Samsung chooses ESS’s Crescendo II hi-performance SoC for HW-D550 soundbar

CES International 2011, FREMONT, USA: ESS Technology, a leading provider of high performance audio/video solutions, announced the Crescendo II SoC is shipping in volume in Samsung’s latest HW-D550 Soundbar.

At the recent CES show in Las Vegas, Samsung, with its HW-D550 Soundbar, won the prestigious CES 2011 Innovations Design and Engineering Award in the Home Theater Speakers category. The soundbar has 310W of high-quality 3D audio through 2.1-channels to match the 3D HDTV quality.

With a slim design and a high-gloss finish, easy configuration, flexible HDMI ports, advance audio enhancement technology and a wireless subwoofer, the HW-D550 has a clean appearance with all connection jacks hidden in the back. It supports HDMI ARC, which means the user needs only one HDMI cable running from the sound bar to the HDTV.

The Crescendo II SoC used in the HW-D550 sets a new benchmark in soundbar audio quality by integrating ESS’s highly acclaimed SABRE DAC technology normally found only in high-end audiophile and professional audio equipments. It delivers spectacular music with an unsurpassed sound stage, utilizing the ESS patented HyperStreamTM modulator capable of 100% modulation and unconditional stability to drive analog or digital power stages.

Additionally, the Crescendo II SoC includes all the necessary processors and peripherals for full-featured soundbar applications: a 32-bit RISC processor for the operating system, a 64-bit media processor for audio decoding, post-processing, lip-synchronization and sound effects such as virtual surround and bass enhancement, a user-programmable 32-bit DSP for custom sound algorithms, a 6-channel patented HyperStream Class D or D/A converter for driving digital or analog power stages, a 3-input HyperStream stereo ADC for connection to line input sources, a 2-input SPDIF receiver for connection to coaxial, optical or HDMI input sources, an 8-channel I2S input for connection to HDMI repeater or Blu-ray processor, a flexible remote and GPIO module for connection to remote control, buttons and LEDs, and a USB host controller for firmware upgrade or music playback from thumb drives.