How Trinnov's Altitude CI AV processor showed me the importance of flagship 3D room correction in elite home cinema setups

I want to tell you about the Trinnov Altitude CI AV processor.

And I want to tell you about it because it’s essentially an Intel computer posing as a processor with scalable channels and a software-based platform that is constantly being updated.

But I need to tell you about how Trinnov was able to make a pair of ASCENDO Black Swan speakers sound good in what was essentially an elevator lobby, at Audio Advice Live 2026.

The Black Swan Active Ext speakers are excellent two-way speakers that can get loud with a 132dB peak.

They even come with their own DSP.

After all, the ones showcased at the event, which were in a custom finish, retail around for around $40,000 each (so around £29,550 / AU$ 56,200) and there’s more going on than just an asymmetrical horn.

It’s also worth mentioning that a $36,000 ASCENDO subwoofer was in the mix as well.

It’s not ASCENDO’s DSP doing the work in this particular situation though, it’s the Trinnov Altitude CI.

Using Trinnov’s unique and patented Waveforming and Optimizer technology — there’s also a 3D mic for getting measurements — the audio, whether it was Stevie Ray Vaughn, Kamasi Washington (I did get a request in), or even some EDM, was as pristine and clear across all frequencies as if I were listening in a dedicated room.

Now, I’m describing the sound within about ten feet of the speakers where some seating had been set up to appreciate all that was on offer.

It did start to get a little diffuse when over by registration, about thirty feet to the right, or at the elevators, thirty feet back, but those were not intended listening areas.

The ability and fine tuning of Trinnov’s DSP is hard to beat.

Can you imagine creating a listenable space in a room with high-arched ceilings, walkways in either direction and a wall of elevators on the far end? Now, imagine what the Trinnov Altitude CI can do in a more ideal space.

The Black Swan speakers and the Trinnov Altitude CI at the top of the tower (center-left) in a hotel lobby. (Image credit: Future / James Holland) The Room Correction There are a few things going on with the Trinnov Altitude CI (and really and of the Altitude series) that get the room out of the equation and allow a set of speakers to sing.