When will Audioholics share their thoughts on Dirac ART?

[cepage]

Ya'll mentioned months ago that you were trying out StormAudio units with Dirac ART. When do we get to hear your impressions?

 

[dcrandon]

Hello?

 

[lovinthehd]

Five months of crickets! Amir was testing StormAudio gear?

 

[dcrandon]

Hello?

 

[gene]

This Dirac ART situation is extremely complex in my system since I'm running fully active speakers for the front LCR's and a separate infrasonic sub. The infrasonic bass feature of DIRAC ART is NOT working properly and is still employing a HPF on my main channels at 20Hz.

Dirac ART also doesn't do infrasonic bass correction below 20Hz which can also be some of the reasons I'm running into issues.

I am investigating ALL of this with Nilo and Mathias from DIRAC as I want to get the best possible calibration before I do a full report.

There are a handful of people that know how to use Dirac ART correctly and I'm talking to ALL of them now to ensure the best results. It takes time when you're bleeding edge and running a complex system like mine. Stay tuned...

 

[dcrandon]

This Dirac ART situation is extremely complex in my system since I'm running fully active speakers for the front LCR's and a separate infrasonic sub. The infrasonic bass feature of DIRAC ART is NOT working properly and is still employing a HPF on my main channels at 20Hz.

Dirac ART also doesn't do infrasonic bass correction below 20Hz which can also be some of the reasons I'm running into issues.

I am investigating ALL of this with Nilo and Mathias from DIRAC as I want to get the best possible calibration before I do a full report.

There are a handful of people that know how to use Dirac ART correctly and I'm talking to ALL of them now to ensure the best results. It takes time when you're bleeding edge and running a complex system like mine. Stay tuned...

Got it! Sincerely appreciate the update.

Have either of the two giving you any indication at all about when we might expect direct art for the Denon avrs?

I mean anything at all? I mean we originally heard last October when Storm audios exclusivity expired, then we heard perhaps the beginning of 2024 and then somebody else said fall of 2024... Any idea at all?

 

[dlaloum]

Hi Folks,

Given more than a year has passed, updates to ART have been released, and ART has now been released to the "mass market" on D&M Platforms....

Any update here?

The D&M release is generating a storm of feedback out on user forums....

 

[gene]

Dirac Live ART - Active Room Treatment Available on Denon/Marantz AVRs!

Dirac Live ART is now available on select Denon and Marantz AVRs and processors sharing a key feature discussed in this article. A Dirac Live ART license costs $299 for current Dirac Live and DLBC users.

www.audioholics.com

 

[dlaloum]

That's the NEWS... but how about YOUR review of ART in your setup, using full range base layer speakers....

I know that's something I am waiting for!

 

[TheoN]

I covered Dirac ART in my Focal 1000 Utopia review here. https://www.audioholics.com/outdoor-speaker-reviews/focal-1000-utopia-speaker-review

I have before and after measurements of ART as well as my impressions. I was running Dirac Live Bass Control DLBC in the set up for about eight months or so prior.

ART is a watershed moment for the product. It is superior at handling frequencies in almost textbook fashion below 150 Hz as advertised.

There are three critical aspects to ART: 1) it will flatten the frequency response of your system superior to DLBC (assuming you have support speakers) 2) what it does with decay time is palatable— the whole system just tightens up and 3) minimizing seat to seat variation of bass response across the room is vastly improved.

Users do need to understand that above 150 Hz there’s no difference in the product. And, in order to maximize performance, you need to have supporting subs and speakers within that frequency range. Additionally, there are some issues at the transition to infrasonics (between 18Hz-20Hz) where you may get a peak or null.

I’m exceedingly happy with ART’s performance. I will note, however, that there are some best practices that are not obvious. For example, do not use the Center channel as a support speaker for other groups, set the left and right main speakers at -5 to support each other. Anything higher than that (-6 or greater) can collapse the stereo imaging. And add 20dB headroom to the -3dB point if your speakers. The older versions of ART set all speaker support groups to 50 Hz, whether or not the speakers were capable.

Finally, I am very much indebted to StormAudio’s Matt Trinklein and the team at Dirac for supporting me during my review to maximize the system’s performance. And note that StormAudio’s implementation of Dirac and the feature set of the Storm platform is head and shoulders superior to other platforms.

 

[gene]

That's the NEWS... but how about YOUR review of ART in your setup, using full range base layer speakers....

I know that's something I am waiting for!

Unfortunately ART doesn't work well with systems running Fullrange towers. Even though it's been out for over a year, they've never resolved the fixed HPF it places on non subwoofer channels which in my case is detrimental for infrasonic bass frequencies below 20Hz in my system as my main speakers each feature 4x 12" subwoofers that play a huge role in deep bass. I will be changing out my speaker system by early next year as I move towards a front wall bass array and more slim tower approach up front which would lend itself better to ART and hopefully will have some results to report then. I also plan on testing Trinnov Waveforming too so stay tuned...

