How Trinnov's Altitude CI AV processor showed me the importance of flagship
3D room correction in elite home cinema setups

Date:
Sat, 22 Aug 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Description:
The Trinnov Altitude CI AV processor is a magical piece of equipment you
didnt know you needed. Its 3D room correction, software-based processing, and modularity are all next level.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter I want to tell you about the Trinnov Altitude CI AV processor. And I want to tell you about it because its essentially an Intel computer posing as a processor with scalable channels
and a software-based platform that is constantly being updated.

But I need to tell you about how Trinnov was able to make a pair of ASCENDO Black Swan speakers sound good in what was essentially an elevator lobby, at Audio Advice Live 2026. The Black Swan Active Ext speakers are excellent two-way speakers that can get loud with a 132dB peak. They even come with their own DSP. After all, the ones showcased at the event, which were in a custom finish, retail around for around $40,000 each (so around 29,550 / AU$ 56,200) and theres more going on than just an asymmetrical horn. Its also worth mentioning that a $36,000 ASCENDO subwoofer was in the mix as well. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Its not ASCENDOs DSP doing the work in this particular situation though, its the Trinnov Altitude CI. Using Trinnovs unique and patented Waveforming and Optimizer technology theres also a 3D mic for getting measurements the audio, whether it was Stevie Ray Vaughn, Kamasi Washington (I did get a request in), or even some EDM, was as pristine and clear across all frequencies as if I were listening in a dedicated room.

Now, Im describing the sound within about ten feet of the speakers where some seating had been set up to appreciate all that was on offer. It did start to get a little diffuse when over by registration, about thirty feet to the right, or at the elevators, thirty feet back, but those were not intended listening areas. The ability and fine tuning of Trinnovs DSP is hard to beat. You may like McIntoshs new AV processor can handle 9.4.4 channels of Dolby Atmos and 7x 4K 120Hz HDMI ports I heard a reference 9.4.6-channel Dolby
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Can you imagine creating a listenable space in a room with high-arched ceilings, walkways in either direction and a wall of elevators on the far
end? Now, imagine what the Trinnov Altitude CI can do in a more ideal space. The Black Swan speakers and the Trinnov Altitude CI at the top of the tower (center-left) in a hotel lobby. (Image credit: Future / James Holland) The Room Correction There are a few things going on with the Trinnov Altitude CI (and really and of the Altitude series) that get the room out of the equation and allow a set of speakers to sing. One of the main components of the companys renowned room correction is its patented Optimizer, which, using a
3D mic, takes accurate measurements of what the room is hearing and adjusts accordingly. You can even do vertical and horizontal adjustments via the software to compensate for non-ideal speaker placement. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Trinnov also has its Waveforming technology, introduced in 2023 when researching a way to prevent standing waves instead of fixing them. Speaker and subwoofer placement as well as EQ were the traditional way of trying to mitigate the effects of standing waves, but you still get cold and hot spots throughout the room. And unless you only want to listen to music by yourself this is less important for that one seat situated in the sweet spot you
would want to get rid of those standing waves as much as possible.

By implementing Waveforming, you get much better seat-to-seat consistency.
And youll remove the muddiness from the low-end for a clearer sound and more dynamic contrast (theres usually a standing wave around 50Hz). It also surprisingly makes dialogue easier to hear if youre using the Trinnov
Altitude CI for a Home Theater setting as well (or listening to a podcast through your Hi-Fi speakers for some reason). Trinnov's software offers a lot of flexibility and fine tuning. (Image credit: Future / James Holland)
Looking under the hood Earlier I called the Trinnov Altitude CI an Intel computer, and its true. It uses an actual CPU and has a heavily modified
Linux base for its software. What this means is that Trinnov doesnt have to wait for someone to make a special DSP chip for them to build around as the internal processor is more than powerful enough. And that by making the processing software-based, the company can roll out any updates to Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dante, or anything else with a software update that just requires a press of a button and a few minutes. What to read next Denon Home 400 review: serious spatial audio and style, but smart assistance is lacking
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This means that if you own any Trinnov AV processor, they will stay up to
date for the foreseeable future so you wont need to go replacing hardware every time theres something new under the sun.

On the hardware side, the only moving target these days is HDMI. With the Trinnov Altitude CI, the HDMI ports are all separated on their own piece of hardware that can be removed for an updated one that you would get from the company so that your processor can support the new standard. Beats buying a whole new AV processor.

The one thing that really sets the Trinnov Altitude CI apart from the
Altitude 16 or 32 is that it has scalable channels. So when you purchase this processor, it includes eight channels in that initial price tag of about $12,000 / 8,870 / AU$16,960 and you can add channels two at a time after
until you get to 32 channels, and its about $28,000 / 20,700 / AU$39,560 for the Altitude CI fully loaded. Youll have to reach out to your local Hi-Fi dealer for exact pricing, but the Trinnov Altitude CI offers a more
affordable entry point into the Trinnov ecosystem. Did you know TechRadar now has membership? (Image credit: Future) Become a TechRadar Insider by simply clicking 'Join Now' at the top of this page. Have a question? Please email membership@techradar.com Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best stereo speakers all budgets Our top buys, based on real-world
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