DefiniteAudio.AudioVolver

From DRC

Jump to: navigation, search

1 What it is
2 What the AudioVolver can do
3 Measurements
4 What you will hear
5 What the AudioVolver can't do
6 Where to buy
7 Resources
8 Disclaimer

AudioVolver-2 Front

AudioVolver-2 Rear

What it is

The AudioVolver is a FIR audioprocessor for optimization of music playback in listening rooms.

It is able to process very long FIR-optimizers (64k coefficients) and therefore corrects amplitude and time in a very fine grate. Caused by the long FIRs it allows a correction of amplitude in 0,7Hz resolution and of time down to 22μs. Its resolution is comparable to a virtual 32768-band Equalizer and therefore enables the AudioVolver to also perfectly optimize low frequencies in amplitude and time.

Processing is always done with the provided sample rate (s/pdif) or with 96kHz (analogue). Accuracy is 24bit at s/pdif and 64Bit floating-point internal.

Source for the optimizer-calculation is the impulse response, measured with the AudioVolver at the listening position and transferred directly to a USB-stick. The optimizers are calculated offline on an PC with (((acourate)))®-AV, a customized version of the (((acourate)))® audio toolbox. The calculated optimizers are transferred to the AudioVolver with a USB-stick and are saved inside its internal memory.

The AudioVolver has both, a stereo analogue and digital (s/pdif) input. It outputs the processed audio signal either stereo analogue or digital (s/pdif). So the AudioVolver can be inserted either in the tape loop of an amplifier or it works as a D/A converter fed by a digital s/pdif signal from a CD transport.

With its IR remote control it is as easy to handle as a CD-player.

What the AudioVolver can do

· Remove frequency response errors from speakers

· Equalize frequency response errors caused by room modes and -reflections

· Remove timing errors of passive and active crossover networks

· Remove timing errors based on driver offset in n-way speaker systems

Measurements

Comparison of frequency response

Comparison of step response

The measurements above show the frequency response and the step response inside the audiodata showroom at the HighEnd fair 2008 in Munich. All measurements were taken at the listening position. The red curves are recorded without AudioVolver, the green with activated AudioVolver. It can be seen that the frequency- and step response at the listening position are both nearly perfect with AudioVolver. Watch the brown target curve to see that the bass was a bit amplified at the Munich fair to get more "party sound" for the listeners ;-))

What you will hear

· Purification and clarity of the music

· Increase of musical resolution

· Sharper and coherent 3d imaging

· Music totally comes off the speakers

· No more booming bass caused by room modes

What the AudioVolver can't do

The AudioVolver can minimize the effect on the frequency response caused by reflections on sound-reflecting surfaces. Therefore reflections do no more lead to an odd frequency response which certainly improves the perceived sound quality. Nevertheless the reflections are still there degrading 3D imaging. Therefore it is still important to minimize reflections as far as possible by room acoustic measures like carpets or absorbers.