Wireless ATMOS: WISA. FLEXCONNECT, ..., are they ready?

[Alfredo02]

Hi All,

I'm building at home a wireless Atmos sound theater. And looks to me that it is still closer to sci-fi than to reality. When analyzing wireless transmitter technologies, soon most of the common ones disqualify due to lower latency, bit rates or many other requirements, since they need to feature a minimum of eight channels of uncompressed 24-bit sound, with a latency of 2.6 ms at 96kHz and with a synchronisation in between speakers of less than 2 useconds.

Only WISA (Wireless Audio Transmitter) and the new Dolby ATMOS FLEXCONNECT are capable to stand to the wireless Atmos requirements, but both are still really in their infant stages. Dolby has not yet announced a proper date to launch the product, expected to be later in this 2024. And WISA is giving their first infant steps. There are a number of speaker manufacturers adopting WISA standards, like DAVONE, Bang Olufsen, Buchardt, Dynaudio (FOCUS), Harman Kardon, KLIPSCH, LG, ... , most highly qualified and renowned brands, what it is good and signaling what it may looks like a slow but a good start. Officially they claim to have more than 70 brands WISA certified. But when it comes to WISA transmitters or receivers, the picture is quite dark.

Previous ASR threads exist, showing similar perplexity about a technology so close to client needs or to the technology state of the art, but having such a difficult commencement. Because not many people is very happy about wiring their whole house, including floors and ceilings. Particularly when people is talking about 11.2 or even more wired speakers... Certainly not my friends circle are happy about it, if that serves as an indicator.

WISA has their own transmitter SOUNDSEND, for aprox 180 euros or dollars, and KLIPSCH has their AXIIM product line open to other brands, form 220 dollars the receiver But the rest I know, are closed to their own technology, such as B&O with their beosound transmitter, DAVONE, Almando or others.

Does anyone know any other open WISA transmitter, aside Soundsend and Axiim? Any additional insights about this technology?

Best

 

[napfkuchen]

Maybe that's another option.

 

[Alfredo02]

Maybe that's another option.

Thanks . Platin announces their own transmitter, but it is nothing more than a rebranded WISA SoundSend, since WISA sells it's transmitter B2B as a white label.

This all started since I wanted to use my existing set of active speakers.

Maybe it is the right thing to do, to select either WISA or AXIIM. But it sounds perilously to me to lock yourself into an technology with only two suppliers... Is it to early to go atmos wireless?

 

[Alfredo02]

Maybe that's another option.

Thanks . Platin announces their own transmitter, but it is nothing more than a rebranded WISA SoundSend, since WISA sells it's transmitter B2B as a white label.

This all started since I wanted to use my existing set of active speakers.

Maybe it is the right thing to do, to select either WISA or AXIIM. But it sounds perilously to me to lock yourself into an technology with only two suppliers... Is it to early to go atmos wireless?

 

[Alfredo02]

MiniDSP has announced it's Flex product line will have WISA capability "soon".

Has not given a date, but it is encouraging.

 

[EERecordist]

Is it ready for your use case, bring your own speakers? Probably not.

In the spirit of being helpful -

I spent a little time reading the WISA wisatechnologies.com website. I have worked in wireless standards and understand the business side. It is not clear they will support a consumer receiver+amp, or receiver product. Their business plan seems to be charging for licenses like Dolby.

I would contact them with questions. You could also contact miniDSP to see what they can say about RX modules.

A product of this type needs a software ecosystem with a user interface. The software includes the room EQ at listening spot use case. So you license the technologies to vendors who can differentiate products. WISA has announced licensing it to TV makers where the transmitter and software would sit, broadcasting to the speaker system.

Maybe there are individuals in the DIY community interested?

One way I have found to find unannounced information is chatting at trade show booths. CES is where they show.

You could always offer yourself up to a vendor as a product tester.

 

[Alfredo02]

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Thank you very much for kind answer. We may need to recognize that it is to early and best will be to wait for companies Iike miniEDS to make a move.

It is sad to see how technologies that are ready to fit a real and existing need in the market, users can not take advantage of them due to lack of licenses agreements!!