Various implementations include audio systems and methods for mixed rendering to enhance audio output. Certain implementations include an audio system having: at least one far-field speaker configured to output a first portion of an audio signal; and a pair of non-occluding near-field speakers configured to output a second portion of the audio signal in synchrony with the output of the first portion of the audio signal, where the second portion of the audio signal increases intelligibility of the speech content within the audio signal.

The present document relates to methods and apparatus for rendering input audio for playback in a playback environment. The input audio includes at least one audio object and associated metadata, and the associated metadata indicates at least a location of the audio object. A method for rendering input audio including divergence metadata for playback in a playback environment comprises creating two additional audio objects associated with the audio object such that respective locations of the two additional audio objects are evenly spaced from the location of the audio object, on opposite sides of the location of the audio object when seen from an intended listener's position in the playback environment, determining respective weight factors for application to the audio object and the two additional audio objects, and rendering the audio object and the two additional audio objects to one or more speaker feeds in accordance with the determined weight factors. The present document further relates to methods and apparatus for rendering audio input including extent metadata and/or diffuseness metadata for playback in a playback environment.

A hybrid input networked subwoofer includes a traditional line-in analog audio input for receiving analog audio content from non-networked audio source devices together with wired and/or wireless network interfaces for receiving digital audio content from one or more networked audio devices.

The present invention relates to a method for managing the low frequency content obtained by a loudspeaker system comprising a plurality of loudspeaker devices, such as a surround sound loudspeaker system, wherein each individual loudspeaker device has a known response as a function of frequency under anechoic conditions comprising a phase response, the method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of loudspeaker devices (1, 2, 3, 4) and for each of said plurality of loudspeaker devices (1, 2, 3, 4) providing the corresponding phase response as a function of frequency obtained under anechoic conditions and for each of the individual loudspeaker devices (1, 2, 3, 4) inserting a filter device (5, 6, 7, 8) in the signal chain to the corresponding loudspeaker device (1, 2, 3, 4), where the individual filter device (5, 6, 7, 8) is configured such that the resulting phase response of each individual loudspeaker device (1, 2, 3, 4) under anechoic conditions is substantially the same for all of the loudspeaker devices (1, 2, 3, 4). The invention further relates to a loudspeaker system implementing the method of the invention.

One embodiment provides a computer-implemented method that includes implementing a customizable compressor for at least one sidechain processing associated with a loudspeaker. Machine learning is applied to automatically tune one or more parameters of the at least one sidechain processing. One or more channels are extracted, including a low-frequency effects (LFE) channel, for nonlinear signal synthesis. A proportional power-sum-based mix-in of an LFE sidechain channel is applied into a non-LFE sidechain. The LFE sidechain channel is maintained within a specified threshold of being level, before and after nonlinear signal synthesis.

Disclosed embodiments include techniques for generating a low-frequency sound field for an audio system. A computing device in the audio system determines that a first playback level of an audio input is less than a maximum playback level of the audio system. Based on the first playback level, the computing device retrieves one or more first parameters associated with a first loudspeaker included in the audio system, where the one or more first parameters decrease a first cutoff frequency of the first loudspeaker to a second cutoff frequency. The computing device modifies a first portion of an audio signal transmitted to the first loudspeaker to decrease the first cutoff frequency to the second cutoff frequency based on the one or more first parameters.

Various implementations include audio systems and methods for mixed rendering to enhance audio output. Certain implementations include an audio system having: at least one far-field speaker configured to output a first portion of an audio signal; and a pair of non-occluding near-field speakers configured to output a second portion of the audio signal in synchrony with the output of the first portion of the audio signal, where the first portion of the audio signal is distinct from the second portion of the audio signal.

A system for providing augmented audio to users in a vehicle, comprising: a plurality of speakers disposed in a perimeter of a cabin of the vehicle; and a controller configured to receive a first audio signal and a second audio signal, to drive the plurality of speakers in accordance with a first array configuration such that a bass content of the first audio signal is produced in a first listening zone within the vehicle cabin, and to drive the plurality of speakers in accordance with a second array configuration such that a bass content of the second audio signal is produced in a first listening zone within the vehicle cabin, wherein in the first listening zone a magnitude of the first bass content is greater than a magnitude of the second bass content and in the second listening zone the magnitude of the second bass content is greater than the magnitude of the first bass content.

Systems and methods for adjusting bass levels of a multi-channel audio signal include, among other features, (i) receiving the multi-channel signal via a playback device; (ii) separating, from the multi-channel signal, low-frequency signals comprising frequencies less than a threshold frequency; (iii) determining electrical energies of the low-frequency signals; (iv) determining a first energy by summing the electrical energies of the low-frequency signals; (v) consolidating the low-frequency signals into a consolidated low-frequency signal; (vi) determining a second energy by determining an electrical energy of the consolidated low-frequency signal; (vii) generating a gain-adjusted low-frequency signal by adjusting a gain of the consolidated low-frequency signal based on both (a) the first energy and (b) the second energy; (viii) generating a gain-adjusted multi-channel signal by mixing the gain-adjusted low-frequency signal back into the multi-channel signal; and (ix) using the gain-adjusted multi-channel signal to play back gain-adjusted multi-channel audio content via the playback device.

A method and system dynamically adjusts the audio of an audio and video signal to improve its overall sound quality and dialog intelligibility. Some embodiments use gain, equalization, audio signal compression and spatial enhancement (reverb) on individual channels of a multichannel audio signal.