Product category: Microprocessors, Microcontrollers and DSPs
News Release from: Texas Instruments (April 2001-March 2006) | Subject: Aureus DSP
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 11 March 2004
Audio DSP enables
Xbox surround sound system
Spherex developed the Xbox 5.1 surround sound system based on the TI Aureus audio DSP, setting a new standard for video game audio
The six-speaker Xbox 5.1 system with state-of-the-art sound processing supplied by TI's Aureus DSP provides surround sound for the entire home theatre. The new multimedia audio platform by Spherex was also a finalist in TechTV's 'Best of CES' awards, given for the most innovative products introduced in the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 11 March 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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Priced at less than $500, the Xbox 5.1 system incorporates all current popular surround sound formats and multiple audio inputs, allowing simultaneous support for up to five directly connected and networked audio sources.
Audio inputs can include the Xbox video game system from Microsoft and other gaming consoles, DVD and CD players, satellite TV, MP3/WMA compressed audio, PC and Internet radio.
Spherex, a subsidiary of Audio Products International Corp (API), one of the world's largest loudspeaker manufacturers, designed the Xbox 5.1 system to take advantage of technology normally used in much more expensive audio systems.
TI's TMS320DA601 audio DSP is at the heart of the system, enabling high-fidelity sound reproduction by decoding audio standards such as Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS, while still having the processing headroom for advanced acoustic features such as bass extension and audio dynamics.
'We selected TI's Aureus audio DSP for the Xbox 5.1 system because of the outstanding performance, flexibility and cost effectiveness of the device', said Alex Romanov, President and CEO.
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'Working with TI, Spherex has been able to achieve the best speaker system available at this price point for video gaming and audio entertainment'.
The Xbox 5.1 system includes a subwoofer and five satellite speakers based on API's Mirage Omnipolar technology, which uses room reflections to create sound as 30% direct to 70% reflected - the same ratio found in nature.
As a result, the speakers disperse sound in a 360-degree pattern, giving listeners a realistic immersive experience for gaming, movies and music playback.
'Innovative products like the Xbox 5.1 system demonstrate how TI is working with customers like Spherex to bring the best available audio technology to all multimedia applications', said Mohsin Imtiaz, Marketing Manager of Performance Audio, TI.
'High-performance Aureus audio DSPs make it possible for inexpensive multimedia audio platforms like the Xbox 5.1 system to provide a listening experience previously found only in high-priced equipment'.
TI's Aureus audio DSP solutions for home theatre and gaming products enable audio manufacturers to deliver feature-rich, realistic listening experiences across product lines from high-fidelity high-end systems to feature-driven low-cost systems.
The Xbox 5.1 system uses the DA601 DSP, a member of the Aureus family, to produce high-end audiophile sound at a cost-effective price point for multimedia solutions.
The DA601 is a 225MHz floating-point processor that delivers 1800MIPS and 32/64bit native processing.
It also features an open audio framework that provides a flexible environment in which manufacturers can easily add the features that differentiate their products and bring them to market more quickly.
The Xbox 5.1 surround sound system is scheduled for availability in April 2004, in stores where Xbox gaming equipment and speakers are sold.
Suggested retail pricing is $499.
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