Embodiments are directed to an upward-firing speaker that reflects sound off a ceiling to a listening location at a distance from a speaker. The reflected sound provides height cues to reproduce audio objects that have overhead audio components. The speaker comprises a direct-firing tweeter and an upward-firing full-range driver in a unitary enclosure for playback of front-channel and height-channel signals, respectively. A crossover passes high frequencies of a front-channel signal directly to the tweeter and combines low frequencies of the front-channel signal with the height channel signal to be played through the full-range driver. A virtual height filter is applied to the height channel signal to improve the perception of height for audio signals transmitted by the virtual height speaker to provide optimum reproduction of the overhead reflected sound.

The present disclosure relates to loudspeaker devices and configurations. In one embodiment, a loudspeaker includes a housing structure having multiple faces. A first face and second face of the housing are between first and second ends to arrange speaker configurations. The housing structure is configured to rotate to direct at least one of the first speaker configuration and the second speaker configuration for output of audio. In one embodiment, the housing structure is an elongated triangular structure. Loudspeaker configurations can include one or more elements to rotate the housing structure to direct at least one of the first speaker configuration and the second speaker configuration for output of audio. Loudspeaker configurations may also include a controller to operate at least one of the first speaker configuration and the second speaker configuration for output of audio based on position of the housing structure.

Aspects of a multi-orientation playback device including at least one microphone array are discussed. A method may include determining an orientation of the playback device which includes at least one microphone array and determining at least one microphone training response for the playback device from a plurality of microphone training responses based on the orientation of the playback device. The at least one microphone array can detect a sound input, and the location information of a source of the sound input can be determined based on the at least one microphone training response and the detected sound input. Based on the location information of the source, the directional focus of the at least one microphone array can be adjusted, and the sound input can be captured based on the adjusted directional focus.

A headset for a head having a first earpiece, a second earpiece, and a headband. The first earpiece has a horseshoe shaped housing and a plurality of audio elements. The housing of the first earpiece has a crest. The second earpiece has a horseshoe shaped housing and a plurality of audio elements. The housing of the second earpiece has a crest. The headband extends between the crest of the first earpiece and the crest of the second earpiece. The plurality of audio elements of the first earpiece are positionable against a first side of the head and the plurality of audio elements of the second earpiece are positionable against a second side of the head.

Described herein are modular speaker systems including a plurality of wireless speaker modules configured to output sound in a first arrangement and in a second arrangement, in which the first arrangement is different from the second arrangement. In the first arrangement, at least one speaker module can be in physical contact with at least one other speaker module. In the second arrangement, the at least one speaker module can be physically separated from the at least one other speaker module. The plurality of wireless speaker modules may be arranged in any orientation with respect to one another.

A soundbar includes a housing, at least two transducers of a first group and at least one transducer of a second group. The at least two transducers of the first group are arranged at the front side of the housing and configured to emit sound in a first direction in accordance with two first audio signals so as to reproduce a two dimensional sound field. The at least one transducer of a second group is arranged at second side of the housing and configured to emit sound in a second direction in accordance with a second audio signal such that the sound emitted by the at least one transducer of the second group reaches a predefined listener's position in a reflected manner to extend the two dimensional sound field in a height direction. The reflection reflecting the sound emitted by the at least one transducer of the second group has an order of at least two.

An example method is performed by a media playback system comprising a plurality of audio drivers configured to output audio content according to a first radiation pattern that produces an inherent directional effect. Based on data representing positions of one or more listeners in a listening area, the system determines first and second transfer functions corresponding to the first and second audio drivers, respectively. One or both of the transfer functions configure the first and second audio drivers to output audio content according to a second radiation pattern that produces a modified directional effect relative to the first radiation pattern. The system applies the transfer function to audio content thereby causing the first and second audio drivers to play back audio content according to the second radiation pattern.

A content output system is provided. The content output system includes a display apparatus configured to display a user interface (UI) for guiding a user input for setting a speaker corresponding to each of a plurality of channels according to a predetermined event and a plurality of speaker apparatuses configured to, in response to a user input corresponding to the user input guide being received, transmit a first signal corresponding to the user input to the display apparatus.

Embodiments are described for a method of simultaneously localizing a set of speakers and microphones, having only the times of arrival between each of the speakers and microphones. An autodiscovery process uses an external input to set: a global translation (3 continuous parameters), a global rotation (3 continuous parameters), and discrete symmetries, i.e., an exchange of any axis pairs and/or reversal of any axis. Different time of arrival acquisition techniques may be used, such as ultrasonic sweeps or generic multitrack audio content. The autodiscovery algorithm is based in minimizing a certain cost function, and the process allows for latencies in the recordings, possibly linked to the latencies in the emission.

A sound system for use with a non-acoustically transparent video screen (1) is disclosed, comprising at least one loudspeaker enclosure (10) comprising a loudspeaker (15) arranged so that the main direction of propagation of the sound (33) which it emits is directed towards said screen, the sound being reflected by the surface of the screen towards an audience (2). The enclosure (10) further comprises a second sound emitter (16/20) situated at the rear of said loudspeaker (15), whereby the loudspeaker enclosure has a directivity of the cardioid type. The second sound emitter may, for example, comprise an opening, combined with a defined quantity of acoustically absorbent material (17) arranged inside the enclosure (10) between the rear of the loudspeaker (15) and the opening (16); alternatively, it may comprise at least one second loudspeaker (20) situated so as to be substantially directed towards the audience (2), said second loudspeaker (20) being connected with a reversed polarity with respect to the principal loudspeaker (15).