Bongiovi Acoustics Solves MP3 Playback Dilemma

[Ft. Lauderdale, FL. October 24, 2007]-Bongiovi Acoustics, LLC (www.bongioviacoustics.com) announces that it has solved the most critical challenge presented by MP3/MP4 music playback: Poor quality audio as a result of diminished frequency response from compressed audio data files.

Given the limited bandwidth available in consumer electronics, the industry has developed a number of compression (size) algorithms to reduce the time it takes to download & store digital audio and video files. Bits and pieces of the original master recording’s program material are removed in order to reduce the overall size of the data file. For the most part, this process preserves enough of the program material to compress the file while still providing a reasonable listening experience when played through consumer electronics. This is analogous to the process that was used in making vinyl records when the master recording’s frequency response was altered to ‘fit’ as much audio information on the vinyl records as possible.

The compressed digital audio format of MP3/MP4 files further diminishes the frequency response of the audio content by limiting the transient information that would be found in the original master recording.

The patented Bongiovi Acoustics Digital Power Station processor is a groundbreaking achievement in audio technology. Encoded on a computer chip, the processor can be custom-tuned to maximize the performance of any playback device. The active processor constantly scans the program material in real time and raises frequency levels to compensate for diminished frequency response. “The result is extended frequency and transient response of the compressed program material and a signal as close to the 0 dbfs reference standard of the master recording as can be achieved” says the technology’s inventor, Tony Bongiovi. “The bottom line is, the listener gets to hear more of the original program material”

This first-of-its kind technology was conceived by Bongiovi, an award-winning recording engineer and producer. Bongiovi fused his expertise in both engineering and record production to break down the wall between what is recorded in the sound studio and what the listener ultimately hears when that sound is reproduced on an audio device. “In non-technical terms, the processor recognizes and addresses program material differences and compensates for those variations” says Bongiovi. “The result is that, in terms of sound quality, older recordings sound as good as new recordings and there are no significant volume differences between channels, audio sources or formats.”

The technology and its application is not limited to MP3 players. “It is particularly effective in instances where audio components and their performance are compromised or limited due to size, weight, portability, playback environment or cost factors,” says Bongiovi Acoustics cofounder Ron Simmons. “The processor is a real breakthrough not only for MP3 players, but for all consumer electronics that produce sound and its ease of implementation in any product is a key feature. These products include car audio systems, computers, cell phones, boom boxes, gaming devices, home theatre systems and flat panel displays”

The Digital Power Station processor is currently available in the Bongiovi Acoustics KD-S100 car audio system manufactured by JVC Mobile Entertainment. The system is being distributed as an aftermarket car audio product and is available nationwide at new car dealerships.

The technology will soon be available in headphones, IPOD docking stations and many other consumer electronic products under licensing terms to major manufacturers. Visit www.bongioviacoustics.com for more information about audio compression and the groundbreaking Bongiovi Acoustics Digital Power Station technology.

The Company
Bongiovi Acoustics LLC is an operating entity of Bongiovi Media & Technology, Inc., a privately held company with offices at 649 SW Whitmore Dr., Port Saint Lucie, FL. The company generates revenues through licensing of its technology, joint ventures with strategic partners and also through sales, licensing, distribution and production agreements within the entertainment industry.

Hear the Revolutionary Bongiovi Acoustics Digital Power Station Technology
at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas

[Ft. Lauderdale, FL. October 29, 2007]-Bongiovi Acoustics www.bongioviacoustics.com and Classic Design Concepts www.classicdesignconcepts.com announced today that the Bongiovi Acoustics KD-S100 car audio system manufactured by JVC Mobile Entertainment will be in an all new custom-built 67 Mustang at the SEMA auto specialty products show. George Huisman, owner of CDC, has combined his passion of the Mustang with superb design vision to create the 67 Flashback. This vehicle is new from the ground up and although the styling cues may shadow the past, the Flashback is loaded with modern amenities, attention to detail and quality, not to mention an engine over 600 horsepower. Huisman partnered with key quality-conscious aftermarket companies to create this all new “Flashback”, which will be available as a complete vehicle through CDC in 2008.

