The Pro kit was substantially more than US$500, and you needed to purchase an Audyssey Pro licence for each AVR it was then used on...
Thanks, that's another indication that many Audyssey equipped AVRs/AVPs users were doing fine (and in some/many cases, may be ignorance is bliss at work
) without the $20 app because it is easy to see rave reviews of the likes of the ex flagship Denon and Marantz (such as the AV8802a) that does not have the option to disable MRC unless they paid for the "Pro".
To those who believe they can benefit (for audibly better difference) from the app, $20 is not a lot money, and I believe the continuation of making MRC by default is more about practicality, continuity or even just for standardization to keep cost down, than to force people to spend another $20. If they were to make MRC an option, they might have to increase the price of the devices by a few dollars (I know a few lines of codes shouldn't cost much, but...), or they were to remove the feature altogether, they risk resentment from some potential new customers, and/or a huge numbers of existing customers who own units that have no way to disable MRC. The $20 option seems like a good compromise, and the fact is, for $20, one not only can disable or enable MRC, but can also customize target curve, save practically as many as .ady files/target curves, provide more fun for tweakers, etc..