Audio Advice, a large U.S. installer of professional home theaters, aims to push the boundaries of home audio performance with a recent installation featuring a Dirac Live-optimized 9.4.4 JBL Synthesis Dolby Atmos system.
Scott Newman, CEO of Audio Advice, says every home theater the company builds is designed to deliver the best possible experience regardless of the space. Many homeowners don’t realize that the room itself is one of the biggest factors affecting the performance of a home theater system.
“This installation is a great example because not only the client was thrilled with the audio system the first time we turned it on, but he was absolutely blown away after watching us perform the Dirac Live Room Correction and Dirac Live Bass Control optimizations and hearing the difference for himself,” Newman says.
Clients often begin their journey with Audio Advice using the company’s patented Home Theater Designer tool available on AudioAdvice.com. This virtual room design tool allows users to create a mockup of their room, adjust speakers, projectors, and seating, and visualize different configurations. Expert consultations then refine the system’s attributes to ensure complete satisfaction, the company says.
One repeat customer who said they trust Audio Advice’s expertise highlighted the difference between a well-designed home theater and one optimized for audio performance. However, the customer wasn’t expecting the calibration software that made the system sound even better after it was installed.
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“Scott (Newnam) said it already, but I really was blown away,” the customer says. “There was this ‘Aha!’ moment where I realized that the unseen elements of a home theater, including software like Dirac’s calibration tools, are just as important as the speakers, projector and seating.”
The JBL Synthesis SDP58 processor includes Dirac Live Room Correction and Dirac Live Bass Control, both of which leverage patented algorithms designed to measure and correct the acoustic issues caused by a room’s shape, size, seating locations, and other characteristics.
Dirac’s optimization tools are pivotal in this home theater project. Courtesy/Audio Advice
Dirac Live Bass Control uses AI to co-optimize a system’s subwoofers and speakers to deliver consistent and accurate bass throughout an entire room. This helps ensure smoother bass in the crossover region between subs and speakers and is available for single and multi-subwoofer setups.
Dirac Live Room Correction, the company’s original room acoustics software, is designed to correct for both the magnitude and phase of the entire sound system including the room itself – resulting in more transparent, balanced sound, tighter bass, improved staging, and enhanced clarity.
This meticulous calibration results in an immersive theater experience, transporting viewers from their home to cinematic universes with pristine sound free from distortions.
According to Newman, Dirac’s optimization tools are pivotal in delivering such experiences, which is why Audio Advice offers products across different budget ranges that include Dirac software. The company even provides tutorial videos to help other integrators and individuals with the calibration process.
Courtesy/Audio Advice
Audio Advice wants be known as the most knowledgeable home theater company, and that means the company has to share its knowledge.
“Our room configurator tool is free, and we know that some of our competitors have even used it with their clients for early design discussions,” Newman says. “By producing videos that show the full design and build progression of a theater, or the calibration process and effects of Dirac’s optimization software, we hope to advance the industry and help everyone maximize their spaces, no matter who a customer works with.”
Audio Advice also sells Dirac-enabled components directly to consumers and assists with installation by remotely guiding the room correction process. Newnam notes the significant advancements in Dirac’s technology, urging professionals who haven’t used it in recent years to reconsider.
“If you’re a pro who tried a Dirac solution five years ago, or 10 years ago, it’s time to try it again,” Newman says. “The AI and machine learning elements that take the room’s unique characteristics into account are a game changer for sound optimization.”
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