Active Room Treatment (ART) by Dirac

[jtatknox]

Is anyone with ART able to post some before and after spectrogram and waterfall plots?

There are a bunch in this thread and the below Denon thread. The link is to a recent post with waterfall plots.

R

Post in thread 'Dirac ART is now running on beta FW for Denon Xx800H AVRs!'

Oct 2, 2025

Ok, so I finally did some listening tests and as picky as I am, there are some issues that I have with ART (atleast in my room). But there are also some really good things that I have to write about it first.

I have not taken my time to remeasure everything. I have used my latest dirac file and switched from DLBC to ART.

So the first thing that I have noticed is the "tighter" bass. Some songs with low end bass around 20-30hz sound much better to me. That is truly amazing. However, I already liked the result of DLBC and the addition of 2 extra subwoofers (switching from 2 to 4) was...

• R4pture

• 

 

[Tanquen]

Another thing I found: I can watch at higher volumes and so does my very sensitive to high volume other half. We could easily watch at ref or -5dB without fatigue, whereas before I would not go higher than -10dB and when watching together even -15dB

So are real volume levels just different in every environment? Honestly, I can't do below -40, it's just too loud.

 

[masterhw]

So are real volume levels just different in every environment? Honestly, I can't do below -40, it's just too loud.

I’ve found most stereo sources (youtube, spotify, broadcast) are mixed much louder than Dolby, and anywhere even near “reference level” would be painfully loud. I think 0dB=reference is only true for conventionally mixed Dolby material. Even then, things like loudness management settings can throw it off.

 

[Blueprint]

So are real volume levels just different in every environment? Honestly, I can't do below -40, it's just too loud.

It’s the peaking that’s the issue. It doesn’t matter much for how we perceive the sound - in the average we sum it tonally - but the SPL levels are the SPL levels. It makes sense that a treated environment will have peaks closer to the average - dynamic range that is created only by the source and not by the room.

If you want to test in a reflective environment this get the NIOSH SPL meter app and play something for five minutes and see how much higher the peak is than the average. I suspect it’s that effect that makes listening loud in a reflective room very loud perceptually.

 

[Tanquen]

I have two Subs (Infinity Cascade Model Fifteen 32-150 Hz) and seven surround speakers (Infinity Cascade 80-20kHz) and 4 Atmos speakers (Revel C763L 80Hz-28kHz) mounted in the ceiling but I couldn't tell any difference with the original room correction that they offered on the Denon X6800H before I returned it. So if you're not listening to stuff really loud with better speakers and you couldn't tell the difference with the previous room correction, I'm guessing for folks like myself, ART wouldn't do anything?

 

[Tanquen]

get the NIOSH SPL meter app

Please note the app is only available on iOS devices. I don't have any iOS devices.

 

[Tanquen]

I’ve found most stereo sources (youtube, spotify, broadcast) are mixed much louder than Dolby, and anywhere even near “reference level” would be painfully loud. I think 0dB=reference is only true for conventionally mixed Dolby material. Even then, things like loudness management settings can throw it off.

Yeah, I've messed with the receivers custom input levels and still the Apple TV player is a bit louder than my Oppo Blu-ray player.

 

[scotchrocks]

I have two Subs (Infinity Cascade Model Fifteen 32-150 Hz) and seven surround speakers (Infinity Cascade 80-20kHz) and 4 Atmos speakers (Revel C763L 80Hz-28kHz) mounted in the ceiling but I couldn't tell any difference with the original room correction that they offered on the Denon X6800H before I returned it. So if you're not listening to stuff really loud with better speakers and you couldn't tell the difference with the previous room correction, I'm guessing for folks like myself, ART wouldn't do anything?

With the original room correction, do you mean the out of the box Audyssey calibration? I think if it was done with the included mic and there weren't any issues during the calibration, you should've noticed some significant differences. Audyssey will adjust the frequency response pretty drastically and enable dynamic EQ. This generally means much louder bass and elevated treble in the cases where I've used it. But, I suppose if you didn't notice any difference with Audyssey on or off, then it probably would be the same story with Dirac.

 

[Tanquen]

With the original room correction, do you mean the out of the box Audyssey calibration? I think if it was done with the included mic and there weren't any issues during the calibration, you should've noticed some significant differences. Audyssey will adjust the frequency response pretty drastically and enable dynamic EQ. This generally means much louder bass and elevated treble in the cases where I've used it. But, I suppose if you didn't notice any difference with Audyssey on or off, then it probably would be the same story with Dirac.

