Syng FAQs

Syng Cell Technology & Sound

How is Syng different from traditional surround sound systems?

Syng replaces fixed, channel-based audio with flexible, object-based spatial sound. Unlike traditional systems that require specific speaker placement and complex wiring, Syng Cells use Triphonic technology to find each other and map your room. This allows you to place speakers anywhere, even in unusually shaped rooms, while maintaining a perfectly balanced soundstage.

What are the benefits of Triphonic audio over stereo?

Triphonic audio creates a 360-degree sound field with no "sweet spot." While stereo relies on left and right channels to create an illusion of depth for one specific listening position, Triphonic audio treats sound as objects in 3D space. This results in a consistent, high-fidelity experience for everyone in the room, no matter where they are standing or sitting.

How does Syng's self-calibration (Soundcheck) work?

When setting up a new Cell Alpha, once it's connected and placed, Soundcheck begins automatically. The Cell plays special tones into the room, then the sound that bounces back is analyzed by a trio of beamforming microphones. This tells the Cell about the size and shape of your room so it can fine-tune its response. If there are multiple Cells in the room, each learns where the others are so they can work together to create a cohesive sound field.

This Triphonic mapping automatically adjusts to physical obstacles and wall reflections, ensuring clear, immersive audio even in hard-to-wire spaces like garages, open-concept lofts, or rooms with slanted ceilings where traditional 5.1 systems would fail.

If you move a Cell to a new room or home, Syng Space will prompt you to run Soundcheck again.

About Single Point Source Audio Design

Cell Alpha's goal is to reproduce sounds like you hear them in the real world: emerging from a distinct source, with all frequencies arriving intact and aligned, wherever you happen to be.

The custom drivers inside Cell Alpha are densely packed in a spherical array. The subwoofers face up and down. The midrange and treble drivers are horn-loaded in three concentric pairs around the equator. All speaker voice coils are drawn together in the center of the sphere, so the full range of sound emanates in equal balance from the core: a Single Point Source.

Traditional speakers combine drivers of multiple sizes and types, each with a distinct output pattern. Bass drivers send sound in all directions, while midrange and treble drivers cover a much smaller area. Unless you're in the "sweet spot," frequency content is skewed and fidelity suffers. Cell Alpha eliminates this problem.

About the Syng Triphone

Cell Alpha uses a technique called beamforming, controlling the timing and volume of sound across multiple drivers individually to radically reshape their output pattern. Unlike speakers designed for a fixed focal point (such as a couch in front of a TV), Cell Alpha has no defined aural front, back, or sides. You can change its relationship to you and your room on a whim.

To enable this, Syng invented the Triphone: a circular array of horn-loaded drivers tightly packed into the core of Cell Alpha. Each horn contains a concentric pair of midrange and treble drivers, joining the subwoofers in a full-range three-way configuration. The three horns focus each pair of drivers on one third of the surrounding space for precise directivity. Each driver has its own signal path and class-D amplifier for total independence and high efficiency.

Syng Cell Alpha Product Details & Specifications

Cell Alpha Overview

Cell Alpha is the world's first Triphonic speaker. One Cell fills your room with articulate, spacious sound. Add more to envelop yourself in sound and transform your space into a soundfield. Connect up to five Cells to expand the system.

Key features:

  • Stream in Super Spatial Sound via Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect
  • Quick setup and automatic room calibration via the Syng Space app
  • Connect a record player or laptop via two USB-C ports
  • Connect your TV via the optional Syng Link cable for home theater in Super Spatial Sound

Cell Alpha Specifications

Audio

  • Frequency response: Smooth (±3 dB) from 23 Hz to 20 kHz
  • Two woofers in opposing force-balanced configuration
  • Three-element, two-way beamforming array
  • Three microphones for automatic room equalization, wall proximity and direction detection, and multi-Cell geometry calculation
  • Loudness: film reference levels (105 dB peaks)
  • Multi-Cell playback in a room space; in-room synchronization better than ±5µs

Connectivity

  • AirPlay 2
  • Spotify Connect
  • Tidal Connect
  • USB Audio in via two USB-C ports (top and bottom, for clean wire routing)
  • HDMI eARC compatible with optional Syng Link cable

Wireless

  • 2.4/5 GHz Simultaneous Dual Band (DBDC) Wi-Fi — IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
  • Bluetooth 4.2 (Low Energy) for setup and discovery only

Control Ring

  • Volume control
  • Play/Pause (click Ring downward)
  • Reset

Electrical & Environmental

  • Universal input: 100–240 VAC, 50–60 Hz
  • Operating temperature: 32°–95° F (0°–35° C)
  • Relative humidity: 5%–90% non-condensing
  • Indoor use only

In the Box

  • Cell Alpha
  • Power cable
  • Table/floor stand
  • Assembly instructions

App Compatibility

  • iOS 14.0 and higher
  • Android TBD

How many Cell Alphas do I need for my space?

