Arcam AVR390 / AVR550 / AVR850 including Dirac Live®

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Flax posted a couple of days ago to say that the issue had been fixed:

If you didn't already please update to Dirac Live 2.4.1... it's available here as usual:
(you'll get 2.4.1 but on the page it's still labeled as 2.4)

Thanks, Flavio

I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but looks like it would be worth re downloading v2.4 as you will probably get 2.4.1.
 
I am planning to try the new version in the next few days. Does the crash / freeze occur after the calibration is successfully uploaded to the AVR?
 
If you do a new calibration, save the default curves and export them to your AVR, then you can close the program normally (v2.4 did this too). However, if you then go back into the program, load your newly saved file, the try to close, it hangs until you do a "Force Quit". Going back to previous versions before v2.4, there are no such issues, so for me, it's a new bug.
 
Ah, okay. That might be more serious than I thought! So, if I take the measurements and save, then run out of time, and come back to it later. Can I pick up where I left off, open the saved measurements, configure the curves etc and upload to the AVR?
 
Ah, okay. That might be more serious than I thought! So, if I take the measurements and save, then run out of time, and come back to it later. Can I pick up where I left off, open the saved measurements, configure the curves etc and upload to the AVR?

Yes. You will just have to do a Force Quit or Ctrl-Alt-Del to close the Dirac program after you have uploaded your new cal file to your AVR. It's not a massive deal, just an annoying bug and a sign of poor pre-release testing.

However, there is another bug being reported on the AVS Forums in the NAD thread that talks about a bug in the Dirac gain compensation if you make adjustments to the default curves. I don't know the truth of this as I haven't tested that one out yet. It's claimed that Dirac are aware of this one too.
 
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Oh cool, do you still need the interconnect for the sub from the 550 to600 if the subs into the 550?
Also I know you said you get your harmony to turn both on and then it only changes the volume on the 550, is that easy to setup?

Cheers Nik

no interconnect needed for sub if your plugging straight into 550. ‘Harmony was easy but you need to change the remote frequency of one of the amps. I changed the 600 in the setup menu. This allowed me to setup two devices on the harmony so 550 and 600. I then setup an activity to turn both on and turn off the display of the 600. The 550 is then used for all other functions like volume etc.
 
I got an odd thing happening,after it thought a bit of an fit,reloaded the an old project,no problems their.
But when i put into stereo direct for music playing,the speakers level are at 9+db,which to me doesn't sound so good as when they our at 0db.

Before it when into it fit,it was alway on 0db if ever i went into stereo direct mode,not sure whats going on ?

Thanks
 
Doesn't stereo direct turn off Dirac, so uses the non Dirac settings. As such I think you should be able to manually adjust the settings for stereo direct without affecting your Dirac settings.Maybe worth testing by adjusting slightly first and checking before going too mad.
 
Doesn't stereo direct turn off Dirac, so uses the non Dirac settings. As such I think you should be able to manually adjust the settings for stereo direct without affecting your Dirac settings.Maybe worth testing by adjusting slightly first and checking before going too mad.

Stereo Direct does turn off Dirac. That's the whole idea of that setting -- no processing.
 
New AVR550
Transformer hum/buzz - how far away is it normal to hear this?
 
New AVR550
Transformer hum/buzz - how far away is it normal to hear this?
Higher quality Toroidal transformers are more susceptible to hum, it’s caused by them picking up noise in your mains usually from other kit or things like fridges etc rather than it normally being a fault with the amp itself. You can try and isolate it by using a separate electrical outlet to other things or by turning off common culprits (such as fridges) to see if it goes away. Having said all that I don't notice it with my AVR550 even though I’ve had other amps (such as Naim Nap200 amp) that I do notice it with.
 
AVR550 firmware 7.14 (what it came with) and Dirac V2.41 using the supplied V2 Arcam mic.

Having problems balancing Dirac and non Dirac volumes. I've done two calibrations first at 100% mic, master volume around 40 (beyond this was in the red), 2nd with master volume at 50 and mic at 90. Pattern used was tight for a chair with 9 measurements as shown by DIrac.

Both calibrations are around 6-10dB quieter than non equalised setting. Levels for that were set at 75dB using a meter and are:
FL/R 0.5dB
C 0dB
SL/R 0/0.5dB
SBL/R 2/3dB
TFL/R 1/0.5dB
TBL/R 0.5/1.5dB
Sub 1+2 -10dB

Dirac set levels are
L/R 6dB
C 4dB
SL/R 2.5dB
SBL/R 9.5/10dB
TFL/R 7/6.5dB
TBL/R 6.5dB
Sub1+2 -3dB

It was my understanding that Arcam/Dirac set levels higher to stop this missmatch between eq on and eq off (which it has done) so where am I going wrong? Obviously I could drop the non Dirac levels down to try and match them that way but I'd prefer to up the Dirac ones. Would doing another calibration upping the master volume and dropping the mic gain make a difference?

Not only are the SBL/R speakers less efficient but they are also hidden from the main listening position for the mic by the back of the seat. Is the problem that the SBL/R are maxed out at 10dB and to keep the balance between them and the other speakers this is as high as they can be set by Dirac? Which thus leads to the volume mismatch?