The Flashback’s audio system consists of the revolutionary Bongiovi Acoustics KD-S100 car audio system manufactured by JVC Mobile Entertainment which contains the patented Digital Power Station audio signal processing technology. The Bongiovi Acoustics head unit is custom tuned to optimize the performance of Rockford-Fosgate components and amplifiers. “This sound system is amazing-I guarantee that no other Mustang sounds even close to this” says Huisman.

“Our unique technology enables us to custom –tune the system to substantially increase the operational envelope of the audio components in any given environment—and we are extremely effective in cars like the Flashback”. Every vehicle has unique sonic characteristics and the Flashback is no different.” said Tony Bongiovi, inventor of the Digital Power Station. “One of the key tasks in custom-tuning the Flashback was to overcome the sound generated by the 600 HP power plant.”

The Flashback/Bongiovi Acoustics Mustang can be seen and heard at the Ford Motor Booth #22300 at SEMA in Las Vegas, October 30-Nov. 2 2007.

The Digital Power Station-enabled Bongiovi Acoustics KD-S100 car audio system manufactured by JVC Mobile Entertainment is being distributed as an aftermarket car audio product and is available nationwide at new car dealerships. This patented technology will soon be available in a wide variety of consumer electronic products under licensing terms to major manufacturers. Visit www.bongioviacoustics.com for more information.

The Company: Bongiovi Acoustics is an operating entity of Bongiovi Media & Technology, Inc., a privately held company with offices at 649 SW Whitmore Dr., Port Saint Lucie, Florida. The company generates revenues through licensing of its technology, joint ventures with strategic partners and also through sales, licensing, distribution and production agreements within the entertainment industry.

Posted 12/5/2006 9:20 AM ET
By Peter Svensson, The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Veteran audio engineer Tony Bongiovi, who once worked with Jimi Hendrix, has been disappointed for decades that the equipment most people used to listen to music couldn't replicate the high-quality sound heard in the studio.

Now, he thinks he's created an answer: a technique for sound processing that's making its debut in a JVC car stereo this week.

"Speakers are such a primitive device, but with digital technology we can overcome that," Bongiovi said. (If his name sounds familiar to those who know music but nothing of audio engineering, it's because his second cousin is Jon Bon Jovi.)

The technique, which Bongiovi calls the Digital Power Station for the studio he once built in a converted power station in Manhattan, can be described as a very sophisticated equalizer. It adapts intelligently to the music to give even cheap speakers a full, robust sound and compensate for the deficiencies of the listening space.

This is accomplished by digital signal processing, a technology found in virtually all consumer audio products. But according to Bongiovi, it has never been employed in this way.

Bongiovi and his company, Bongiovi Acoustics of Port St. Lucie, Fla., first built a device using analog components to produce the effect, but the unit was the size of a refrigerator. He turned to Glenn Zelniker, a specialist in digital signal processing, to program a chip to do the same thing.

"The technique really allows the sound source to be heard very well, loud and clear and intelligible in a very, very compromised sonic environment," Zelniker said.

The chip, an off-the-shelf digital signal processor from Motorola spinoff Freescale Semiconductor, is programmed specifically for each car model, taking into account the characteristics of its speakers and interior. It has more than 120 points of adjustment.

"It's so precise that the hatchback Ford Focus has a different tuning from the regular one," Bongiovi said.
In a demonstration for a reporter in a Ford Focus with standard speakers, the JVC KD-S100 car stereo produced radically different sound quality with the Digital Power Station chip engaged. The sound swelled to give an impression of space, and all instruments came through clearer.

The bass was very rich and free of distortion, a phenomenon Bongiovi attributes both to the chip knowing exactly how much the four speakers can take, and to synchronizing them to act as one "virtual subwoofer."

While the technology is particularly suited to a noisy environment like a car, Bongiovi sees it as having much wider applications, though there are no specific plans for taking the chip to consumer gadgets beyond the car stereo.

