Dirac ART is now running on beta FW for Denon Xx800H AVRs!

[slaweks]

Maybe due to their upgrade policy to add new features twice a year?
"patience is a virtue"

Well, when HTP-1 gets ART, I will buy it, without waiting for AV 10.

 

[Frank207be]

As an aside, or maybe suggest a more appropriate thread. Would it be feasible to buy/employ speakers specifically for use as support speakers for ART? Would there be any advantage I this approach?

4 capable subwoofers in every corner of the room and large tower speakers? Unless the funds allow for it, I wouldn't bother with large surround/Atmos speakers just for their support capabilities.

 

[Dathzo]

The ART beta testing phase is completed. ART is fully compatible with AVRs starting from X3800H and up and It's now up to Masimo to decide when to release the FW (It should be sometime this year after April). As for Roon ready certification. I was told that it is expected to be added to all D&M models including older models starting from the X3400H.

Many D&M users have complained that HEOS does not support multichannel music streaming because it is hardware-coded to 2 channels only. To compensate for this limitation. Masimo has started working with HARMAN to certify most of their AVRs as Multichannel capable Roon endpoint. Dolby Atmos music via Amazon HD is also expected to be added along the line.

If you own a Denon X?400H AVR and have the latest FW update, you should notice that Roon is now detecting it as an uncertified device which could only be enabled using a special beta Roon software. Once the certification process is completed, you'll be able to play multichannel FLAC and DSD files using Roon directly (bit-perfect) into the compatible Denon AVRs.

At some point in the future, a new version of HEOS called HEOS+ is expected to be released which will bring significant features upgrades including lossless multichannel streaming support. I'm guessing the X?900H series will come with the HEOS+ included because it requires a hardware upgrade not just FW.

Thanks for the flavor! Is the Roon beta you talk about openly available? Would love to give it a shot. Thanks!

 

[Hobolicious]

Do we believe that Dirac ART will be released on a similar introductory deal as with DLBC (30% off), or was this likely because they just missed the BF deal with the release of DLBC on D&M? I guess I am wondering if I can hold of for a full bundle for Dirac ART (and the rest of the Dirac Suite) with 30% off (without having to wait for next Black Friday) or if I should get DLBC at this point and add on ART when it is introduced (assuming they will continue with an add-on price for further capabilities on top of what you already have acquired)?

The above is probably just guesswork for anyone to answer, but worth a shot to see what you think anyways!

 

[jhwalker]

Thanks for the flavor! Is the Roon beta you talk about openly available? Would love to give it a shot. Thanks!

I will be over the moon when this hits early access - I have a NUC I use SOLELY as an endpoint for Roon, and its HDMI output (combined with Denon 3700H) is ABYSMAL. I would KILL to have the receiver itself be a multichannel-capable endpoint

 

[IamJF]

4 capable subwoofers in every corner of the room and large tower speakers? Unless the funds allow for it, I wouldn't bother with large surround/Atmos speakers just for their support capabilities.

Have a search for this document: multisubs_0.pdf

You won't neccesarrily need large tower speakers everywhere but it would also do no harm. ;-)

I have the idea to use 7 big main speakers with 2x 12" in closed volume so you can EQ to your needs. What would be the benefit of adding a subwoofer (array) when you already have 14 12" in your setup?

 

[GXAlan]

Have a search for this document: multisubs_0.pdf
You won't neccesarrily need large tower speakers everywhere but it would also do no harm. ;-)

I have the idea to use 7 big main speakers with 2x 12" in closed volume so you can EQ to your needs. What would be the benefit of adding a subwoofer (array) when you already have 14 12" in your setup?

These new D&M avr’s have the ability to fold the LFE into the main speakers which is not true for all AVRs. Many AVRs when running x.0 will choose not to fold the LFE down into the main channels. In theory, if you had Dirac ART, then you just need one subwoofer and then ART would use the 7 big main speakers to support the bass.

 

[David_Alexander]

Have a search for this document: multisubs_0.pdf
View attachment 340282

You won't neccesarrily need large tower speakers everywhere but it would also do no harm. ;-)

I have the idea to use 7 big main speakers with 2x 12" in closed volume so you can EQ to your needs. What would be the benefit of adding a subwoofer (array) when you already have 14 12" in your setup?

Only got space for 2 as is, Monolith 15". Front right and rear left according to those diagrams. Just have to hope that the base layer and the two subs can both work as both speakers and support. Never had ART in mind when I got speakered up, the wife may have raised her eyebrows, shall we say, had I tried to smuggle an extra set of floorstanders behind the sofa....

 

[Frank207be]

I've been rethinking my living room AV system for the last 2 years and it seems that my procrastination pays off now. OK I finished the new ceiling with 6 Atmos speakers last year and bought a new Denon early 2023 that runs DLBC now.

All other speakers still were uncertain until some time ago but I finally decided to beef up my front sub to make it capable of THX levels at both 10 & 20Hz (4x 18" ported). That project alone will take quite a while to complete so by then we'll know more about all the antics of ART. Will the allpas filters be able to align both sealed and ported subs? The rear subs (4x21" sealed) don't dig as deep but both 21" pairs can do 20Hz @115dB so they should be perfectly adequate to do their ART support job and correct from the lowest room mode.