 

[dlaloum]

Unfortunately ART doesn't work well with systems running Fullrange towers. Even though it's been out for over a year, they've never resolved the fixed HPF it places on non subwoofer channels which in my case is detrimental for infrasonic bass frequencies below 20Hz in my system as my main speakers each feature 4x 12" subwoofers that play a huge role in deep bass. I will be changing out my speaker system by early next year as I move towards a front wall bass array and more slim tower approach up front which would lend itself better to ART and hopefully will have some results to report then. I also plan on testing Trinnov Waveforming too so stay tuned...

Thanks for the feedback - so your main issue is related to the 20Hz filter? (and the related subsonics...)

Are there also issues with full range towers in the 20Hz to 150Hz range?

 

[TheoN]

Thanks for the feedback - so your main issue is related to the 20Hz filter? (and the related subsonics...)

Are there also issues with full range towers in the 20Hz to 150Hz range?

No. ART works great. The issue Gene is referring to is when you have a system like his where the mains can play into the infrasonic range.

From the support group perspective: Even if you had speakers that play down to 20 Hz, you’re going to add 15 or 20 dB headroom and set those speakers as a support group so they will be set to 35 or 40 Hz.

 

[dlaloum]

No. ART works great. The issue Gene is referring to is when you have a system like his where the mains can play into the infrasonic range.

From the support group perspective: Even if you had speakers that play down to 20 Hz, you’re going to add 15 or 20 dB headroom and set those speakers as a support group so they will be set to 35 or 40 Hz.

So you are sacrificing 20Hz capability?

 

[TheoN]

So you are sacrificing 20Hz capability?

My mains (Focal 1000 Utopia) I’m cutting at 30Hz. So no, no sacrifice. Gene potentially is as he loses frequencies below 20hz and his system can play below 16Hz authoritatively in addition to the subs and RBH Unrivaled infrasonic sub. I haven’t looked at this in a bit and unsure if Dirac did an update, but you cannot do an infrasonic bypass on a main speaker. Only on subs. Therefore, Gene would have to reconfigure his setup and convert the bottom and top modules to be subs if I recall correctly.

 

[dlaloum]

My mains (Focal 1000 Utopia) I’m cutting at 30Hz. So no, no sacrifice. Gene potentially is as he loses frequencies below 20hz and his system can play below 16Hz authoritatively in addition to the subs and RBH Unrivaled infrasonic sub. I haven’t looked at this in a bit and unsure if Dirac did an update, but you cannot do an infrasonic bypass on a main speaker. Only on subs. Therefore, Gene would have to reconfigure his setup and convert the bottom and top modules to be subs if I recall correctly.

I've sometimes experimented with Biamping my main L/R and defining the bottom as a sub...
but it gained me nothing in the past.

With ART in play, that might change - interesting.

I did not realise that the infrasonic bypass check box applied only to subs.

Thanks for the time & effort in review and responses

Right now I am still waiting to see what PAC are going to do as I am on Integra hardware... with Denon on my shortlist.

 

[TLS Guy]

That system would be totally useless for me and a massive quality spoiler. If you have decent and accurate speakers then you don't need any of this BS, which can only spoil good systems.

 

[gaby95]

I covered Dirac ART in my Focal 1000 Utopia review here. https://www.audioholics.com/outdoor-speaker-reviews/focal-1000-utopia-speaker-review

I have before and after measurements of ART as well as my impressions. I was running Dirac Live Bass Control DLBC in the set up for about eight months or so prior.

ART is a watershed moment for the product. It is superior at handling frequencies in almost textbook fashion below 150 Hz as advertised.

There are three critical aspects to ART: 1) it will flatten the frequency response of your system superior to DLBC (assuming you have support speakers) 2) what it does with decay time is palatable— the whole system just tightens up and 3) minimizing seat to seat variation of bass response across the room is vastly improved.

Users do need to understand that above 150 Hz there’s no difference in the product. And, in order to maximize performance, you need to have supporting subs and speakers within that frequency range. Additionally, there are some issues at the transition to infrasonics (between 18Hz-20Hz) where you may get a peak or null.

I’m exceedingly happy with ART’s performance. I will note, however, that there are some best practices that are not obvious. For example, do not use the Center channel as a support speaker for other groups, set the left and right main speakers at -5 to support each other. Anything higher than that (-6 or greater) can collapse the stereo imaging. And add 20dB headroom to the -3dB point if your speakers. The older versions of ART set all speaker support groups to 50 Hz, whether or not the speakers were capable.

Finally, I am very much indebted to StormAudio’s Matt Trinklein and the team at Dirac for supporting me during my review to maximize the system’s performance. And note that StormAudio’s implementation of Dirac and the feature set of the Storm platform is head and shoulders superior to other platforms.

Hi,
Can you elaborate more about this part?

Set the left and right main speakers at -5 to support each other. Anything higher than that (-6 or greater) can collapse the stereo imaging.

Where do I set L and R as -5 top support each other?

Like go to Group one (my Left and Right speakers) and set the support level to -5? It s currently -18 for everything it seems.
And add 20dB headroom to the -3dB point if your speakers. The older versions of ART set all speaker support groups to 50 Hz, whether or not the speakers were capable.

Did you mean 20Hz like if the F3 is 30Hz make it 50Hz?

Thanks