The motto “bigger is better” has always been true in the United States. So it says a lot when the prototype of the new soundbar shown at CES caused a stir. But Danish company Dynaudio’s Symphony Opus One actually handily beats previous soundbars in several respects, including its 185-centimetre width. According to the manufacturer, the model should ideally fit under an 83-inch television.
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Housing 14 mid-bass drivers, 6 tweeters and 4 dedicated bass drivers. The latter are each composed of two opposite membranes. Its purpose is to reduce disturbing resonances because the opposing forces cancel each other out (canceling forces). Two tweeters and two woofers radiate towards the ceiling, with two woofers towards the sides. The drivers are powered by a Class D amplifier totaling 1,500 watts. For comparison, Sennheiser’s already huge top model Ambio Soundbar Max “only” has a total of 13 drivers and 500 total watts.
Now you can imagine that Symphony Opus One won’t be cheap. Dynaudio is aiming for an MSRP of $20,000 for its first soundbar, which should be ready for the market by the end of the year/early next year. Please note that the base presented at CES has not been preserved yet; It is an assistive device. However, a remote control with an integrated measuring microphone is included, which is used to calibrate the system. In-house measurement process is used.
Dynaudio’s Symphony Opus One is equipped with 72 motorized wooden slats that close when the soundbar is not in use.
(Image: Heise Online/Nico Jurran)
The Symphony Opus One also puts on a little show for its money: at the beginning of playback, 72 motorized wooden slats open one after another. They adapt to one of four sound modes and can even remain locked to the drivers responsible for the center channel during pure stereo playback. However, they should not act dynamically during playback. When asked by Heise Online, the manufacturer explained that they were making every effort to fix defects in the folding mechanism as easily as possible.
During the demo, the manufacturer demonstrated that it is actually a sound projector: sound can be sent to specific seating positions in the room using beam forming (here referred to as “deep dive”), so that those seated there The person is visible. In a way, the sound was wrapped in a bubble. If one is not sitting in an optimal position in front of the soundbar or needs multiple sweet spots in the room, the Symphony Opus One should be able to compensate.
Dynaudio’s soundbar alone has 14 woofers, four of which are oriented upward or to the side.
(Image: Heise Online/Nico Jurran)
The height effect of the Dolby Atmos soundtrack came out clearly in the demo. It’s still unclear whether the Symphony Opus One will also be able to process Auro-3D soundtracks. However, the chances of this happening are good as Dynaudio’s Chinese parent company Goerdina Group recently acquired Auro (as NuAuro and now NuAuro BV). Dynaudio has therefore not yet provided any information about what virtual channel configuration the Symphony Opus One will ultimately be advertised with.
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