Established
in 2020, Premium Audio Firm
contains some huge AV manufacturers,
together with Onkyo, Integra, and Pioneer/Elite,
which PAC acquired in 2021 — the identical yr these manufacturers started providing Dirac
Dwell Room Correction in choose merchandise. In 2023, Dirac Dwell Bass Management arrived on newly-released AVRs inside
the PAC household of manufacturers. Now PAC has launched a firmware replace for its
flagship AVRs that guarantees to enhance audio playback, performance, and Dirac
Dwell efficiency. The AVRs affected by this replace are the Integra DRX-8.4, Onkyo TX-RZ70, and Pioneer
Elite
VSX-LX805,
which launched within the spring of 2023.
The
firmware replace provides Roon Prepared certification for the entire above AVRs —
one thing that can make many audiophiles very completely satisfied certainly. Roon Prepared is the
high stage of certification provided by Roon, and it requires intensive
compatibility testing to make sure that the piece of drugs in query meets the
requirements set by Roon Labs for a easy and optimized person expertise with the
firm’s industry-leading music server/streamer software program platform. Roon
seamlessly combines locally-stored information with streams from TIDAL and Qobuz, and
provides a superior person interface with detailed metadata and additional content material, such
as album artwork, lyrics, artist bios, and extra.
Like
sure fashions from PAC’s opponents Denon and Marantz, the highest Integra,
Onkyo, and Pioneer AVRs now characteristic a Pre-amp Mode, which disconnects the Energy
Amp output for channels being routed to exterior amplifiers. Doing so
reportedly provides a slight enchancment to the Sign/Noise ratio within the preamp sign, ensuing
in a bump in sound high quality. Pre-amp Mode additionally reduces energy consumption as a result of
the unused amplifier channels usually are not drawing as a lot energy. Premium Audio
Firm says that this mode will develop the
vary of use of the AVRs, as many customers add exterior amplifiers for at the least
some channels.
Subsequent
on the replace checklist is Supply-Based mostly Tone Mapping (SBTM) for HDMI 2.1a, which
permits a portion of the HDR mapping to be carried out by the supply system, such
as a gaming console or Blu-ray participant, slightly than the show system, comparable to
a TV or projector. In line with HDMI.orgthe good thing about SBTM is that the
supply can ship a video sign that takes full benefit of a selected show’s HDR functionality by adjusting its
output to take higher benefit of every show’s potential. Better of all, this
occurs robotically, with out handbook configuration by the person.
Stream Spatial Audio On to your AVR!
Dolby
Atmos music followers with Amazon Music accounts might be happy to know that the
firmware replace makes the affected receivers among the many first on this planet to
play Dolby Atmos content material by way of Amazon Music HD. One other improve to the receivers’
immersive audio capabilities comes by means of help for Auro-3D, a complicated audio expertise and
format that layers sound by way of decrease, top, and high channels. Auro-3D makes use of a
barely completely different speaker format than Dolby Atmos, and there’s actually much less
materials out there in Auro-3D,
however the format has its followers. Whereas Auro-3D
is finest skilled with audio that has been mastered within the format, the
firmware replace additionally provides Auro-Matic,
a singular up-mixing expertise that reportedly transforms present stereo and
encompass sound content material right into a extra
3D expertise.
Lastly,
the firmware replace permits Dirac Dwell customers extra versatile speaker placement by
bettering Dirac Dwell Room Correction delay instances. Customers of the favored
computerized sound subject correction expertise will profit from an elevated
compensation from 20ms as much as 50ms, which permits audio system to be positioned farther
from the listening place. The earlier max distance was roughly 6.8
meters, whereas the improved model can right for audio system practically 17 meters
away. Having the ability to right for various speaker distances is a crucial
side of room correction, and now these with giant dwelling theaters can get pleasure from
improved efficiency.
The
newest software program updates delivered by PAC engineering reinforce our continued
dedication to music and residential theater fans. Strike that… our clients
transcend the fanatic stage. They’re really the heartbeat that drives sound
and video innovation, and we’re thrilled to be a part of their journey.
—
Rob Vieira, Senior Director of AVR Manufacturers of Premium Audio Firm, Americas
For
these with the Onkyo and Pioneer AVRs linked to the web, availability
of the replace might be indicated by way of each the on-screen show and the entrance panel show, and it may be downloaded
instantly onto the AVR. The replace can be downloaded from the
producer’s web site
and put in onto the AVR by way of USB drive. Integra DRX-8.4 homeowners ought to
navigate to the AVR’s “Setup Firmware” menu and observe the on-screen
prompts.
