Sonic Focus
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, Audio technology |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | Tom Paddock, Jim Barber |
| Defunct | 2008 |
| Fate | Acquired by ARC International |
| Headquarters | South Lake Tahoe, California , United States |
| Products | Adaptive Dynamics, X-Matrix, Extrapolator, Virtual Bass |
Sonic Focus Inc was a software firm headquartered in South Lake Tahoe, California, established in 1995 by founders Tom Paddock and Jim Barber. The company originally concentrated on improving live concert streaming over the Internet but eventually shifted its expertise towards audio post-processing solutions designed to recover the authentic sound quality of compressed digital audio files. Their innovations have been incorporated into a wide array of consumer electronics, such as mobile devices, automotive audio systems, personal computers, laptops, MP3 players, televisions, and home theater setups.
In early 2008, Sonic Focus became part of ARC International, a supplier of consumer intellectual property to original equipment manufacturers and semiconductor firms. Subsequently, ARC International was acquired by Virage Logic Corporation in 2009, which itself was later purchased by Synopsys Inc. in September 2010.
Products
- Adaptive Dynamics – enhances clarity and preserves fidelity in compressed audio across music, films, and gaming applications.
- X-Matrix – generates surround sound effects from stereo speakers or headphones.
- Extrapolator – utilizes physical modeling to transform stereo audio into multi-channel sound environments.
- Virtual Bass – boosts bass performance on speakers with limited low-frequency output while maintaining vocal clarity.
External links
- Interview with CEO Tom Paddock at CES 2008 conducted by Dave Graveline on Into Tomorrow.[1]
- Review of the P5E3 motherboard highlighting Sonic Focus audio technology [2]
- CES Innovations 2008 award for Bel Canto and Sonic Focus in the Audio Components category [3]
- Intel’s incorporation of Sonic Focus Technology into motherboards [4] [5] [6]