Inflight audio and entertainment systems provider Alto Aviation has introduced its new Alto 3D immersive media zone audio system. There has been an increase in customer requests for a large credenza mounted video monitor across a four-place seating group or luxury divan in medium, large and VIP business jets.

Alto says this is the perfect environment for a fully immersive audio and video entertainment experience ideal for music, movies and video gaming, featuring a 6.2 channel, 3D immersive sound experience that is unrivalled in any aircraft, vehicle or home system. The front stage is set with PSU mounted left, centre and right loudspeakers.

The image is provided by surround-left, surround-centre and surround-right loudspeakers mounted behind the passengers. Two powerful and compact subwoofers mounted beneath the seats or divan or bulkheads provide ample bass for lifelike impact. The high-efficiency Alto Class-D amplifier with advanced digital signal processing is the final touch, making the speakers disappear and immersing the listener in sonic perfection.

The new Alto 3D immersive media zone audio system is currently available in select OEM offerings; it can be installed in any retrofit project with minimal work and full integration with the unique interior design concept of each cabin.

“I am very proud of everyone on the Alto team. Our R&D and engineering divisions designed the new Alto 3D immersive audio system to provide the most powerful and amazing audiophile experience in the media zone of the cabin,” says Steve Scarlata, Alto's VP of engineering and R&D. “The result is outstanding. The sound is crystal-clear, and the 3D immersive experience is unrivalled in our industry. We are confident that we will wow our customers with this top-notch audiophile entertainment offering.”

Alto has also introduced its new Alto on-demand audio optimisation feature. The feature allows a particular seat or section of the aircraft to receive the VIP audio treatment. At the touch of a button or swipe on the Alto remote control app, the selected seat can be placed right at the centre of the action. The bass from all the subwoofer can be digitally focused for maximum impact.

The mid-high speakers are time-aligned and individually equalised for a perfect sweet spot at the VIP’s ears. The speakers behind the VIP seat can provide the surround channels for an ideal surround sound cinema immersion.

“Our new system master controller will be able to dynamically control the DSP in our amplifiers to set up custom EQ configurations on demand. The sound profiles can reflect a VIP seat eccentric audio configuration setting, including surround sound and spatially balanced speakers. This approach will allow us to retroactively repurpose previous Alto audio systems with these new features with minimal changes to the architecture,” Kevin Hayes, Alto VP of sales and marketing states.

Through a dealer partnership with Jet East Corporate Aviation, an aviation maintenance provider headquartered in Trenton, New Jersey, Alto has also been contracted to supply its Alto BTR-300 Bluetooth receivers with remote pairing switches in an undisclosed customer’s business aircraft fleet.

“We are very pleased to have been chosen by Jet East and its customer to provide them with our Bluetooth retrofit system. The selection process included a thorough evaluation that entailed several months of testing prior to the contract award. We were also very impressed with the Jet East management and engineering team in their design approach and installation of the initial ship sets,” states Steve Lord, Alto senior technical sales manager.

Jet East’s president and CEO Stephen Maiden concludes: “The partnership with Alto has been exciting and showcases the type of ingenuity that is possible when two dedicated teams join forces to advance technology. Its product integrated perfectly into the Clairity system that is already in place on the aircraft, and we appreciate the customisation that was realised to meet the customer’s expectations. I always find it refreshing when a partnership can achieve results which make the flying experience better for a client.”