For critical listening or home theater (full-range at all volumes):

Room Size

Cells Recommended

Up to 3,000 cu. ft. (300 sq. ft. @ 10 ft. ceiling)

1 or more

3,000–6,000 cu. ft. (300–600 sq. ft.)

2 or more

6,000–9,000 cu. ft. (600–900 sq. ft.)

3 or more

 

For casual listening and room-filling ambience:

Room Size

Cells Recommended

Up to 9,000 cu. ft. (900 sq. ft. @ 10 ft. ceiling)

1 or more

9,000–11,000 cu. ft. (900–1,100 sq. ft.)

2 or more

10,000–13,000 cu. ft. (1,000–1,300 sq. ft.)

3 or more

 

Adding multiple Cells brings advantages beyond power and range, including the ability to direct and shape sound within your space. Cells learn about your room and one another wherever you place them, so you can always add more and enjoy the same seamless experience.

Cell Alpha Status Lights Meaning

  • Powered on / starting up: Light turns on, then turns off when ready
  • Ready to set up: Light pulses and Cell makes a sound
  • Ready to play: Light fades off

Syng Cell Alpha Setup & System Requirements

Required components:

  • Cell Alpha (up to 5 per room)
  • Mac running macOS 12.0 or later (for Syng Studio)
  • Syng Space app for iOS
  • Syng Studio for macOS
  • USB-C cable
  • Wi-Fi network (WPA or WPA2 Personal, secured networks only) - you will need your Wi-Fi passcode to set up each Cell
  • Bluetooth enabled on your mobile device during setup

Do Syng Cells require professional installation or wiring?

No. Each Cell only requires a standard power outlet and Wi-Fi. Once plugged in, the Syng Space app uses the built-in microphones to self-calibrate the speakers to your room's acoustics, no speaker wiring or professional AV calibration needed.

Mapping Cell Alpha to Your Space

After setup, the Syng Space app shows a circular representation of your room's sound field with each Cell's position. This is your Syng Space.

If a Cell is near a wall, it appears near the edge of the circle. Drag it to match your vision of the room.

If a Cell is in open space, it appears in the center.

Groups of Cells start in the correct formation (they learn each other's positions during Soundcheck), but you may need to adjust orientation. Drag the group to match your room layout; pinch to zoom Cells together or apart; drag the outer edge of the circle to rotate the whole group.

Each Cell flashes and makes a sound to identify itself when you set a new position.

To return to these settings later, tap and hold on the Syng Space circle.

How to Place Cell Alpha to Optimize Spatial Sound

Cell Alphas perform best in open air. If room size and layout allows, place them around your listening area, at least two feet from walls, ceiling, and furniture. If one must go nearer to a wall, that's OK. Never place a Cell in an enclosed space (such as inside a cabinet or under a table).

Optimizing Wi-Fi for Cell Alpha

  • Place your router in the open, as high as possible, and as central as possible.
  • If an object near Cell Alpha could be blocking the signal, try moving it.
  • If a Cell has issues on 5 GHz, try connecting it to 2.4 GHz for better range.
  • Cell Alpha only connects to secured Wi-Fi networks (WPA or WPA2 Personal). If your network is open, secure it or create a second secured network.
  • For homes with multiple floors or thick walls, a mesh Wi-Fi system may help.
  • Wi-Fi extenders/repeaters cut bandwidth in half and are not recommended for slower connections (DSL, satellite, or long-range wireless).

NOTE: Weak Wi-Fi signal is the primary source of Cell Alpha outages. Please see our Troubleshooting page to learn more.

Audio Sources & Playback for Syng Cells

Selecting a Sound Source

Open the Syng Space app to see your Syng Space. Tap a source (AirPlay, Spotify, Tidal, USB-C) or drop it into your Space to start listening. To switch sources, tap or drop another source. To stop all sound, move the current source out of the circle.

If you have Cells in more than one space, back out of the single-space view to see all spaces in your home and drop a source into the corresponding space.

Can I play two different sources with Cell Alpha?

Yes. You can add a second source using the Syng Space app. The location and volume of each source can be controlled independently.

Can I use Syng in a room where the TV isn't the central focus?

