Audio Video News

Dirac, the Swedish company specializing in sound optimization, today announced that its Live Bass Control feature is now available for license in seven mid- and high-end AV receivers/preamps from Denon and Marantz.

Denon AV receivers now able to accept the Live Bass Control upgrade include the AVR-A1H ($6,499), AVR-X3800H ($1,699), AVR-X4800H ($2,499), and AVR-X6800H ($3,499). Marantz models ready to receive the upgrade include the Cinema 40 ($3,500), and Cinema 50 ($2,500) AV receivers and AV 10 preamp/processor ($7,000).

The cost of adding the single-subwoofer version of the bass control software is $349, while the multi-subwoofer version costs $499, but Dirac is offering a limited-time 30% “launch” discount.

An add-on to the popular Dirac Live room-acoustics compensation system, Dirac Live Bass Control uses machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to co-optimize subwoofers and speakers to deliver consistently solid bass, regardless of the listener’s location or room environment.

In systems with more than one subwoofer, the software aggregates measurement and location data from each unit to determine how a system’s bass is distributed throughout the room. It then identifies gaps in the sound waves and distributes bass evenly across the listening area. The feature also corrects time alignment between subwoofer and main-speaker output to ensure music is accurately reproduced.

A key benefit of Dirac Live Bass Control processing is that subwoofers can be positioned anywhere in the room without sacrificing performance — a task that is virtually impossible when manually tuning multiple subwoofers. The system also is said to enable a smoother transition at the crossover point between the subwoofer(s) and main speakers in a home theater setup.

The bass control processing augments the existing Dirac Live Room Correction, which on its own is said to deliver “deeper and tighter low-frequency response free of resonances” in addition to improving the localization of sound sources and enhancing clarity and intelligibility in music and speech.

For more information on Dirac Live, visit dirac.com. Click here to purchase a Dirac Live Bass Control license for Denon models and here to purchase a license for Marantz models.