Should I drop the subs volume down which would allow the other speakers to float to a similar level as non eq'd?. However they are barely into the green when setting the Dirac master volume which is why I left them at the same volume setting as Audyssey set.

Audyssey in my Marantz AVR just drops most of the speakers to negative levels except the SBL/R which are the only ones set at a positive level
 
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Dirac@doug56hl That is usual behaviour. I don't think messing with the volumes in a new calibration will change the levels that Dirac sets. I decrease all of my Dirac levels by 3db to get them to match the non Dirac levels, but I add a bit to the atmos speakers and the subs as I like them to be a bit louder than Dirac sets them (in relation to the other speakers).
 
Dirac@doug56hl That is usual behaviour. I don't think messing with the volumes in a new calibration will change the levels that Dirac sets. I decrease all of my Dirac levels by 3db to get them to match the non Dirac levels, but I add a bit to the atmos speakers and the subs as I like them to be a bit louder than Dirac sets them (in relation to the other speakers).
Thanks
But I don't follow why decreasing my Dirac set eq on speaker levels is going to increase the resulting dB sound level to match that of eq off at the same volume setting. It's not that the Dirac speaker levels are set higher per se but that my Dirac eq on volume needs to be turned up much more to get the same dB sound level as the eq off setting does. And this despite Dirac having speaker levels set higher.

Arcam shares the same hard stop volume limiter setting for both eq on and eq off as far as I can see (although it can be set by input). Having that at say 85 for eq off means the eq on (Dirac) volume is hitting the volume limiter at a 75ish eq off equivalent. Which is too low for the neutered Disney/Marvell atmos UHDs which can be mixed up to 10dB lower than usual.

With Audyssey I had a 0dB volume limiter set. My usual -20dB volume would need to go to -10dB for some Disney/Marvel atmos UHDs and thus give only a little leeway before the limiter was hit if I wanted to play loud. With Dirac eq on I've got this -10dB reduction from Dirac and the -10dB reduction from the Disney/Marvel UHDs so I'm going to hit the limiter even earlier. OK turn it off then, but it is there to stop over enthusiastic use of the volume control which at times I tend to do....
 
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@doug56hl for you then, you will need to increase your non Dirac levels, to get them to match the Dirac levels.

I have my Arcam calibrated so that 60 on the Arcam dial equals 75db, I calibrate using the mic I use for running Dirac, a Umik-1, the SPL meter in REW and an external test tone generator for the main speakers.

The test tones within the Arcam GUI do not apply Dirac, so you can't use them to calibrate the Dirac levels.

I did a new Dirac calibration yesterday with the newest Dirac software and it worked fine. I didn't get the crash at the end.
 
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@doug56hl for you then, you will need to increase your non Dirac levels, to get them to match the Dirac levels.

I have my Arcam calibrated so that 60 on the Arcam dial equals 75db, I calibrate using the mic I use for running Dirac, a Umik-1, the SPL meter in REW and an external test tone generator for the main speakers.

The test tones within the Arcam GUI do not apply Dirac, so you can't use them to calibrate the non Dirac levels.

I did a new Dirac calibration yesterday with the newest Dirac software and it worked fine. I didn't get the crash at the end.

The test tones within the Arcam GUI do not apply Dirac, so you can't use them to calibrate the non Dirac levels.

Fixed that for you :smashin:
 
@doug56hl for you then, you will need to increase your non Dirac levels, to get them to match the Dirac levels.
If I do that the eq off (no Dirac) volume will get even louder. which is not what I want.
I'm comparing content, not test tones.

I'll try explaining this again. I'm using the subs for music. I'm doing looped A/B comparisons of music between a Dirac eq'd modified tone curve and the eq off original (with the AVR550 levels for this set at 75db as stated in the manual). If the volumes don't match the louder one will always sound better.
Eq Off: Play stereo CD volume on 57, sounds loud enough for me.
Dirac Eq On: play stereo CD, volume needs to go to 62 to be as loud.
(checked on the meter).

For eq off I've now decreased the front L/R levels to -4.5 from their original +0.5 which now almost balances eq on and eq off volume at the same volume setting. Meter using the AVR550 test tones for eq off shows 71dB with a max of 71.4 dB so a decrease of 4dB was required to match the eq off and eq on volumes.

While I can see I may need to decrease the eq off levels across the board (to get equivalent volume to Dirac eq on) I can see problems with the sub level. Eq off level currently at -10 for both subs (max possible level trim and reads 85dB on the meter). Audyssey also had this level at -9.5dB for one sub and -10dB for the 2nd sub with the same sub volume setting.

Using the required decrease in levels seen for the front L/R speakers it would seem that to match the Dirac set eq on sub -3 level I'm going to have to reduce eq off sub to -16 or so (not possible) or reduce the sub's own volume.

But if I reduce the sub volume it will also lower the level in Dirac which is barely into green now when setting master volumes. If anything the subs own volume needs to increased for Dirac. The sub is set at 0dB cut in the CD eq on settings and I find it sometimes needs a boost up in stereo using the rtn control.

So where do I go from here? Increase subs own volume control for Dirac? (and do yet another calibration) which would take the subs up to around 90dB with stereo eq off. And then, if necessary, cut the sub trim levels for stereo eq off using the sub stereo control in the AVR550 CD settings?
 
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