Waves MaxxAudio Sound-Enhancement Technology Is Now Available for Tensilica HiFi Audio DSP Cores

Update: Cadence Completes Acquisition of Tensilica (Apr 24, 2013)

The cooperation of Tensilica and Waves adds availability of professional-quality audio enhancement technologies to popular DSP cores

INTERNATIONAL CES, Las Vegas, NV, January 7, 2013 — The Consumer Electronics Division of Waves (LVH 1430), the industry leader in professional audio digital signal processing and recipient of a Technical GRAMMY® award, and Tensilica® (LVCC, South Hall 2 - MP25060), the leader in dataplane processor IP core licensing, have launched a new cooperative effort. Today they announced that Waves’ MaxxAudio® sound-enhancement technology is now available for Tensilica’s HiFi audio DSP cores. Tensilica’s HiFi DSP cores are an industry-leading audio platform used in a broad range of consumer electronics products, including portable music players, smartphones, computers, tablets, digital TV and other devices.

MaxxAudio incorporates a host of proprietary signal-processing technologies to deliver enhanced, dynamic and immersive sound from the small speakers typically found in many consumer electronics products, with better definition, deeper bass and a more enveloping sound field.

Tomar Elbaz, Executive Vice President of Waves, stated: “Elevating Tensilica’s portfolio with MaxxAudio studio-quality sound enhancement suite further underscores our company’s commitment to providing the highest-quality audio solutions to consumers. Waves signal processing and audio technologies are used by top pros in the recording industry, and now this level of professional-quality sonic improvement will be available in a much wider range of products from top consumer electronics manufacturers.”

“We are delighted to be working with Waves to support mutual customers, who have requested MaxxAudio on our HiFi DSP,” stated Larry Przywara, Tensilica’s director of mobile multimedia. “As consumer products use smaller speakers, advanced sound-enhancement technology like this is essential to improve the user experience.”

MaxxAudio provides significantly improved audio quality, using technologies that are directly derived from the company’s professional studio processing heard on countless hit records, major motion pictures and popular video games. MaxxAudio incorporates a suite of proprietary audio enhancements including MaxxVolume™, MaxxLeveler, MaxxTreble™, MaxxDialog, MaxxStereo™, MaxxBass® and MaxxEQ™. MaxxAudio offers optimum sonic performance whether listening through speakers or headphones. Its processing works in real time for consistently satisfying high-quality sound.

• MaxxVolume provides increased volume levels, improves clarity and increases the intelligibility of softer sounds at quiet volumes.
• MaxxLeveler evens out volume differences with two user-selectable listening modes.
• MaxxTreble high-frequency enhancement brings out sonic nuances with detail and clarity.
• MaxxDialog lets listeners adjust dialog levels in movies and games, without affecting the rest of the audio mix.
• MaxxStereo creates a bigger stereo “sweet spot” from a device’s built-in speakers.
• MaxxBass virtual subwoofer technology uses psychoacoustic processing to deliver more natural-sounding bass.
• MaxxEQ lets listeners shape the sound to their preferences using full frequency spectrum equalization.

For more information, please visit www.maxx.com and www.tensilica.com.  

About Tensilica

Tensilica, Inc. is the leader in dataplane processor IP core licensing, with 200 licensees. Dataplane processors (DPUs) combine the best capabilities of DSPs and CPUs while delivering 10 to 100x the performance because they can be optimized using Tensilica’s automated design tools to meet specific and demanding signal processing performance targets. Tensilica’s DPUs power SOC designs at system OEMs and seven out of the top 10 semiconductor companies for designs in mobile wireless, telecom and network infrastructure, computing and storage, and home and auto entertainment. Tensilica offers standard cores and hardware/software solutions that can be used as is or easily customized by semiconductor companies and OEMs for added differentiation. For more information on Tensilica’s patented, benchmark-proven DPUs visit www.tensilica.com. Tensilica is a registered trademark belonging to Tensilica, Inc. 

About Waves Ltd.

Waves is the world's leading provider of audio DSP solutions for professional, broadcast, and consumer electronics audio markets, and recipient of a 2011 Technical GRAMMY® award for its contributions to the recording industry. Waves has twenty years of expertise in the development of psychoacoustic signal processing algorithms that leverage knowledge on the human perception of hearing to radically improve perceived sound quality. Waves’ award-winning processors are utilized to improve sound quality in the creation of the world’s most popular music, movie soundtracks, and multimedia titles.

Waves offers software and hardware solutions for the professional and broadcast markets. Additionally, Waves also offers semiconductor-with-embedded-software solutions under the Maxx brand for consumer electronics audio applications. Waves’ Maxx technologies dramatically enhance audio performance and are used by industry leaders such as Dell, Sony, Sanyo, ASUS, Toshiba, and many others.