A thermo-acoustic device (1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6) for transfer of energy by an acoustic wave, comprising: - an acoustic source for generating the acoustic wave; - a thermodynamic section forming an acoustic network and comprising a compliance volume, a thermo-acoustic core and a fluidic inertia; - a resonator; the thermodynamic section being situated between the resonator and the acoustic source, adjacent to the acoustic source; the thermo-acoustic core being situated in the thermodynamic section and comprising a cold terminal section, a hot terminal section and a regenerator, the regenerator being positioned between the hot and cold terminal sections; wherein the acoustic source comprises a reciprocating piston compressor for producing a pressure wave, the compressor being arranged as a mechanical double acting reciprocating piston compressor with -- a first outlet for a pressure wave generated on one side of the piston and -- a second outlet for a pressure wave generated on the other side of the piston, the thermodynamic section being divided in a first thermodynamic subsection and a second thermodynamic subsection; the first outlet being in fluid communication with a first thermodynamic subsection, and the second outlet being in fluid communication with a second thermodynamic subsection, with a stroke direction of the piston compressor being transverse to a main axis of the thermo-acoustic device. - an acoustic source for generating the acoustic wave; - a thermodynamic section forming an acoustic network and comprising a compliance volume, a thermo-acoustic core and a fluidic inertia; - a resonator; the thermodynamic section being situated between the resonator and the acoustic source, adjacent to the acoustic source; the thermo-acoustic core being situated in the thermodynamic section and comprising a cold terminal section, a hot terminal section and a regenerator, the regenerator being positioned between the hot and cold terminal sections; wherein the acoustic source comprises a reciprocating piston compressor for producing a pressure wave, the compressor being arranged as a mechanical double acting reciprocating piston compressor with -- a first outlet for a pressure wave generated on one side of the piston and -- a second outlet for a pressure wave generated on the other side of the piston, the thermodynamic section being divided in a first thermodynamic subsection and a second thermodynamic subsection; the first outlet being in fluid communication with a first thermodynamic subsection, and the second outlet being in fluid communication with a second thermodynamic subsection, with a stroke direction of the piston compressor being transverse to a main axis of the thermo-acoustic device. -- a first outlet for a pressure wave generated on one side of the piston and -- a second outlet for a pressure wave generated on the other side of the piston, the thermodynamic section being divided in a first thermodynamic subsection and a second thermodynamic subsection; the first outlet being in fluid communication with a first thermodynamic subsection, and the second outlet being in fluid communication with a second thermodynamic subsection, with a stroke direction of the piston compressor being transverse to a main axis of the thermo-acoustic device.