Dirac and Masimo (which acquired Sound United) have announced a strategic alliance to bring the Dirac Live room correction solution to several new A/V receivers and A/V preamplifiers in the 2022/23 Denon and Marantz line-ups. This addition expands Dirac’s reach in the home theater space and adds more value to the select Denon and Marantz products by improving performance.
Almost all Denon and Marantz AVRs and Preamp/Processors currently employ the Audyssey suite of room correction solutions, but users will now have the option to add Dirac Live Room Correction to select products via a firmware update. To activate Dirac Live after downloading the update, users will have to purchase a license.
Users have two license purchase options for both Denon and Marantz compatible AVRs and Preamp/Processors:
- Full Bandwidth: $349.00 (Full frequency range correction from 20Hz to 20kHz)
- Limited Bandwith: $259.00 (Limited frequency range correction from 20Hz to 500Hz)
Tip: Dirac reserves the right to change pricing at its discretion.
In addition, you will need to purchase a microphone specifically for use with Dirac Live. Dirac recommends the Mini DSP UMIK-1 measurement microphone ($132 at Amazon).
Tip: Audyssey will not be deleted as a result of installing and activating Dirac Live if you find that you would rather use that option. However, you can’t use both systems at the same time.
Compatible Products
So far, the update will be available on the following products:
2022 Marantz A/V Receivers & Preamp/Processor
Dirac Live Overview
Dirac Live is used in high-end home theater setups, professional studios, and commercial cinemas. When activated it automatically addresses audio issues that other room correction systems and component/speaker hardware can’t address fully. In high-end home and professional settings, Dirac Live is designed to save time, not require extensive expertise to use, and be cost-effective. Dirac Live allows users to enhance the sound experience from their home theater system as much as possible.
How a home theater system interacts with a room has a big impact on audio quality. Dirac Live Room Correction digitally compensates for the room’s impact on audio performance to enable a sound experience that comes close to a professional studio.
To do this, Dirac Live Room Correction utilizes patented mixed-phase impulse response correction technology that corrects not just magnitude response, but also time domain, resulting in more accurate staging, clarity, and tight bass.
Dirac Live Room Correction also generates an auto-target curve based on measurements. This makes it easier to get even better sound quality from a system automatically. The auto target curve is then fully customizable so users can get their speakers to sound exactly how they want.
Dirac Live with Denon and Marantz
The inclusion of Dirac Live in compatible Denon and Marantz products will allow users to fine-tune speakers connected to a compatible A/V receiver or A/V preamp/processor to more accurately match the acoustic environment of the room they are placed in. This provides a more well-rounded music listening experience with better accuracy, a larger sweet spot, more precise voice intelligibility, and deeper, but less boomy bass.
According to Erik Rudolphi, Dirac’s Vice President of Home & Pro Audio:
“Dirac and Sound United have long been leaders in their respective areas of audio engineering – pioneering many of the solutions and technologies that have created, and continue to create, the home theater industry,…Now, with the release of Dirac-enabled Denon and Marantz units, we’re showcasing the combined engineering leadership to the benefit of home theater owners and enthusiasts across the world. It’s a seminal moment for our companies and the industry and we look forward to the first-ever release of Dirac Live-enabled Denon and Marantz home theater devices.”
For more information: dirac.com/live/
Some of the other brands that use Dirac Live in select products include:
Related Reading
Denon Unveils New 8K AV Receivers for 2022
Marantz’s New CINEMA Series AVRs Will Become The Focus Of Your Home Theater
Dynaudio’s Focus Series Wireless Speakers Incorporate Dirac Live Room Correction
Arcam Launches 3 AVRs and 1 A/V Processor for 2022
ARCAM Announces “Lower-Priced” AVR5 Receiver
Audyssey MultEQ-X Room Correction Software Is A Powerful Tool
