Playback
Hardware
Emerging Technology, Surround
Professional 2003 - Part Three
 As
multichannel SACD and DVD-Audio rely on more speakers placed
throughout the critical listening environment, there is a correspondingly
greater need to control the sonic influence of the room itself.
As a result, Room Equalization to control anomalies resulting
from each room’s unique boundaries, geometry and surfaces
is fast emerging as the next technical frontier in home playback
systems. However, the same need exists on the flip side, in
the mixing studios, which, contrary to popular belief, are
not always ideal acoustic environments.
JBL Professional
To meet this need, JBL Professional has introduced
a new line of Linear Spatial Reference (LSR) active studio
monitors
and
subwoofers with built-in equalization to correct loudspeaker
response at the mixer’s position. The LSR series was
developed under JBL’s John Eargle, well known throughout
the Pro Audio community for his many highly regarded recordings
for Delos International. Unlike outboard room EQ approaches
which typically rely on single-point on-axis measurements,
JBL’s approach involves correlation of 72 “power
response” measurements of the loudspeaker’s relative
output summed over all directions, analyzing the room’s
direct, reflected, and reverberant sound fields to expose resonances,
poor dispersion, and other sources of off-axis coloration.
In addition to boundary compensation switches to control for
placement relative to walls, each LSR Loudspeaker contains
its own Room Mode Correction (RMC) module to deal with standing
waves. Each LSR Loudspeaker must be corrected individually
using JBL’s matching RMC Calibration Kit. The analysis
kit contains a test CD with sine wave, pink noise, and one-tenth
octave warble tone test signals, a hand-held sound level meter,
a template for measuring the Q (width) of response peaks, and
a tool for entering equalization settings directly into the
monitor’s electronics. The RMC unit and kit are self-contained – no
access to a PC is required, making the system easy to set up
in any new environment. A handy A/B comparator switch on the
sound meter allowed Eargle to demonstrate the impressive benefits
of RMC – in the acoustically challenged 24” × 29” conference
room, a decent-sounding jazz combo recording suddenly achieved
dramatically more clarity and definition at all frequencies
when RMC removed all boominess from the bass response.
 During his demo, Eargle showed how RMC targets the most critical
enemy of flat frequency response – room modes in the
26-96Hz region. RMC is specifically designed to control peaks
rather than dips, Eargle explained, since even if a dip is
bad, it can usually be alleviated by moving furniture. Based
on the audible results, the LSR series’ built-in room
EQ capably meets its goal of smooth low frequency response
at the listening position without reliance acoustical room
treatments. Which means our multichannel SACD and DVD-Audio
recordings are that much more likely to arrive in our homes
free of colorations and anomalies introduced in the mixing
environment. All that’s left is to equip home playback
systems with comparable room EQ capability – a feature
that is starting to appear on more and more high-end consumer
gear.
Panasonic
Perhaps the consumer environment that lends itself best to
surround sound is the automobile, with its captive audience
and fixed listening positions. The introduction of surround
car playback systems continues apace with Panasonic’s
ELS Surround Sound System, a true multichannel system developed
in collaboration with sound engineer emeritus Elliott Scheiner.
Initially deployed in the $32,500 Acura TL, it’s not
exactly a mass-market option, but if it gets drivers to spend
less time on their cell phones, it just might be a good thing
for all of us.
Philip Brandes 12/01/2004.
Denon
Jeff Talmadge of Denon had some interesting news about forthcoming upgrades and
new products. Soon to be released is an upgrade to the current top of the line
receiver, the AVR-5803. The upgrade will add Dolby Pro Logic IIx in all three
modes, movie, music and game. Dolby Pro Logic IIx builds upon Pro Logic II by
adding support for 6.1- or 7.1- channel output. The AVR-5803 upgrade will also
add HDCD decoding.
Even more exciting is the next upgrade to the 5803, for which no release date
is yet available. This upgrade will add the necessary hardware and software for
passing DSD (SACD content) via the company's proprietary Denonlink interface.
Further details are not yet finalised but are subject to agreement by all necessary
parties. If approved the upgrade will be made available for the DVD-5900 and
the AVR-5803. Jeff expected that more details would be available at CES 2004.
Even further into next year Denon plans to release a replacement for the AVR-5803.
Specifications and further details are not yet available. Jeff was also unable
to say whether improvements in the new receiver would be available for the AVR-5803
as the design and layout of the new product has not yet been finalised.
Nigel Pond 20/12/2003.
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Surround
2003 Report Index
Last update:
27th February 2004
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