Audio system and sound field controller

An audio system, comprising:

• three or more loudspeaker units, each loudspeaker unit comprising a monopole loudspeaker functioning as a coherent sound source, and a dipole loudspeaker functioning as a diffuse acoustic source;
• and
• a source of four or more audio channels for feeding the loudspeaker units, each audio channel having an intended output position relative to a listener,
• wherein the system is arranged such that, if one of the loudspeaker units is not at, or approximately at, a position relative to the listener that corresponds to the intended output position for a particular audio channel being fed to that loudspeaker unit, then sounds emitted in response to signals carried by the particular audio channel are emitted from the dipole loudspeaker of that loudspeaker unit.

An audio-visual system comprising:

• visual audio means;
• and
• an audio system, comprising:
• three or more loudspeaker units, each loudspeaker unit comprising a monopole loudspeaker functioning as a coherent sound source, and a dipole loudspeaker functioning as a diffuse acoustic source;
• and
• a source of four or more audio channels for feeding the loudspeaker units, each audio channel having an intended output position relative to a listener,
• wherein the system is arranged such that, if one of the loudspeaker units is not at, or approximately at, a position relative to the listener that corresponds to the intended output position for a particular audio channel being fed to that loudspeaker unit, then sounds emitted in response to signals carried by the particular audio channel are emitted from the dipole loudspeaker of that loudspeaker unit.