Last year I had purchased the Dirac Live license with the X6800H but returned it because it broke HDMI audio to my gaming PC, was getting stuck on a black screen repeatedly and they removed QMS. Anyway, Dirac was really cool and took the Live license back after I returned the AVR but I just didn't notice any difference. Audyssey on the other hand, I noticed quite a bit of difference but as you mentioned there's a number of different settings that also make quite a bit of difference when toggling them. It's difficult to say whether it a good difference or a bad difference.
Will ART really improve something and make it better or just make it sound different?

Built in speakers on a TV versus the Denon X6500H with surround speakers and subs of ok quality, actual game changing.
Adding a 3rd rear speaker, can never really tell it's doing anything.
Adding 4 Atmos speakers in the ceiling, it was fun project and was also said to be game changing but I basically can never tell it's doing anything.

Setting up Audyssey Room correction, I can tell it's doing something but I'm not sure it's really improving the overall experience.
Adding Dirac Live, I couldn't really tell it was doing anything.

What are the chances of Dirac ART actually improving things? Is it some kind of light version for the Denon receivers?
My listening area is not great, the wall on the left side is much further away, I've got a lot of curtains and a good size rug but no dedicated wall/room treatments.

 

[scotchrocks]

I re-measured my listening area (sofa) with 9 new points: main, upper forward right/left, upper back right/left, near/far right, near/far left. Before, I used my existing measurements which only used 5 positions.

This has made a big difference with response when moving around the sofa. I noticed with my original measurements, ART bass response was quite sensitive to forward/backward positioning (e.g. leaning forward/backward). With the additional measurements, it's much less sensitive to that. It could also be the measurement locations are more accurate this time. I don't think I noticed this positioning sensitivity as much with DLBC, but it makes sense that ART would be since there is much more speaker/signal interaction going on.

I've also been tweaking the filter ranges and support speaker groups based on the earlier posted guide. A few noticeable improvements for me came from:

1. Removing the sub group as support to the Atmos groups.
2. Removing and/or reducing the support group levels based on the positioning of the speaker.
3. Enabling infra-bass for the sub group.

The first two changes were helpful in maintaining localization of height/Atmos effects and surround effects. I tested the changes at high levels in movies (about -15 dB for me), and the bass felt very punchy and thunderous, and it sounded more directional with ART than with DLBC previously. Bass coming from behind/left/right/etc. feels like it's coming from those locations. It was a pretty amazing improvement. I will probably keep things as-is for a while.

 

[scotchrocks]

Last year I had purchased the Dirac Live license with the X6800H but returned it because it broke HDMI audio to my gaming PC, was getting stuck on a black screen repeatedly and they removed QMS. Anyway, Dirac was really cool and took the Live license back after I returned the AVR but I just didn't notice any difference. Audyssey on the other hand, I noticed quite a bit of difference but as you mentioned there's a number of different settings that also make quite a bit of difference when toggling them. It's difficult to say whether it a good difference or a bad difference.
Will ART really improve something and make it better or just make it sound different?

Built in speakers on a TV versus the Denon X6500H with surround speakers and subs of ok quality, actual game changing.
Adding a 3rd rear speaker, can never really tell it's doing anything.
Adding 4 Atmos speakers in the ceiling, it was fun project and was also said to be game changing but I basically can never tell it's doing anything.
View attachment 480341

Setting up Odyssey Room correction, I can tell it's doing something but I'm not sure it's really improving the overall experience.
Adding Dirac Live, I couldn't really tell it was doing anything.

What are the chances of Dirac ART actually improving things? Is it some kind of light version for the Denon receivers?
My listening area is not great, the wall on the left side is much further away, I've got a lot of curtains and a good size rug but no dedicated wall/room treatments.

I think if you didn't notice much difference with Dirac in your set up, ART may not be that effective either since it's really an enhancement of Dirac. Also, ART relies on your speakers to support bass channels, and with smaller satellite speakers, it might have a limited effect. It's hard to say though without trying it.

 

[napfkuchen]

Built in speakers on a TV versus the Denon X6500H with surround speakers and subs of ok quality, actual game changing.

Dirac ART is only available for Denon Xx800H models.

View attachment 480341

Setting up Odyssey Room correction, I can tell it's doing something but I'm not sure it's really improving the overall experience.
Adding Dirac Live, I couldn't really tell it was doing anything.

Placement of the speakers is very narrow, FL/FR/C seem to be all within a 1,5m (5 ft) distance while the seating position is at least 3m (10 ft) away from the speakers.

 

[Tanquen]

I think if you didn't notice much difference with Dirac in your set up, ART may not be that effective either since it's really an enhancement of Dirac. Also, ART relies on your speakers to support bass channels, and with smaller satellite speakers, it might have a limited effect. It's hard to say though without trying it.