Yes. Syng is room-centric rather than TV-centric. You can move the sound field using the app — shifting the primary listening area to a reading corner, dining table, or the center of the room, regardless of where your TV is located.

Can I move the sound around the room after setup?

Yes. In the Syng Space app, drag the sound icon to "pin" audio to a specific corner for intimate listening or expand it to fill the entire space for a party.

Listening to Syng Cells via AirPlay (iOS, macOS, Apple TV)

iOS: If your playback app has an AirPlay button, tap it and select your Syng Space. If not, open Control Center and tap and hold the playback controls for more options.

macOS: Open System Preferences > Sound > Output tab, and select your Syng Space. All audio from the computer plays through Cell Alpha.

Apple TV: Open Control Center (press and hold the Home button), scroll down, select AirPlay, then choose your Syng Space.

Listening via Spotify Connect

Open Spotify on a device connected to the same Wi-Fi as Cell Alpha. Tap the Spotify Connect icon, then select your Syng Space from the list of available devices.

Listening via Tidal Connect

Open Tidal on a device connected to the same Wi-Fi as Cell Alpha. Tap the Tidal Connect icon, then select your Syng Space from the list of available devices.

Connecting a Turntable to Syng Cells

USB turntable: Connect directly to one of Cell Alpha's two USB-C ports. Use the port next to the power input to route the cable through the stand for a cleaner look, or the port on the stem for easy connect/disconnect. Your turntable must be class-compliant, contact its manufacturer to confirm.

Analog turntable: You'll need a phono preamp (may be built in,  look for a "phono/line" switch) and a class-compliant USB audio interface. Connect the turntable to the preamp, then to the audio interface, then to Cell Alpha via USB-C. The audio interface must use inputs 1 and 2, as Cell Alpha listens for audio at those inputs. Note: Syng Link cannot be used for turntable connections, a USB-C cable is required.

Once connected, drop the USB-C source into your Syng Space and play. Volume can be set via the Control Ring or the app. If you select another source (Spotify, Tidal, etc.), it takes precedence and mutes the turntable; when it stops, the turntable resumes.

Syng Cell Alpha Home Theater & TV Integration

How do I connect Syng Cell Alpha to my TV?

You can connect Syng Cell Alpha to a TV using either a wired Syng Link (HDMI eARC/ARC) connection or wirelessly via Apple AirPlay 2. The wired Syng Link connection is the preferred method for high-fidelity home theater as it supports 5.1 surround sound, whereas AirPlay 2 is limited to stereo playback.

Feature

Syng Link (Wired)

AirPlay 2 (Wireless)

Audio Format

5.1 Surround & Stereo

Stereo (2.0) Only

Connection Type

HDMI eARC / ARC

Wi-Fi (Same Network)

Latency

Zero / Hardware Synced

Network Dependent

Control

TV Remote (HDMI-CEC)

Source Device / App

 

Does Syng support Dolby Atmos or Surround Sound?

Syng Cell Alpha supports Dolby Digital (AC-3) 5.1 surround sound when connected via the Syng Link cable. While it does not currently decode Dolby Atmos or DTS formats, its proprietary Triphonic technology spatializes standard 5.1 and stereo signals to create an immersive 3D sound field that mimics the height and depth of Atmos systems.

How to set up Syng Link for Home Theater

To enable home theater audio, follow these technical steps to ensure the handshake between the TV and the Cell Alpha is successful:

Physical Connection: Plug the Syng Link cable into a USB-C port on the Cell Alpha and the HDMI eARC/ARC port on your television.

TV Audio Output: Navigate to your TV’s Sound Settings and set the Digital Output to Dolby Digital, Auto, or Bitstream.

PCM Fallback: If you hear no audio, switch the TV setting to PCM (this will limit output to 2.0 stereo).

HDMI-CEC: Ensure HDMI-CEC is enabled (often called Anynet+, SimpLink, or BRAVIA Sync) to allow your TV remote to control the Syng volume.

Where should I place Syng Cells for the best movie experience?

Unlike traditional 5.1 systems that require rigid "Front-Left" and "Rear-Right" placement, Syng Cells are room-centric.

For Dedicated Media Rooms: Place two Cells flanking the screen and one or more behind the seating area.

For Multi-purpose Spaces: Place Cells anywhere in the room. Use the Syng Space App to digitally "drag" the TV audio source toward your seating area to calibrate the soundstage in real-time.

Can I use Syng Link with a turntable or other non-TV devices?

