Standalone Room Correction Component

Theo: I would only consider this for HT. Not for 2.1 ch audio.

Also, in looking at the ME220 and the Lyngdorf, they are only 2 ch. Looking at the Trinnov now...

If you run a media server, you might want to consider Dirac Live. It runs on your computer and will handle 2 and 8 channels. The cost is $650 and they will give you a 2 week trial. I have not tried it yet but it looks very promising. Dirac is used in the Theta Casablanca and DataSat 20SI.

Audyssey made a stand-alone unit at one time, but I'm not sure if it's still available. I believe that TACT made one, too - but I mention it with the same caveat re: current availability.

Marty

03-28-13: Theo wrote:
I have heard the McIntosh at RMAF and a local dealer and it
seems to do a lot of things right. But my concern is that if
it is digitally altering the music delivery based upon room
correction, is it really altering the music from it's
original analog format? So what are you losing in that
process, can't it be considered an extension of the tone
control argument?

Traditional tone
controls are relatively crude and are subjective tools.
The better digital EQs are more sophisticated and can be
objectively demonstrated to correct room problems.

Now, their degree of transparency varies with the product
and how it is used but, ultimately, the listener needs to
decide on the net value of the results. Does the
improvement of the in-room audible response
outweigh the loss (if any) of transparency? IMHO, it does
in the majority of non-dedicated rooms and that is without
regard to the number of channels/speakers.

Kr 4 wrote:

"IMHO, it does in the majority of non-dedicated rooms and that is without
regard to the number of channels/speakers."

I'd agree and - IME - extend that statement to dedicated rooms.

I've had professionally designed, heavily treated, dedicated theater AND two channel rooms in each of my last two homes. (Due in large part to Kal's observations), I tried Audyssey in each room. Others may disagree, but I found it a 4 for 4, 100% no-brainer. Everyone's got different priorities, but I regard any trade-off in transparency (in both theater and two-channel rooms) as trivial relative to the overall sonic improvement - particularly in the bottom two + octaves.

Marty