A revolution in car audio
  performance!

  Enable your subwoofers to play
  deeper and louder

Experience MaxxBass® on Your PC

  The MaxxBass® 102 is a hardware version of MaxxBass®  which improves the bass performance of any home stereo system

  The MiniWoofer is an accessory subwoofer for stereo TVs and  shelf systems. It provides high quality subwoofer performance for smaller rooms.

Waves Car Audio MaxxBass® 103 auto sound system gives your car speakers and subwoofers powerful performance in a small package!

Why is MaxxBass® Better?

MaxxBass® improves bass by utilizing the latest research in psychoacoustics, the human perception of hearing, into the signal chain. Psychoacoustics is the basis for modern compression technologies such as MP3, Dolby Digital and others. MaxxBass® has been shown to extend the perceived low frequency response by up to 1.5 octaves, but it does not force the speaker to deliver these frequencies. MaxxBass® also utilizes high pass filters to remove the bass frequencies below the physical limits of the loudspeaker. This reduces peak amplifier/speaker excursion requirements, protects the speaker from low frequency damage and removes undesirable intermodulation distortion.

The bass extension achieved with MaxxBass® is perceived as natural sounding and does not alter the frequency balance of the original content.

MaxxBass® processing does not force the speaker and amplifier outside their limits.

Why not an equalizer?

An equalizer or bass boost is the traditional method to increase low frequency response. Equalizers increase the gain or relative volume in the frequency range below where the loudspeaker operates efficiently. This requires substantial increases in system headroom or the system will be driven beyond its operating limits damaging the loudspeaker. Additional system headroom can be added, but this increases amplifier power, speaker excursion and system costs.

Equalizers increase bass volume, but have little effect on bass frequency range. They also significantly alter the frequency balance of the content.

Equalizers increase the peak speaker and amplifier requirements. They contribute to loudspeaker damage and increase system costs.

Why not a subharmonic synthesizer?

A subharmonic synthesizer adds bass frequencies that are an octave lower than the lowest original frequency. This technology was developed during the era of analog LP and cassette recordings since this physical media can not carry low frequency bass content. Using a subharmonic synthesizer with these older recordings allowed an artificial deep bass to be delivered.

Subharmonic synthesizers can be dangerous when used with today's digital media (such as CD and DVD) and bass rich audio content, as they add strong low bass content outside the safe operating range of most loudspeaker systems.

MaxxBass® Algorithm

MaxxBass® is a bass frequency extension technology that provides perceived bass frequency response below the low frequency cut off in an audio system. It is based upon psychoacoustic effects and it the subject of U.S. Patent 5,930,373 issued to Waves. MaxxBass® has also received a patent in Japan. MaxxBass® utilizes the principle of the missing fundamental, which creates the sensation of low frequencies by generating a carefully calculating a series of harmonics designed to simulate the auditory experience caused by the missing fundamental pitch. These harmonics extend the perceived frequency response up to 1.5 octaves below the speaker cutoff frequency (f3) without perceived distortion, increased peak power consumption or peak speaker excursion. This allows the audio system engineer to dramatically improve system performance by:

Increasing perceived bass frequency response up to 1.5 octaves.

Decreasing power consumption by up to 75%.

Decreasing speaker enclosure volume by up to 75%.

Or some combination of the above to best meet system requirements.

How does MaxxBass® work?

In this example MaxxBass® processing is used to extend the perceive low frequency response of low cost speakers with 100 Hz cutoff frequency typical of multimedia speakers and televisions.

The MaxxBass® processed signal will be low pass filtered by the 100 Hz limited speaker system or an additional low pass filter can be used before amplification to reduce system power consumption. In either case the user will still perceive a 70 Hz tone through the patented MaxxBass® psychoacoustic effect.