In another demonstration, he had a computer play the movie King Kong through an inexpensive JVC home-theater-in-a-box speaker setup. Using software on the computer to run the Digital Power Station algorithm, the sound quality improved tremendously. With no real increase in volume, sounds surfaced that previously were unnoticed, like the giant gorilla breathing and shuffling his feet. There was an overall feeling of theater-like space even in a small room.

While the process may do little for the high-end gear of an audiophile, it appears to be very adept at compensating for the weaknesses of cheap speakers. Even the sound from the built-in speakers of a flat-panel TV set was improved by Digital Power Station.

"I want people at home to experience what we experience in the studio, and this is the only way to do it," Bongiovi said.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Bongiovi Acoustics, JVC ink deal to present new sound technology
Thursday, 18 January 2007

NEW YORK, NY — Bongiovi Acoustics, a pioneering sound engineering company, unveiled its exclusive sound technology at a news conference and demonstration held in New York City. The patent-pending technology, to be known as the Digital Power Station, makes its marketing debut inside a specialty car audio system manufactured by JVC.

Tony Bongiovi (right), founder/managing director of Bongiovi Acoustics, and Dave Guth of First Step Marketing are pictured at the CES beside an amazing demo vehicle for the new JVC, Bongiovi Acoustics digital power station™. The vehicle was a totally stock Ford Focus with a basic aftermarket overhead mobile video system and JVC head unit featuring the Bongiovi digital power station™. The sound from the attack scene in the movie, Pearl Harbor, was incredibly better with the Bongiovi Acoustics digital power station™ engaged.

Available through an assembled network of auto distribution companies and local car dealerships in the United States, the Bongiovi Acoustics Mobile Entertainment system with Digital Power Station technology is being produced under an exclusive five-year agreement between Bongiovi Acoustics and JVC Mobile Company of America, a division of JVC Americas Corp.

“The technology is to sound as high definition is to television,” explained Tony Bongiovi, inventor of the technology. “It’s a technological breakthrough in that it uses the incredible power of computing software to bring about the most dramatic quality of sound you can ever hear outside a sound studio.”

Both an award-winning sound engineer and music producer, Bongiovi fused his expertise in these fields, undertaking a daring and, ultimately, successful attempt to “break down the wall” between what was recorded in the professional sound studio and what you eventually hear when that sound is reproduced in an audio device, whether a television, computer, car audio system, or even a cell phone.

The Digital Power Station™ (patent pending), embedded in a computer chip, is the first of a new generation of digital audio signal processors that can be programmed to reproduce studio quality sound in virtually any audio device. MP3 players, game stations, cell phones, televisions, computers and even public address systems will be impacted by the technology which dramatically improves the quality and audibility of sound in any environment.

Two years ago the technology first came to the attention of JVC. Executives in Japan, where the parent company is based, were immediately intrigued and sensed the far-reaching potential for such a breakthrough in sound technology.

“At JVC we pride ourselves on innovation. That means we will pursue the most innovative and promising technology we encounter and will integrate innovation into our product line whenever possible,” said Masuichiro Mimura, a director and member of the board, Victor Company of Japan. “We are the first and only company to provide this technology to consumers, and we are very proud to be standing here today with Bongiovi Acoustics.”

Last year JVC Mobile established new headquarters in southern California where it is led by Sean Takada, its President. The Digital Power Station uses a combination of specially designed filters, equalization, and gain amplification to achieve total linear control over the entire audio spectrum allowing frequency specific amplification to achieve desired results in the playback environment.

When switched on, the Digital Power Station reproduces far more of the originally recorded sound than the audio device would otherwise present, even at lower volumes. Hugely improved sound quality is now available with the mere touch of a button, without having to add costly audio upgrades. Furthermore, with no added equipment, portability is not compromised to achieve outstanding sound quality.

“There is no end as to how far this technology can go,” said Bongiovi. “Its applications are unlimited given that sound is virtually everywhere.”

