CEDIA, the association for smart home professionals™, released a new recommended practice for immersive audio system design in collaboration with the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) in 2023. CEDIA/CTA – RP22 Immersive Audio Design Recommended Practice is the first recommended practice to define an objective set of performance criteria for home audio systems.
“Delivering high performing audio systems is a huge part of what our industry does – whether you are a manufacturer creating the product to facilitate this, or the integrator designing and installing the system,” comments Daryl Friedman, global president and CEO of CEDIA. “We are all involved. Yet until now, there’s been no clear guidance for the industry to follow.”
Introducing RP22
The new recommended practice for immersive audio design (RP22) redefines how we quantify system performance. This is the first time that system performance metrics are defined by distinct levels, instead of vague “good, better, best” packages or “low, middle, high” cost models. And the new definitions aren’t just for the integrator’s benefit.
With RP22, manufacturers know their products are functioning as intended and customers understand the breadth of what they’re paying for.
Having clearly defined levels not only holds integrators accountable, but also elevates our industry to the highest professional standard.
This document is a guideline on how spaces should be designed to ensure a standard of audio performance is achieved. It’s been broken down into four performance levels:
- Level 1 – Conveys basic artistic intent
- Level 2 – A higher level of performance with additional accuracy for artistic intent
- Level 3 – Meets or exceeds reference commercial cinema standards
- Level 4 – Achieves the maximum level of performance across every parameter
RP22 ensures the homeowner will know what they’re getting, the integrator will know what they’re designing, and the manufacturer will know that their product is going to perform ideally for the room.
“This document provides objective parameters and recommendations for designing immersive audio systems within the broader context of entertainment spaces such as home/private cinemas, theatres, screening rooms and mastering environments. Notably, it remains neutral with respect to products and formats and is adaptable to a wide range of room sizes and budgets. My hope is that RP22 will lead to a shift away from a product-centric mindset, towards engineering design credibility.” – Peter Aylett, partner, Officina Acustica and RP22 working group chair
To educate yourself on this topic, download the full CEDIA/CTA – RP22 Immersive Audio Design Recommended Practice documentation for free here: www.cedia.org/advocacy/standards-best-practices/immersive-audio-design-excellence.
Training at ISE 2024
For those who have read the document and are interested in expanding on this knowledge, CEDIA is running an Immersive Audio Design Excellence Workshop on Thursday 1st February in CC1.1 from 12:30pm.
This advanced workshop will introduce new guidelines outlined in the CEDIA/CTA RP22 Immersive Audio System Design Recommended Practice, with a focus on the four new objectively defined levels of performance that will define different levels of immersive audio experience. We will follow a “teach, then do” approach for the class, with participants working in small groups to apply some of the guidelines to real-world rooms. Specific products and brands will not be discussed, and we will be taking a purely objective engineering approach.
Head to the CEDIA booth (2H500) to book onto this training course.
