The history of sound recording and sound reproduction started with the invention of phonograph by T.A. Edison in 1877. Since then with the stereophonic and dolby surround systems the more and more realistic sound reproduction with even better quality became possible. With the increasing the number of channels in a surround system, based on intensity or phase difference, it remains a problem that realistic reproduction of directivity is restricted to only one position – the sweet spot.
Wavefield synthesis is a technique, with which the limits of dolby surround system can be easily overcome. Wavefield synthesis is the complete physical reproduction of the sound field of a source with the dense distribution of secondary sources ( loudspeakers ) along the boundaries, based on the Huygens principle. In my paper I deal with the theoretical base of this technique, then I demonstrate the operation of an efficient simulation environment in MATLAB with a digital waveguide mesh (DWM). Finally, I present the building of a complete wavefield synthesis system.