Trinnov Altitude16 – Immersive Audio Processor

Description

Overview

The Altitude16 is Trinnov’s immersive audio processor for dedicated home cinema, and for the great majority of serious rooms it is where the Trinnov platform makes most sense. It provides sixteen balanced XLR outputs, renders up to twenty discrete channels, and decodes Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro, Auro-3D and IMAX Enhanced, running the same Optimizer room calibration engine Trinnov built for professional recording studios. Trinnov writes the name closed up as Altitude16; most UK dealers write it Altitude 16. Same processor.

Design & build

A 3U rack chassis of 438 x 139 x 430 mm weighing 11.30 kg, supplied with rack ears. Custom heat sinks and silent fans handle cooling, and the supplies for the audio stages and the computing platform are kept separate so processing noise stays out of the signal path. AntiPop relays on every output protect loudspeakers at power-up. Maximum draw is 76W, and the five-year warranty transfers to a subsequent owner.

Sound & performance

Dolby Atmos and DTS:X Pro are decoded natively to as many as 20 discrete channels, Auro-3D to 13.1. Processing is 64-bit floating point running natively at up to 96kHz, with conversion at 24-bit/192kHz out and 24-bit/96kHz in, and a signal-to-noise ratio of 115 dB A-weighted in both directions. There is no artificial limit on speaker layout, channel assignment or subwoofer count, and up to four-way active crossovers are supported — so a bespoke speaker system can be driven properly rather than approximated. AVForums awarded the Altitude16 its Reference Status.

Key features

• Sixteen balanced XLR analogue outputs; up to twenty discrete rendered channels with the +4 option, which combines the analogue and S/PDIF outputs.
• Eight HDMI inputs and two HDMI 2.1 / HDCP 2.3 outputs, 40Gbps throughout, 4K at 120Hz and 8K at 60Hz.
• HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision, with ARC/eARC on output 1 to take sound back from the television.
• Four S/PDIF digital inputs and two S/PDIF outputs, plus one stereo XLR and one stereo RCA analogue input.
• A dedicated 5-pin XLR input for Trinnov’s 3D calibration microphone.

Technology

What separates Trinnov from conventional processors is that the Altitude is software-defined. Rather than a fixed set of DSP chips it runs on an Intel multi-core platform, which is why Trinnov has repeatedly delivered substantial new capability to processors already installed in customers’ homes. The Optimizer measures each loudspeaker using Trinnov’s 3D microphone, which locates every speaker in three dimensions — distance, angle and height — and can then remap the soundfield so the mix arrives from where the format intended, even where the room forced compromises in placement. WaveForming, Trinnov’s active bass technology, drives an array of subwoofers individually to launch a single controlled wavefront through the room.

Worth stating plainly, because it is often got wrong: the Altitude16 has not been superseded. Trinnov describes the Altitude16 and Altitude32 as remaining the reference for analogue-first systems, sitting alongside rather than beneath the newer AltitudeCI, and in May 2026 added an Extended Care Plan for owners of both. If a project needs audio carried over a network cable that is the AltitudeCI’s job — network audio is not part of the Altitude16 specification and we will not pretend otherwise.

Specifications

Up to 20 rendered channels; 16 x balanced XLR outputs. HDMI 8 in / 2 out, HDMI 2.1, 40Gbps, 4K120 / 8K60. Dolby Atmos and DTS:X Pro to 20 channels, Auro-3D to 13.1, IMAX Enhanced. 64-bit floating point on Intel multi-core, native to 96kHz. DAC 24-bit/192kHz, ADC 24-bit/96kHz, 115 dB A-weighted. 438 x 139 x 430 mm, 3U, 11.30 kg, 76W maximum. Five-year transferable warranty.

Who it’s for

This is the processor for a dedicated cinema room whose layout will not exceed twenty channels — 9.1.6, 11.1.8 or 7.4.6 are all within reach depending on how you handle bass. It suits owners who want freedom in their choice of power amplifier, because the great majority of amplifiers accept analogue inputs only. Beyond twenty channels the modular Altitude32 is the next step; for network-based projects, the AltitudeCI. We will tell you honestly which fits your room.

Why buy from Hidden Home Technology

An Altitude is only as good as the calibration behind it, and calibration is a discipline rather than a button. Hidden Home Technology designs, supplies, installs and calibrates Trinnov-based cinema rooms as complete projects from our base in Bath, working across the South. Dan Crick has twenty-five years in the industry and the company has traded since 2004. We are a CEDIA member, number A-356536. The price shown is £17,396.60 including VAT. Demonstrations can be arranged at our Basingstoke showroom, and there is more on the range on our Trinnov brand page.