No. The Syng Link is exclusively designed for HDMI eARC/ARC television connections. For analog devices like turntables or CD players, you must use a standard USB-C cable or a class-compliant USB audio interface connected directly to the Cell Alpha’s USB-C ports.

Tips:

  • For multi-channel surround sound, set your TV's digital audio output to Dolby Digital, Dolby AC-3, or Auto.
  • If content isn't available in surround, set digital audio output to PCM (outputs left and right channels only).
  • When connected via Syng Link, Cell Alpha volume is controlled by your TV remote.
  • When 5.1 content plays, Cell Alpha automatically switches to surround mode; you'll see a five-point audio visualization in the Syng Space app.
  • To adjust sound balance, move the TV source within your Space in the app.
  • Selecting a different source (Spotify, Tidal, etc.) in Syng Space mutes the TV signal; select the TV source again to switch back.
  • If your TV is turned on after being off or unplugged, the TV source is selected automatically.
  • To extend the Syng Link cable, use a separate HDMI 2.1 (eARC) cable with a female/female HDMI coupler adapter.

Caution: Always remove the Syng Link cable from Cell Alpha before unscrewing the floor or table stand.

Note: HDMI-CEC may be labeled differently by brand (AnyNet+, BRAVIA Sync, SimpLink, VIERA Link, EasyLink, etc.).

Syng Space App & Listener Controls

How is the Syng Space App used?

The Syng Space app (iOS 14+) is used for setup, room mapping, source selection, sound field control, and tone adjustment. Bluetooth must be enabled during initial setup; Wi-Fi is used for all ongoing communication and audio streaming.

How to Use the Control Ring

  • Turn to set system volume
  • Click (press down) to pause or start playback for the current source

Tone Control / Adjusting Bass and Highs

To customize tonal balance, open the Syng Space app, tap the "..." button (top right), tap Spaces, navigate to your room, and tap Tone. You can drag the EQ line up or down on either end of the Lows/Highs graph, or drag the sliders for more precise control. Tap the reset button (bottom right) to return to 0. This setting applies to all Cells in the chosen room; Cells in other rooms are not affected.

Does Cell Alpha have a voice assistant?

No. The three microphones are used exclusively for room calibration, not to listen to you.

Is Cell Alpha a Bluetooth speaker?

No. Cell Alpha uses Wi-Fi for audio streaming. Bluetooth is used only during initial setup.

Syng Cell Maintenance & Troubleshooting

How to Clean Cell Alpha

The glossy surfaces may pick up particles during unboxing. Wipe affected areas with a microfiber cloth slightly dampened with water. Never use alcohol or any abrasive cleaner. The top surface of Cell is a speaker — do not place anything on it.

Caring for Cell Alpha

  • Use indoors only, in temperatures between 32°–95° F (0°–35° C)
  • Clean exterior and stand with a soft microfiber cloth dampened only with water
  • Protect from moisture and excessive dust

Is Cell Alpha made of glass?

No. The transparent parts are made of polycarbonate. Glass would retain too much heat and degrade audio performance.

Can I use Cell Alpha outside?

No. Cell Alpha is not rated for outdoor use.

How to Find Your Cell Alpha Serial Number

In the Syng Space app: Tap "..." > Spaces > locate your Cell Alpha > tap it to view the serial number and other info.

On the hardware: Locate the USB-C port on the stem. Look through the transparent housing above the port to find the serial number printed on the circuit board inside, or scan the 2D Data Matrix barcode with a compatible scanner app.

How to Factory Reset Cell Alpha

A factory reset restores Cell Alpha to its original state and removes it from your account. The light turns green when the reset is complete. After a factory reset, Cell Alpha cannot be used until set up again in the Syng Space app.

To reset: Turn the Control Ring quickly one way, then the other, then click and hold it down. The light pulses yellow while resetting. When it stops pulsing and turns green, release the Ring. Cell Alpha restarts, the light shines solid white, then pulses and makes a sound when ready to set up again.

📹 Video tutorial

How to Transfer Cell Alpha to Another Account

Factory reset the Cell (see above), then check the Syng Space app to verify it has been removed. Once removed, the Cell is free to be set up in a different account.

See more Troubleshooting details here >

How to return a Cell Alpha

We are confident that you will love your Syng products, however, if you are unsatisfied for any reason, you can inform us within 45 days for a full refund of the purchase price. Start your return by sending us an email: support@syngspace.com. 

How to track an order

You'll get regular updates via email as your order is prepared, shipped, and delivered.

If you have questions about your order, reach out anytime at support@syngspace.com.

Software Release Notes