing
Minus
Pricey!
Basic remote control
Typically requires professional installation

Full Review Here (posted 6/23/21)

Home Theater Speaker Systems

Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 Surround Speaker System: $3,000 (as tested)

Elac’s plainly styled Uni-Fi 2.0 speakers may not be much to look at but the experience they deliver with movies and music is anything but pedestrian. In reprising the excellent Uni-Fi Series of speakers we reviewed in 2016, designer Andrew Jones has revisited the original line and made several improvements. All models in the revamped line have been updated with a new concentric driver featuring a 1-inch soft dome, a beefed-up 5.25-inch woofer, and a receiver-friendly 6-ohm impedance (the original was 4 ohms).

The Uni-Fi Series doesn’t offer a subwoofer so the tower-based 5.1 home theater suite we put together included Elac’s highly capable SUB3030 subwoofer, which may well be unique for its total lack of physical controls. There’s not even a power button! Setup is handled entirely through Elac’s companion app, which provides the usual complement of controls plus four EQ presets and a parametric EQ with eight memory slots for storing custom settings.

It didn’t take reviewer Al Griffin long to conclude that Elac’s updates translated into impressive sound quality, conveying the chaotic soundtrack of District 9 with precision, clarity, and a heightened sense of drama. The sonic thrills continued with Requiem for a Dream’s dynamic soundtrack but didn’t stop there. The adventurous 5.1 remix of Roxy Music’s Avalon (1982) created a sense of full immersion with “well-balanced sound that was detailed but not overly bright” and powerful at the low end. Listening to a variety of music on Elac’s UF52 towers alone, Griffin marveled at the speakers’ ability to convey a “clean, lively presentation that never once sounded aggressive” with instruments spread across a wide soundstage.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Clean, well-balanced sound
Consistent off-axis performance
Subwoofer control app with auto-EQ
Excellent value
Minus
Basic looks
Available only in black

Full Review Here (posted 2/3/21)

Polk Audio Reserve Surround Speaker System: $3,195

The Reserve speaker series is a more affordable follow-up to Polk’s flagship Legend series, the apex of which is represented by the L800 towers that earned a well-deserved Top Pick designation in 2019. Though the outward design of the new series is comparatively understated, the four models chosen for the Atmos-capable 5.2.0 home theater setup we reviewed use the same Pinnacle Ring Radiator tweeters and Turbine cone drivers developed for the Legend series. The R600 towers that anchored the system also feature an upgraded version of Polk’s Power Port, which uses a proprietary filter to eliminate unwanted noise.

The upshot of these technical features, which represent nearly five decades of refinement, is crisp near-full-range performance from a streamlined speaker system that relies on the towers for bass duties instead of bringing a separate subwoofer into the fold. Even without a dedicated subwoofer, reviewer Al Griffin characterized the bass impact with movies such as Tenet as thoroughly satisfying.” Griffin was also impressed with the system’s ability to convey dialogue clearly while creating an immersive sound bubble with a believable sense of height when he cued up the Atmos soundtrack of 2014's Godzilla on Ultra HD Blu-ray.

The R600 towers were equally capable with music, exhibiting a revealing quality with impressive dynamics and imaging that extended well beyond the physical boundaries of the speakers. Would the addition of a subwoofer produce deeper bass and a more dynamic presentation with action movies? Sure, but in medium-sized rooms most people will be more than satisfied with the system as is.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Crisp, near full-range performance
R900 height module delivers immersive sound
Impressive build quality for the price
Excellent value
Minus
Revealing sound can be slightly bright with some sources

Full Review Here (posted 5/5/21)

Monitor Audio Bronze 200 Surround Speaker System: $4,010 (as tested)

England’s Monitor Audio has spent more than four decades building and refining high-quality speakers, while becoming a leader in metal-dome driver technology. The entry-level Bronze Series, now in its sixth generation, stands as a great example of the value and quality the brand is known for. Fifteen years later, the line is still going strong as evidenced by the remarkably full and detailed sound delivered by the 5.4.2 surround system we put together — a setup comprising a pair of Bronze 200 towers outfitted with Dolby Atmos-enabled Bronze AMS height modules plus two additional AMS speakers for the rear of the room, a Bronze 150 center speaker, a pair of wedge-shaped Bronze FX surround speakers, featuring selectable bipole or dipole operation, and two Bronze W10 subwoofers.

Monitor’s longstanding focus and dedication paid off with music and movies. Jean Guillou's organ transcription of Pictures at an Exhibition (Dorian Recordings) was a standout for reviewer Tom Norton with the 200 tower/W10 subwoofer duo handling the recording’s deep organ notes with ease — and helping the W10 earn Top Pick status on its own. Likewise, he described the lively soundtrack of Blade Runner 2049 as “consistently involving with no sense of strain” and characterized the opening musical crescendo in Oblivion as stunning: “As Jack fired up his bubble-copter, and later as he circled the ruined stadium just before landing, the performance of the two small Bronze subwoofers was gripping.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Affordable price
Detailed overall sound
Good envelopment with Atmos soundtracks
Minus
Towers have limited deep bass
Ordinary cosmetics

Full Review Here (posted 1/20/21)