Will Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soon be a thing of the past? That’s the bold ambition of French manufacturer Octavio, which took advantage of CES 2025 to unveil its revolutionary vision of spatial sound with the Octavio Harmony. This innovative system offers a universal solution capable of creating a wireless home theater from any active or passive speaker.
All your sources with spatial audio
After making a name for itself in hi-fi with its flagship Octavio Stream streamer, followed by the Octavio Amp connected amplifier and, more recently, the Octavio Maestro active speakers, the young French brand is stepping off the beaten track with the ambitious aim of revolutionizing spatial sound. To this end, at CES 2025, the manufacturer unveiled the Octavio Harmony system, capable of transforming any audio track into 3D sound. The system is designed to be modular, with a Hamony Bridge control box designed to virtualize the sound of wired or wireless sources and send it to dedicated receivers that can be adapted to any type of passive or active speaker.
The Hamony Bridge transmitter offers a full range of connectors for use with all the sources in a modern audio-video system, including an eARC input for easy retrieval of the sound from the program being viewed on the TV. In addition, an optical input and two RCA inputs, including a phono input, allow you to connect audio sources such as a CD player or a turntable to enjoy spatial audio. A USB port is also available for playback of content stored on an external hard drive, while Chromecast, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect protocols facilitate wireless music streaming.
Up to 6.1.2 channels
The Octavio Harmony system offers up to 28 different configurations, with the possibility of enjoying spatial sound on up to 6.1.2 channels. Fully modular, it allows you to create a tailor-made home theater wireless system simply by pairing dedicated wireless receivers with your speakers. Two models are available, including the Harmony Link Core, which features an RCA output for connecting active speakers or a subwoofer. The second model, the Hamony Link Power receiver, incorporates its own amplification, enabling it to be connected directly to passive speaker terminals, transforming them into wireless speakers. A truly unprecedented solution in the world of wireless cinema!
High-speed transmission
Unlike Dolby and DTS technologies, the Octavio Harmony System offers a universal solution, with no need for specific mixing. This feat is due to the new patented Stereo to Spatial technology developed in collaboration with the IRCAM Amplify research institute. Based on more than four decades of psychoacoustics, this technology analyzes the audio signal of any content (music, films, podcasts, video games, etc.) in real time, and spatializes it according to the configuration of your audio system. Transmission to the various receivers is carried out at high speed in 24-bit/96kHz, thanks to WiSa technology that eliminates latency and avoids compression.
The future of cinema?
By freeing itself from the restrictions of proprietary formats such as Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, Octavio opts for a universal, future-proof approach. Its innovative spatialization technology promises immersive surround sound, whether for films or music. But the real revolution lies in its ingenious receivers, capable of transforming any speaker, whether active or passive, into part of a wireless home theater system. Modularity is another major advantage of this approach. Users can build their system gradually, starting, for example, with a three-channel configuration with two front speakers and a central speaker. This base can then be enriched according to their needs or budget, to achieve even more immersive configurations. However, we’ll have to wait a little longer to discover this sound revolution, as Octavio is keeping the release date and price of its system secret for the time being. One thing’s for sure: it will be worth the wait.
