By Brent Butterworth

Everyone’s heard loud bass, but very few people have ever heard good bass. Good bass reproduction demands that every note in the bass range be reproduced evenly, with no notes emphasized. Fortunately, recent research has shown us for the first time a way to get even bass response in almost any room. The result is the most natural, accurate, and impactful bass reproduction that’s ever been achieved in the home.

Here’s the technical background: At bass frequencies (below about 200 Hz), a room acts as a resonator, much the way an empty Coke bottle does when you blow across the top. With certain notes, the room resonates, amplifying the note so it sticks out. Meanwhile, some other notes may disappear almost entirely.
Fixing this problem isn’t as simple as plugging in a graphic equalizer and adjusting a few knobs. That’s because the way the room affects the bass depends on where you are in the room. Move from one side of the couch to the other, and you’ll probably hear huge differences in the sound of the bass.
Harman International—parent company of numerous professional and consumer audio brands—recently devoted a great deal of research to finding ways to fix the bass problem. The solution they came up with is multiple subwoofers. Using two instead of one gives a big improvement. Using four instead of two gives an even bigger improvement. A Harman engineer gave me a full four-sub demo in my house a couple of years ago, and since then I’ve tried this trick with numerous subwoofers and it always delivers remarkably consistent bass response no matter where on my couch I sit.

Don’t let the thought of four subwoofers scare you. Instead of one big 15- or 18-inch model, you can use four small 10-inch models. And placement is easy: Just put the subs in the corners.

If you’re planning a new home theater or media room, talk with your installer about the merits of multiple subwoofers. If you equate bass with that annoying, boomy sound you hear when a hopped-up Honda Civic passes you, you’re in for a nice surprise.

By John Sciacca

It’s not often that you get the chance to listen to a true luminary and industry pioneer speak. Even less often when you get the opportunity to do it for free. But that’s exactly what’s being offered by Audyssey in their next Webinar, where you can hear the true Jedi Master of surround sound discuss “The History and Future of Surround Sound.”

For those unfamiliar with Tomlinson (Tom) Holman, his biography reads like the history of modern surround sound. He is credited for naming 5.1, the most commonly used surround speaker set-up today. He was also Chief Engineer at Lucasfilm where he developed a set of standards in 1982 for “Return of the Jedi.” The standards insured that theatrical playback matched what was heard in the mixing room and were called THX. In fact, he is often referred to as being the “T” and “H,” as in the “Tom Holman eXperiment.”

Holman also developed the world’s first 10.2 channel surround system – front left, top front left, front right, top front right, surround left, top surround left, surround right, top surround right, center, top center above the screen, and front and back subwoofers – which completely envelopes listeners.

In 2001, he won an Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement. And recently, he co-founded Audyssey, where he continues as Chief Scientist. Audyssey’s MultEQ technology is widely used for sophisticated room correction and equalization in many home theater receivers and processors. Most recently, Audyssey has introduced Dynamic Volume to tame wild swings between loud and soft passages, Dynamic EQ to deliver consistent bass response, tonal balance and surround levels regardless of volume level, and DSX which adds height and/or width channels. (See Brent Butterworth’s impression of DSX by clicking here: http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/newproducts/3250/first-listen-audyssey-dsx.html)

Holman is currently a professor of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California (USC), and his book Sound for Film and Television is considered required reading for any film majors. I’ve had the opportunity to hear Holman speak, and it is always incredibly entertaining and enlightening.

The Webinar is being held on Friday, December 18th, from 11 AM to 1 PM PST. To reserve your spot, sign up now by clicking this link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/424560306?utm_source=Audyssey+Master+List&utm_campaign=b30e8ec3df-emailblast20091119&utm_medium=email

by: Brent Butterworth

Not just one but three companies have recently announced surround-sound technologies that go beyond 7.1 channels. Now home theater enthusiasts who thought they were finished adding extra speakers to their systems are asking: Is adding a bunch of new speakers to my system really going to make a difference?