I think of my speakers as being pretty large for surround sound speakers but they only go down to like 80 hertz.

Dirac ART is only available for Denon Xx800H models.

Placement of the speakers is very narrow, FL/FR/C seem to be all within a 1,5m (5 ft) distance while the seating position is at least 3m (10 ft) away from the speakers.

I know it's only for the newer models as I said in my post I had purchased the X6800H version of what I have now but returned it for various other reasons not just that I was disappointed in the Dirac Live.

In addition to everything else you're saying the rooms not big enough for room correction to make a big difference?

 

[napfkuchen]

In addition to everything else you're saying the rooms not big enough for room correction to make a big difference?

Not at all. Even with smaller speakers DiracART will make an improvement. Just wanted to say that speaker placement should be optimized first. Ideally, the distances between FR/FL as well as the speakers and the seating position should be approximately identical. Ideally, the distances between the front and rear speakers, as well as the speakers and the seating position, should be roughly the same. It might also be a good idea to position the couch a little further toward the TV to achieve a more appropriate distance ratio. I know this isn't always easy to achieve in the living room though.

 

[Tanquen]

Not at all. Even with smaller speakers DiracART will make an improvement. Just wanted to say that speaker placement should be optimized first. Ideally, the distances between FR/FL as well as the speakers and the seating position should be approximately identical. Ideally, the distances between the front and rear speakers, as well as the speakers and the seating position, should be roughly the same. It might also be a good idea to position the couch a little further toward the TV to achieve a more appropriate distance ratio. I know this isn't always easy to achieve in the living room though.

Yeah, I'm sure it's great to be dead center of all the speakers with equal distances all the way around but there's just no way to do it in my living room or I'm not willing to do that in my living room. I do wonder how much of a difference it could really make like if I don't set in the middle position in the couch the experience is going to be noticeably worse. At least the rear speakers have some distance. It's not like the couch is right up against the back wall but you have to pick your poison. I don't want the couch so far forward just to get my ears dead center of the room. There'd be little to no room between the TV the coffee table and the couch. Especially when reclining.

 

[Fahzz]

Does Dirac ART improve 2.1 set ups or is it directed at multi channel home theater only?

 

[Gadgety]

Yes it will improve a 2.1 system, and you could even use ART on a stereo set up, without the sub, where the two speakers will provide assistance to each other. However, the performance scales with the number of support speaker channels, as well as the capability of the speakers, and the variety of their placement. So a multichannel system with multiple channels, height channels, multiple subs, will improve the capability of the system and what ART can do with it.

 

[Cinema40]

Is there a recommended guide to follow when setting up Dirac ART? I tried the default and the guide in this post here and got wildly different results. One better in stereo applications while the other is better in movies. I am looking for the one perfect calibration for my setup if that exists.
Also, is it true that the subwoofers would no longer work in a summing up SPL configuration instead work only to cancel room modes? I have 4 SVS SB - 1000 Pros in my 15ftx14ftx10ft that kind of need the SPL summing up to deliver the high amount of bass that i like.

 

[dlaloum]

Is there a recommended guide to follow when setting up Dirac ART? I tried the default and the guide in this post here and got wildly different results. One better in stereo applications while the other is better in movies. I am looking for the one perfect calibration for my setup if that exists.
Also, is it true that the subwoofers would no longer work in a summing up SPL configuration instead work only to cancel room modes? I have 4 SVS SB - 1000 Pros in my 15ftx14ftx10ft that kind of need the SPL summing up to deliver the high amount of bass that i like.

In some of the StormAudio forums that have been discussing ART for the last 3 years, it has come up that ART can be configured for a "Dry" or "Wet" sound - with differing users preferring one or the other.

Keeping in mind that you are not just calibrating ART, but also the target curves for Dirac Live in many cases....

So there are options that can result in differing voicings - and a preference for one voicing for music and a different one for movies is not unusual.

A purist might aim for a totally neutral setup - and then point out that it will reproduce both music and movies "as mastered".... but most people appear to prefer movies with the bass turned up - for music many prefer their bass more neutral - hence differing tunings being preferred is not uncommon.

Take a look at the Storm forums - also there has been an ART setup guide issued by StormAudio that a lot of people reccomend.

(all said as a spectator, as I do not yet have ART capable hardware.... grrr Onkyo get your s&**& together!)

 

[Curvature]

In some of the StormAudio forums that have been discussing ART for the last 3 years, it has come up that ART can be configured for a "Dry" or "Wet" sound - with differing users preferring one or the other.

How is this achieved? By choosing the level of support?