Noted engineer, author and lecturer on audio digital signal processing, Dr. Glenn Zelniker, played a role in the process that created the Digital Power Station technology. Zelniker called the technology, “a breakthrough in that it’s the first time a low-cost path to getting high-performance sound has been invented.”

Zelniker, focusing on the car audio system, added, “Before the Digital Power Station, getting sound quality this good would necessitate inordinate expenditures in raw speaker drivers, enclosures, and mechanical noise reduction in the vehicle itself. The technology provides incredible in-vehicle acoustical performance by applying innovative digital signal processing techniques directly to the audio signal itself, addressing the problem at the source rather than requiring complicated mechanical and material correction downstream. From the perspective of the consumer, the Digital Power Station is a simple purchase that brings about dramatic sonic enhancement, allowing them to experience music the way the "big spender" car-stereo enthusiasts do, but at a fraction of the price.”

Andy Toriello, CEO of Sonalysts, a highly regarded company that works with the military on superior sonar systems and sonar performance, expressed his excitement at the technological achievement.

“The dramatic improvement in sound quality utilizing the new Digital Power Station technology could have a significant impact on many other applications. Tony Bongiovi has applied his years of high-end music production experience and his genius for the complex interaction of acoustic waves, to create a remarkably effective approach to processing and amplifying acoustic signals,” Toriello said. “Among the areas where this technology may well be applied is in improving the audio quality of sonar systems (in which operators continue to use acoustic characteristics to classify noise in the ocean), and in devices that allow heart and lung specialists to interpret a patient's condition based on aural clues.”
Learn more at www.jvc.com.

Bongiovi Acoustics Unveils Digital Power Station Car Radio
By David Weiss
Jan 5, 2007 4:33 PM

The worlds of pro audio and consumer electronics were bridged at New York City's Avatar Studios in December, where Bongiovi Acoustics unveiled the Digital Power Station car radio. Demonstrated by audio icon Tony Bongiovi (pictured) in Avatar’s Studio A, the patent-pending technology being manufactured by JVC made a very impressive debut.

According to Bongiovi Acoustics, the Digital Power Station, embedded in a computer chip, is the first of a new generation of digital audio signal processors that can be programmed to reproduce studio quality sound in virtually any audio device. Using a combination of filters, EQ and gain amplification, it achieves total linear control over the entire audio spectrum, allowing frequency-specific amplification to achieve desired results in the playback environment.

So how does it sound? If the demo in the Ford Focus that rolled into Studio A is any indication, excellent. Aimed first at lower- to mid-priced car lines, the Digital Power Station should put much higher quality sound within reach of the everyday driver.

Turning a car's sound system into a king of the road

Wednesday, December 06, 2006
BY KEVIN COUGHLIN
Star-Ledger Staff

Elvis never sounded so good.

At least, not in a Ford Focus.

"That's pretty much what it would have sounded like in the control room," said Anthony "Tony" Bongiovi Jr., as Elvis Presley's "That's All Right (Mama)" exploded from the speakers of his rental car.

Bongiovi, a veteran recording engineer who produced albums for Aerosmith, Talking Heads and the Ramones, was demonstrating his Digital Power Station, a new technology he hopes will revolutionize mobile audio.

The Raritan native analyzed the acoustics of more than 130 makes and models of cars, and worked with engineers from Wayne-based JVC Mobile Company of America to devise software that makes tinny car speakers thunder and shimmer like systems owned by pop stars.

Customized for each type of car, the software is uploaded onto a chip in a JVC receiver. No new speakers or other special gear is required; the system automatically adjusts tone.

"Now, for the first time, we can bring what we do in the studio and put it in your car, without a ton of equipment. We can do electronically what the speaker can't do mechanically," said Bongiovi, who expects the Digital Power Station to reach New Jersey car dealers within a month. (See http://www.digitalpowerstation.net/ for updates.)

An A/B comparison of vintage 1950s Elvis -- unadorned and then played through Digital Power Station circuitry -- was like toggling between an old AM radio broadcast and a living, breathing, sensual performance.

The bass throbbed. The band came alive. The King rocked.