After all subs are sorted, the new LCR speakers with dual 15" woofers will be built. In the very last stage the surround speakers will be evaluated.

BTW my wife supports me Sounds like ART in a way...

 

[gorman]

Dolby Atmos music via Amazon HD is also expected to be added along the line.

Just to clarify: this without the need for HEOS+? So with current line of products?

Thanks for the update. ART support sounds awesome!

 

[PHD]

Just to clarify: this without the need for HEOS+? So with current line of products?

Thanks for the update. ART support sounds awesome!

Denon announced the Dolby Atmos Music on the X3800H and up on their product page. But people assumed it was a new sound decoding mode which it is not. It was temporarily taken down since it was not yet implemented just like with the Sony Spatial Audio support. The idea is to have something similar to Spotify Connect but for Amazon HD (maybe later for Tidal as well), which will allow users to play music via the official Amazon HD app and then connect directly to the Denon AVR in a similar fashion to Roon endpoint Hi-res network connection works, namely, bypassing HEOS hardware to get Dolby Atmos. It is still too early to know how exactly it will work and when it will become available by FW update. There are no plans to release a new series any time soon. The X3900H is not expected to be available before 2026. But it should have drastic hardware and software upgrades, including HEOS+ and a new and larger LCD or even OLED front panel display to replace the old FL (VFD) display.

 

[sweetchaos]

The X3900H is not expected to be available before 2026.

This is good to know.

That's a long way off. No point waiting then.

 

[gorman]

Denon announced the Dolby Atmos Music on the X3800H and up on their product page. But people assumed it was a new sound decoding mode which it is not. It was temporarily taken down since it was not yet implemented just like with the Sony Spatial Audio support. The idea is to have something similar to Spotify Connect but for Amazon HD (maybe later for Tidal as well), which will allow users to play music via the official Amazon HD app and then connect directly to the Denon AVR in a similar fashion to Roon endpoint Hi-res network connection works, namely, bypassing HEOS hardware to get Dolby Atmos. It is still too early to know how exactly it will work and when it will become available by FW update. There are no plans to release a new series any time soon. The X3900H is not expected to be available before 2026. But it should have drastic hardware and software upgrades, including HEOS+ and a new and larger LCD or even OLED front panel display to replace the old FL (VFD) display.

Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation. As a big fan of multichannel/spatial music, this is good news. 2026 is still far and I'm not even sure if I would prefer an OLED display. VFD has a certain je ne sais quois...

 

[HayGuise]

is the ART upgrade also coming to the Marantz Cinema 50? Any news about that?

 

[davidc]

Question about speaker requirements for Dirac ART: I have an AVR-x4800h. My system consists of 2 main L/R speakers capable of reproducing bass as well as any subwoofer, so I don't have any subs (there is also an issue that I don't have much room for any extra subs). I have a large center channel and 2 surrounds. It is possible for me to add 1 or 2 pairs of small speakers for other surrounds aspects if needed. Will this suffice for Dirac ART? (I know that DLBC is not applicable to me).

 

[Ciobi69]

Question about speaker requirements for Dirac ART: I have an AVR-x4800h. My system consists of 2 main L/R speakers capable of reproducing bass as well as any subwoofer, so I don't have any subs (there is also an issue that I don't have much room for any extra subs). I have a large center channel and 2 surrounds. It is possible for me to add 1 or 2 pairs of small speakers for other surrounds aspects if needed. Will this suffice for Dirac ART? (I know that DLBC is not applicable to me).

They could but you are missing the lfe Chanel...

 

[dlaloum]

They could but you are missing the lfe Chanel...

Unless you distribute it to other channels - which I believe the Denon's are capable of doing?

 

[davidc]

Unless you distribute it to other channels - which I believe the Denon's are capable of doing?

Yes they are

 

[IamJF]

Question about speaker requirements for Dirac ART: I have an AVR-x4800h. My system consists of 2 main L/R speakers capable of reproducing bass as well as any subwoofer, so I don't have any subs (there is also an issue that I don't have much room for any extra subs). I have a large center channel and 2 surrounds. It is possible for me to add 1 or 2 pairs of small speakers for other surrounds aspects if needed. Will this suffice for Dirac ART? (I know that DLBC is not applicable to me).

I would add 2 ceiling speakers and a subwoofer in the rear (under/next to couch?) for the use with ATMOS and Dirac ART. You would need at least SOMETHING next to the main speakers to have a good effect for chancelling some bass frequencies.

 

[davidc]

I would add 2 ceiling speakers and a subwoofer in the rear (under/next to couch?) for the use with ATMOS and Dirac ART. You would need at least SOMETHING next to the main speakers to have a good effect for chancelling some bass frequencies.

I got it; that's what I was getting at. It's too bad that Dirac decided not to use main speakers as "subs" when they are able to act as subs by reproducing those frequencies adequately. I guess they thought that was just too rare to deal with.