It’s too early to answer that question for sure, because only one of the new technologies has actually hit the market. But I can share a few first impressions.

First Up: Dolby Pro Logic IIz

The first of the systems to be announced—and to be available in actual products—is Dolby Pro Logic IIz. PLIIz adds two front height speakers to a 5.1- or 7.1-channel system. The height speakers mount 3 feet or more above the front left and right speakers.

In most home theater systems, adding Pro Logic IIz should be fairly easy. However, the benefits aren’t dramatic. When I tried the first PLIIz-equipped receiver, I didn’t get the sensation of height that I expected, but it did make my speaker system sound somewhat bigger and more robust. The effect was noticeable only when I played action movies, though.

Coming Soon: Audyssey DSX

The second system to arrive will be Audyssey DSX, which is scheduled to arrive in new receivers this summer. In addition to the front height speakers that PLIIz uses, DSX also adds two width speakers, positioned outside the existing left and right speakers. The system uses two, three, or four surround speakers—so you could have a system with as many as 11 channels, plus a subwoofer or two.

I got an early demo of DSX at the University of Southern California’s Immersive Listening Lab, and I liked what I heard—but just as with PLIIz, the effect was fairly subtle.

The Big Maybe: DTS Neo:X

DTS demonstrated its own >7.1 technology at last January’s Consumer Electronics Show. However, the company has provided no specifics since then about the technology. (My guess is they put together a demo just to steal some of the thunder from Dolby’s announcement of Pro Logic IIz.) The tentative name for the technology is Neo:X, and what little information DTS has provided suggests it’s a 10-channel system with two front height speakers and one rear height speaker.

It’s still way too early to tell if >7.1 systems will take off. One thing’s for sure, though: These technologies will be more successful in custom home theaters than they are in the mass market. In custom home theaters that have their speakers mounted behind fabric walls, adding the extra speakers should be fairly easy. So if you’re planning to upgrade soon, think seriously about adding one of these new technologies to your system.

by John Sciacca

One of the hottest lifestyle trends right now is outdoor living, and there is plenty that can be done to expand your entertaining options beyond your home’s four walls. But no matter how nice your space, you can’t really entertain outdoors until you have some audio and video to liven up the party.

Whether you opt for an inexpensive stereo receiver, use your surround system’s Zone 2 output or enjoy a Macked-out whole-house A/V system, options for getting your music outside are more plentiful than ever.

For A/V gear, the outdoors is a far different world than cushy indoor living. Whether it’s surviving the cruel desert sun, bearing up to unrelenting snows, living rust-free in the coastal salt air or just gutting it out in the toxic death clouds of LA, anything that is going to remain outdoors permanently has to be designed for it. Chances are your favorite speaker manufacturer has a model for the task. Just don’t expect it to look like a speaker. Because, God help you if you have a party and have to endure the indignity of someone pointing out that that plastic encapsulated monitor with sweet-sweet music pouring out of it is actually a speaker. It’s far less shameful to choose a model that disappears ninja-like into your landscaping. Rock speakers are very popular, as are models that resemble planters. Several manufacturers have even created models that resemble landscape lighting. Others can be buried in the ground or mounted to the underside of a wood deck.

When placing speakers outdoors, resisting the urge to skimp out and use a single pair of speakers is key. Imagine your backyard as a Super Wal-Mart for a moment. Minus the long lines, the forlorn wails of hundreds of children and the incessant calls over the PA, of course. The point is, Wal-Mart could put a single speaker in the center of the store and play it loud enough that everyone could hear the desperate calls of sales at the meat counter. However, it would be barely audible to some and soul-witheringly loud to others. Far better to have many speakers spaced out all playing a controlled and comfortable level. Same goes for your backyard. Trust me on this; more is almost always better. Your friends and neighbors will definitely thank you.

Now, load up a playlist on your iPod, grab a beer, and get outside and start living!