Do Any Bluetooth Speakers Use Audyssey Processing?

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Q Are there any powered Bluetooth speakers on the market that use Audyssey or similar technologies? I have Audyssey Dynamic EQ available in my main listening area and I enjoy being able to listen at lower volume levels without losing proper frequency balance. It would be nice to have this ability in other rooms and also when I travel. —Dallas Holston, via email

A There aren’t any powered wireless speakers I know of that incorporate a version of the Audyssey auto calibration or Dynamic EQ technologies found in certain AV receivers. However, several higher end powered wireless speakers from companies including Sonos, Apple, Paradigm, Dynaudio, and Technics all offer proprietary room calibration/auto EQ processing to help correct the boomy and/or muddy performance that small, powered speakers may suffer from when placed in less-than-optimal positions such as in a corner or against a wall. Sonos was the first to offer this feature in a wireless speaker with its Trueplay processing.

In most cases, the room calibration/auto EQ processing is carried out using an app that runs on your smartphone or tablet. Paradigm Premium Wireless Series speakers, for example, use the company’s ARC (Anthem Room Correction) Mobile app, which taps the built-in microphone on your device to take measurements of test tones emitted by the speaker from multiple positions. An EQ filter based on the measurements is then generated by the app, and that information gets uploaded directly to the speaker.

Apple’s HomePod, on the other hand, includes a “spatial awareness” feature where a set of six built-in microphones monitor the speaker’s placement and automatically adjust the output of individual drivers to compensate for room boundaries.

Are there wireless speakers with room EQ processing that also support Bluetooth/portable playback? I only know of one option: Dynaudio’s Music series wireless multiroom speakers. But at $499 for the Music 1, $699 for the Music 3 (shown), and more for the Music 5 and Music 7, you’ll pay handsomely for that feature set.

COMMENTS
Mercurian's picture

The Devialet Phantom series have room correction and have both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.

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