Audio Video News

Pioneer has announced that a free firmware update enabling Dolby Atmos surround sound on three Elite SC receivers is now available for download at pioneerelectronics.com. The update applies to the SC-85 ($1,600), SC-87 ($2,000), and SC-89 ($3,000) 9.2-channel AV receivers.

In making the announcement, the company noted all three models feature Pioneer’s Class D3 amplification technology—said to simultaneously deliver high power to all channels without loss in audio quality—and MCACC Pro acoustic calibration system. Other common highlights include HDMI 2.0 (4K/60P/4:4:4), Roku Ready certification, ESS SABRE32 Ultra digital-to-analog converters, and a 192 kHz/32-bit audio scaler. The SC-89 also supports HDBaseT multiroom/multisource playback.

The firmware update coincides with Paramount Pictures’s release of the first Blu-ray Disc to feature a Dolby Atmos soundtrack—Transformers: Age of Extinction.

For more information on Pioneer’s Atmos-enabled products, visit pioneerelectronics.com.

For more information on Dolby Atmos, see the following articles:

• Dolby Atmos Movie-Theater-Sound Technology Heading to Home Gear
• First Listen: Dolby Atmos Is “Right” at Home
• S&V Poll: Readers Intrigued by Dolby Atmos Surround Sound
• Eye on Atmos: 15 Minutes with Dolby’s Brett Crockett
• Dolby Atmos Explained Plus More First Impressions
• CEDIA 2014 Report: Dolby Atmos Takes Center Stage