WiSA and ALMA Get Cozy

The  Wireless Speaker and Audio (WiSA) Association and Association of Loudspeaker Manufacturing and Acoustics International (ALMA) announced the signing of membership agreements in each other’s organizations.

For more information visit: www.wisaassociation.org ; www.almainternational.org


Unedited press release follows:

The Wireless Speaker and Audio Association and the Association of Loudspeaker Manufacturing and Acoustics, Team Up to Bring Greater Focus on Issues That Affect Both Memberships and the Industry

SAN FRANCISO, CA–(Mar 25, 2014) – The  Wireless Speaker and Audio (WiSA™) Association, an industry group dedicated to bringing reliable, high-resolution, interoperable, wireless, surround sound audio products to the home theater market and the Association of Loudspeaker Manufacturing and Acoustics International (ALMA®), a not-for-profit trade association, dedicated to improving the design and manufacture of loudspeakers, today announce the signing of membership agreements in each other’s organizations. ALMA International and the WiSA Association are both dedicated to the advancement and growth of the loudspeaker industry while focusing on different yet complementary areas of technology. The relationship will serve to address those common interests such as, the requirements for designing and manufacturing high-resolution digital audio.

The WiSA Association delivered the industry’s first and only interoperability and compliance test specification (CTS) for ensuring the quality of the wireless link between transmitting devices such as, HDTVs, AVRs, DVD/Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, set-top boxes and receiving devices like speakers and subwoofers. WiSA-compliant systems deliver cinema quality sound with 24bit, up to 96 KHz uncompressed, interference-free audio. ALMA International, in its 50-plus year history has set numerous standards addressing loudspeaker design, components, performance and testing.

“There is a great deal of synergy in our two associations,” said ALMA Association Manager, Barry Vogel. “ALMA and WiSA are both dedicated to the loudspeaker industry, but we come at it from different angles. We look forward to exploring areas of mutual interest and benefit to our memberships, several of whom are members of both organizations.”

“As the leader in the wireless high-resolution audio category, one of our objectives is to engage with other standards bodies and organizations that work on similar issues affecting our members as well as set the direction for the industry,” said Jim Venable, president of the WiSA Association. “We are excited to partner with ALMA, an organization who, throughout its long history, has been setting standards for the loudspeaker market.”

About the WiSA Association:
Established in 2011 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, the Wireless Speaker & Audio (WiSA) Association is an industry group dedicated to bringing reliable, high-resolution interoperable wireless audio products to the consumer. The Association is responsible for developing specifications and performing testing and interoperability certification of WiSA-certified products, Association administrative management, and outbound marketing campaigns to promote the broad adoption of WiSA interoperability. For more information about the WiSA Association, visit www.wisaassociation.org.

ALMA – the Association for Loudspeaker Manufacturing & Acoustics International is a not-for-profit trade association, dedicated to improving the design and manufacture of loudspeakers. Our membership is made up of loudspeaker designers and manufacturers, suppliers of components, test and measurement equipment and other products, consultants and other service providers to the industry. Individuals, academic institutions and full-time students participating in this field are also eligible to join. Our membership is global. Founded in 1961 as the American Loudspeaker Manufacturers Association, in 2001 changed its name to ALMA International to reflect its new, geographically diverse membership base. For more information about ALMA visit www.almainternational.org.