Loudspeaker array for enlarged sweet spot

An audio reproduction system for creating an audio presentation with enlarged sweet spot, comprising:

• source means for providing an audio program of at least one channel of audio signal;
• imaging means further comprising a cross-talk canceller for modifying the spatial characteristics of the audio program;
• a first loudspeaker system comprising an audio emitter for a generally higher frequency band of the spatially modified audio program and an audio emitter for a generally lower frequency band of the spatially modified audio program;
• a second loudspeaker system with an audio emitter for a generally higher frequency band of the spatially modified audio program and an audio emitter for a generally lower frequency band of the spatially modified audio program, and wherein the audio emitters of the first and second loudspeaker systems are arranged in a substantially horizontal array, and where the higher-frequency audio emitters of the first and second loudspeaker systems are closer to one another than the lower-frequency audio emitters of the first and second loudspeaker systems;
• and
• crossover network means for separating and routing the spatially modified audio program to the various audio emitters of the first and second loudspeaker systems, wherein the imaging means is adapted for the spatial geometry of the first and second loudspeaker systems and the crossover network means associated therewith to create the enlarged sweet spot.

An audio reproduction system comprising:

• source means for providing an audio input signal;
• a horizontally diverse plurality of audio emitters operating over a plurality of different audio frequency bands into a listening space;
• imaging circuit means for creating a desired spatial characteristic of the audio signal based upon respective transfer functions of the audio emitters;
• frequency dividing network means to separate and distribute portions of the audio input signal to the plurality of audio emitters;
• wherein the imaging means is adapted to compensate for the spatial configuration of the plurality of audio emitters and the frequency dividing network means associated therewith, and wherein a set of high frequency emitters of the plurality of audio emitters is located closer together than a set of low frequency emitters of the plurality of audio emitters to create an enlarged sweet spot.

A method of increasing a relative size of a sweet spot in a sound system receiving an audio program, such method comprising the steps of:

• disposing a set of woofers equidistant from and at a first angle from a centerline of a listener on either side of the listener;
• disposing a set of tweeters equidistant from and at a second angle from the centerline of the listener, the second angle being less than the first angle;
• and
• modifying audio spatial characteristics of the audio program based upon respective transfer functions of the woofers and tweeters resulting in the increased relative size of the sweet spot.

An audio reproduction system comprising:

• source means for providing an audio input signal;
• a horizontally diverse plurality of audio emitters operating over a plurality of different audio frequency bands into a listening space;
• frequency dividing network means to separate and distribute portions of the audio input signal to the plurality of audio emitters;
• a crosstalk canceller adapted to compensate for the spatial configuration of the plurality of audio emitters and the frequency dividing network means associated therewith based upon a set of head-related transfer functions for creating a desired spatial characteristic of the audio signal;
• and
• a set of high frequency emitters of the plurality of audio emitters is located closer to a centerline of the listening space than a set of low frequency emitters of the plurality of audio emitters to create an enlarged sweet spot.

A method of increasing a relative size of a sweet spot in a sound system receiving an audio program, such method comprising the steps of:

• disposing a set of woofers equidistant from and at a first angle from a centerline of a listener on either side of the listener;
• disposing a set of tweeters equidistant from and at a second angle from the centerline of the listener, the second angle being less than the first angle;
• adapting a crosstalk canceller for the geometry of the woofers and tweeters;
• and
• applying the adapted crosstalk canceller to the audio program resulting in the increased relative size of the sweet spot.