WiSA Wireless Home Theater Technology Explained

WiSA (Wireless Speaker and Audio) technology is a game-changer for home theater enthusiasts. It allows for wireless transmission of high-quality audio between speakers and a receiver, eliminating the need for cables and clutter.

This technology is designed to provide a seamless and immersive audio experience, with a maximum data transfer rate of 24-bit/192kHz. It's perfect for those who want to upgrade their home theater setup without the hassle of running cables.

WiSA technology uses a proprietary wireless protocol that ensures low latency and high-quality audio transmission. It's also designed to be compatible with a wide range of devices, including TVs, soundbars, and speakers.

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WiSA is an acronym that stands for Wireless Speaker and Audio Association. It's a technology that allows for the wireless transmission of high-quality audio from a source device to a speaker or receiver.

WiSA technology uses a proprietary wireless standard to transmit audio signals, which are then received by a WiSA-enabled speaker or receiver.

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WiSA is designed to provide a high-fidelity audio experience with low latency and high quality.

WiSA technology is based on the IEEE 802.15.3 standard, which is a wireless personal area network (PAN) standard.

WiSA-enabled devices can communicate with each other over a dedicated wireless channel, ensuring that audio signals are transmitted without interference or latency.

The WiSA specification allows for up to 8 channels of uncompressed 24-bit/96kHz hi-res audio. This means you can enjoy high-quality sound without any compression or loss of detail.

The latency is remarkably low, at just 2.6 ms at 96 kHz or 5.2 ms at 48 kHz. This is perfect for applications where lip-sync is crucial, like watching movies or playing games with accurate audio.

The synchronization between speakers is also impressive, with a maximum deviation of ±2 μs. This ensures that all speakers are in perfect sync, providing a seamless audio experience.

Here are the technical specifications at a glance:

WiSA is not a multiroom, whole-home music system, unlike some wireless speakers from Sonos, Denon, and Yamaha.

It's strictly for passing audio wirelessly within a single home theater setup, and it's not compatible with non-WiSA Wi-Fi or Bluetooth speakers.

Some WiSA Certified speakers, like Harman Kardon's Citation series, have separate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, allowing you to use them for other wireless audio applications.

These speakers can be used in more than one way, giving you flexibility in how you listen to music.

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The WiSA specification is built on some impressive technical foundations.

The maximum number of channels supported by WiSA is 8 channels. This means you can set up a surround sound system with up to 8 speakers.

Latency is a critical factor in audio systems, and WiSA delivers with a latency of 2.6 ms at 96 kHz, or 5.2 ms at 48 kHz. This is impressively low, making it perfect for applications where lip-sync is crucial.

Synchronization between speakers is also a key aspect of WiSA, with a synchronization accuracy of ±2 μs. This ensures that all speakers are perfectly in sync, eliminating any potential issues with lip-sync.

Here's a quick rundown of the technical specifications:

Note that WiSA doesn't mandate support for audio compression codecs, but it does permit support for object-based surround sound schemes like DTS:X or Dolby Atmos.

WiSA is plug-and-play with various compatible components all talking to each other once they’re unboxed and plugged into your mains.

This means you can easily set up a wireless audio system without having to navigate through complex setup menus.

Audio can be transmitted at up to 24-bit/48kHz or 24-bit/96kHz sample rates, allowing for high-quality music and movie soundtracks, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

This level of quality is impressive, and it's a big advantage over traditional wireless audio systems.

WiSA’s wireless tech offers one-tenth of the latency of Bluetooth, which means your audio will sound smoother and more synchronized.

This is particularly noticeable when watching movies or playing games with immersive audio.

Any compatible speakers are synchronised to within one millionth of a second no matter how many used in your system.

This ensures that your audio experience is seamless and enjoyable.

WiSA systems automatically recognise the type and number of compatible speakers being used, so you don't need to go through any long set-up menus.

This is a huge time-saver and makes setting up your system a breeze.

Each of your speakers still requires power and a mains socket in close proximity, so while WiSA helps you strip the majority of your wires out of your system, it will never be completely wireless.

You can set up a wireless home theater with WiSA technology, which is a game-changer for those who want a hassle-free audio experience.

If you prefer a simpler route, you can opt for an all-in-one WiSA home theater system that includes everything you need to get started. The Platin Audio Monaco 5.1 system is a great example of this, and it works with both WiSA Ready TVs and regular TVs thanks to the included WiSA SoundSend transmitter.

WiSA Ready TVs have the required software to control a WiSA set of speakers, but they don't have a WiSA transmitter built-in. You'll need to purchase an external USB WiSA transmitter, like the Axiim Link HD transmitter.

Several TV manufacturers have joined the WiSA family, including LG, Toshiba, and TCL, which means we can expect to see more WiSA Ready and WiSA Certified TVs on the market.