Other recordings gained clarity, too, as background instruments emerged from the murk -- even at low volumes.
Who ever knew the timpani sounded so good in the symphonic theme to "Star Wars"? The brass in a Ray Charles/Count Basie Orchestra mashup had the bite of a riled crocodile. Bass lines in hip-hopper Rihanna's "S.O.S." were transformed from muddy to crisp.

"I've been in this business for over 30 years. I've never heard anything like this," said Mark Levy, special markets manager for JVC. "We feel there's a big market for this."

That's assuming customers won't mind returning to their car dealers for installation. Bongiovi and JVC say that's the only way to ensure consumers get the right chip for their vehicle.

It's also unclear if people driving Ford Focuses and other non-luxury cars will pay hundreds of dollars to wring extra detail from standard sound systems.

"The whole car stereo craze started in the mid-80s and peaked in the mid-90s," said Doug Newcomb, former editor of Car Audio & Electronics magazine.

He blames the decline partly on the rise of MP3 players, which compress audio. "It became more about quantity than quality: How many songs can I get onto an iPod, and how do I bring that into a car?" Newcomb said.

Another longtime audio reviewer, Alan Lofft, described most factory-issued car audio systems as "mediocre." While skeptical that the Digital Power Station can deliver enhanced bass through puny speakers -- "there are laws of physics that govern this" -- he was eager to hear for himself at a demo in New York today.

The product is named for Bongiovi's former New York studio, the Power Station, where Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Diana Ross recorded. It took two years to develop his new technology. Bongiovi, 57, said he and JVC are exploring how to adapt it for home audio and even for medical diagnostics, such as improved stethoscopes.

For cars, he started from the premise that basic speakers generally reproduce mid-range frequencies well, but are lousy at treble and bass. He factored in the acoustical quirks of different vehicle interiors and speakers, as well as road noise, and crafted a system that analyzes music on the fly, boosting highs and lows accordingly.

Until now, he said, listeners have had to manually adjust tone controls, song by song, or settle for a few pre-set equalizer choices.

Bongiovi explained that his chip steers the bass signal to the particular speakers that can best handle it, and exploits a phenomenon called acoustic coupling. The result, he said, is a "virtual sub-woofer" for punchier bass.

To test his invention, he played CDs from many artists.

Jon Bon Jovi , his famous cousin, did not make the list.

"There's no Bon Jovi music here!" said Tony Bongiovi, who helped launch the Sayreville rocker's career -- only to get dumped for new management.

Kevin Coughlin covers technology. He may be reached at kcoughlin@starledger.com

New Stereo Technology Debuts in Manhattan

By Ward Morehouse III

Special to The Epoch Times

Dec 09, 2006

NEW YORK—Tony Bongiovi, record producer and sound engineer who worked with Jimi Hendrix, the Ramones, and the Talking Heads, astounded a news conference in Manhattan last week with a demonstration of his new invention, the Digital Power Station.

"This patent-pending technology is a breakthrough in that it uses the incredible power of computing software to bring about the most dramatic quality of sound one can ever hear outside a sound studio," said Bongiovi.

Bongiovi told The Epoch Times, "The technology is to sound as high definition is to television," and it is making its market debut inside a specialty car audio system manufactured by JVC, called the KDS-100 car entertainment system.

The technology is embedded in a computer chip, the first of a new generation of digital audio signal processors that can be programmed to reproduce studio quality sound in virtually any audio device. MP3 players, game stations, cell phones, televisions, computers, and even public address systems will be impacted by the technology, which dramatically improves the quality and audibility of sound in any environment.

Mr. Masuichiro Mimura of JVC said that "we are the first and only company to provide this technology to consumers, and we are very proud to be standing here today with Bongiovi Acoustics."

The Digital Power Station uses a combination of specially designed filters, equalization, and gain amplification to achieve total linear control over the entire audio spectrum, allowing frequency specific amplification to achieve desired results in the playback environment. When switched on, the device makes more sound than that of the originally recorded content, even at lower volumes.