We all know how frustrating the feeling is of not quite catching all the dialogue when watching a film or series on the TV.
In an effort to stop that pesky problem, Sonos has developed a software tool to let you tune what you are watching to your needs, using AI.
Developed with RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People) to incorporate the perspectives of those with hearing loss, the new update allows users to adjust dialogue clarity with four levels of control (Low, Medium, High and Max).
Where Low emphasises dialogue while “maintaining the original experience and creator intent”, Max is designed for people with hearing loss so the dialogue clarity “takes full priority”. This level can also control the dynamic range of non-speech elements so the big jumps in sound are more comfortable to listen to.
Sonos says it worked with film sound mixer Chris Jenkins (known for his work on Mad Max: Fury Road) to tune the tool, so it should be able to not only clarify dialogue, but also retain the epic nature of movie moments such as action scenes and music montages.
The technology is available from today with the Sonos Arc Ultra via a free software update.
We gave the Dolby Atmos soundbar five stars when we reviewed it, and found its dialogue to be nicely balanced with the rest of the audio. When testing with Tool’s Invincible, for example, we said: “It sounds more open and airy, too, while never allowing the vocals to move out of focus.”
Sonos already has a Speech Enhancement feature on the soundbar, but it has added the new level settings and the use of the AI sound-processing tool in this update.
The California-based brand is far from the first to dabble in speech-enhancement technology. Sony, for example, has its own AI-powered tool: Voice Zoom 3.
It does seem promising, however, that with Sonos’s new update there are more customisation options than we usually see on a soundbar.
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