To set up a wireless home theater, all you need is a WiSA Ready TV, a WiSA Certified speaker, and a WiSA transmitter. Once you have these components, you'll have full control over your wireless speakers via an on-screen interface.

To start with WiSA, you'll need either a WiSA Ready source device with a WiSA transmitter or a WiSA Certified source device.

These two types of WiSA sources can handle every aspect of getting wireless audio to your WiSA Certified powered speakers, eliminating the need for an AV receiver.

If you do want to use an AV receiver, it needs to be either WiSA Ready (with an additional transmitter) or WiSA Certified.

Currently, only two such devices are on the market: the SC15 Prisma and the PRE35 Prisma, both from Primare.

Here are some benefits of using a WiSA AV receiver:

WiSA's wireless signal path reduces latency to just five milliseconds, an imperceptible delay.

WiSA uses a specific portion of the 5GHz Wi-Fi spectrum with far less traffic and interference than standard 2.4 or 5GHz Wi-Fi channels.

The transmitter constantly scans these 24 frequencies for interference and can automatically switch to a different one if interference appears on the channel it's using.

WiSA transmitters and speakers can't be located in different rooms to preserve the full quality of the audio signal, and the largest room size WiSA supports is 30' x 30'.

If your TV doesn't support WiSA, you'll need to plug all your sources into a compatible hub, such as the Axiim Q UHD Media Centre AVR.

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The Axiim Q UHD Media Centre AVR is WiSA certified and has a number of HDMI inputs for all your sources, making it a great option for those with non-WiSA TVs.

Currently, LG's entire 2019 OLED TV and SUHD LCD TVs are WiSA-ready, and other TV manufacturers like TCL are also members of the Association, but no other actual models have been confirmed to support WiSA.

Choosing the right WiSA setup can be a bit tricky, but it's crucial to get it right if you want to experience the full potential of your WiSA system.

In a WiSA home theater system, amplification is done exclusively at the speaker level, which can lead to superior performance if you choose the right speakers.

Replacing your receiver or standalone amp won't get you the bigger, bolder sound you want - you'll need to replace the speakers to achieve the desired effect.

Make sure to buy WiSA speakers that are powerful enough to fill your room, as this will greatly impact the overall volume and sound quality of your system.

I've seen it happen to many people - they upgrade their receiver, but the speakers remain the same, resulting in a lackluster sound experience.

Older gear can be used to transmit WiSA signals, as long as it supports audio output via a USB port and can receive firmware or driver updates. This means devices like laptops, game consoles, and newer TVs can be made to work with a WiSA transmitter.

A laptop, for example, can be easily retrofitted to work with a WiSA transmitter, thanks to the proper user interface elements. This makes it a pretty simple and straightforward process.

Microsoft's Xbox One, which doesn't have built-in support for audio over USB, can actually work with a WiSA transmitter, thanks to the Axiim Link WiSA USB Transmitter being Xbox certified. This opens up possibilities for other consoles like the PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro, even though they don't officially support USB audio.

For now, however, you'll still need to connect them through a WiSA Ready or Certified source device, like a TV or AV receiver. This is because they don't have the necessary built-in support for WiSA signals.

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WiSA technology is supported by various products, including speakers and TVs. The LG 2019 OLED TV range is WiSA-ready, while the Axiim Q UHD Media Centre AVR is WiSA certified.

The Axiim Q UHD Media Centre AVR has multiple HDMI inputs for connecting sources, making it a great option for those who want to use WiSA technology. If your TV doesn't support WiSA, you'll need to plug all your sources into a compatible hub.

Products like Klipsch's Reference Wireless speakers, B&O Beolab 17, 18 and 19 wireless speakers, and Harman Kardon's Citation range of smart speakers are WiSA-certified, providing a seamless experience with WiSA-enabled TVs.

WiSA technology is supported by a range of products, including the Axiim Q UHD Media Centre AVR, which is WiSA certified and has multiple HDMI inputs for connecting sources.

The Axiim Q UHD Media Centre AVR is a WiSA-certified product that can transmit audio to compatible speaker systems, such as its own WM Series.

Klipsch's Reference Wireless speakers, B&O Beolab 17, 18 and 19 wireless speakers, and Harman Kardon's Citation range of smart speakers are also WiSA-certified.

LG's entire 2019 OLED TV and SUHD LCD TVs are WiSA-ready, meaning you'll need to add a WiSA transmitter for them to work with other certified products.

TCL is a member of the WiSA Association, but it's not clear if any of their TVs currently support WiSA technology.

WiSA technology is still in its early stages, and we'd need to experience setting it up and listening to it for a prolonged period to see how it fares.

A large number of brands have signed up to the WiSA Association, but it feels like the technology is still in its infancy.

We haven't come across many WiSA certified products beyond the ones mentioned, so it's unclear how widespread the technology is.

We'll be keeping an eye on the WiSA Association and adding updates on new, compatible products to this page over the coming months.