StormAudio ISP Core 16 – Immersive Audio Processor

Description

Overview

The ISP Core 16 takes StormAudio’s Elite platform and distils it into a compact 3RU chassis at £12,522.80 inc VAT. It decodes and upmixes 16 channels through 16 balanced XLR outputs, and it uses the same DAC components and the same hybrid analogue/digital volume control as the flagship — this is not a cut-down sound, it is a cut-down box. If you need the extra two channels, StormXT and HDMI matrix switching as standard, the ISP Core 16+ sits directly above it.

Design & build

Built in France on the Elite architecture, the Core 16 occupies 3RU — three rack units — and measures 40.22 x 44.2 x 13.27cm (depth x width x height) without ears or feet, with removable rack ears adding 4cm across and feet 2cm up. Net weight is 8kg. The front panel carries a 5-inch colour TFT display and an infra-red sensor, so the processor can be driven from the fascia, the supplied handset, a browser, or the StormRemote app on iOS and Android. Power is a universal 100–240V switch-mode supply.

Sound & performance

Auro-3D®, Dolby Atmos®, DTS:X Pro and IMAX Enhanced are all decoded natively, with inputs supported to 192kHz and post-processing at 48kHz. The Core inherits the Elite’s post-processing toolkit rather than a reduced version of it: standard and expert bass management, an unlimited number of subwoofer channels, up to four crossover points per channel from 6 to 48dB per octave in Linkwitz-Riley or Butterworth alignments, and up to 20 bands of parametric equalisation on every channel. Dirac Live Active Room Treatment supports up to nine speakers on this model.

Key features

• 16 channels of decoding and upmixing, 16 balanced XLR outputs
• All grades of Dirac Live licence included — Room Correction, Bass Control and Active Room Treatment
• 7 HDMI inputs and 2 outputs, HDMI 2.1a and HDCP 2.3, 8K and 4K120, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision, ARC and eARC
• Roon Ready end point; StormMonitoring remote monitoring; five-year warranty; official URC drivers
• StormXT channel expansion, HDMI matrix switching for multi-room and flexible bass routing across up to six zones are available as optional licences
• Two digital optical Toslink Zone 2 stereo downmix outputs

Technology

Dirac Live Room Correction, Bass Control and Active Room Treatment provide different calibration tools. ART coordinates suitable speakers and subwoofers over Dirac’s specified 20–150 Hz range to reduce low-frequency resonances and decay. It is an additional option in the setup process, not a replacement for acoustic treatment, sound isolation or capable speakers. Confirm the firmware and included licence scope for the exact unit, particularly an existing or previously supplied processor. Manual level, delay, crossover and PEQ settings remain important; StormAudio also supports REW measurement import.

Setup runs in a browser rather than an on-screen menu. The StormEasy wizard walks through configuration step by step, and the Layout feature reconfigures a finished system from a preset — different speaker uses and listening experiences without rewiring. Multi-theatre, multi-layout and multi-room processing are included, and firmware updates arrive over the network or by USB.

Specifications

Sixteen channels of decoding and upmixing on 16 balanced XLR outputs, with two optical Toslink Zone 2 downmixes. Seven HDMI inputs and two outputs at HDMI 2.1a and HDCP 2.3, 8K and 4K120, with HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision. Three coaxial and three optical digital inputs, four RCA stereo inputs. 3RU, 8kg. Full detail in the specification table below.

Who it’s for

A serious media room or compact dedicated cinema where 16 channels is the right layout and rack space is tight — the flagship’s calibration and bass control, without paying for channels you will never wire. Want StormXT and HDMI matrix switching included rather than licensed? Step up to the ISP Core 16+. Need 24 or 32 channels? The ISP Elite MkIII.

Why buy from Hidden Home Technology

Hidden Home Technology designs, supplies, installs and calibrates StormAudio systems from our base in Bath, Somerset, and demonstrates across the South. Dan Crick has 25 years in the industry, the company has traded since 2004, and we are a CEDIA member (A-356536). A processor of this calibre only performs when the room around it is right, so we treat it as one job — acoustics, speaker layout, amplification, video, control and Dirac Live calibration by our own team. Contact us for a configured quotation or to discuss demonstration arrangements; read more on our StormAudio brand page.

HHT system-planning advice

Start with a channel schedule: speakers, independently controlled subwoofers and any active crossover ways all need suitable outputs. Check the required physical connections and options against this Core 16 configuration before specifying a layout.

Manual crossover, level, delay and selective PEQ setup come before deciding what additional correction is useful. Read StormAudio beyond Dirac ART, then use our StormAudio versus Trinnov guide to compare complete systems around the same speakers and room.