Dirac Live vs Audyssey MultiQ-X

[Stereo99]

Hi: Trying to decide which one to go with??Seems Dirac is easier to use overall...but much more expensive too.Anyone one here try both & what are/were your experiences?Thanks

Using a Marantz Cinema 40(sounds excellent so far)

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Stereo99

Hi: Trying to decide which one to go with??Seems Dirac is easier to use overall...but much more expensive too.Anyone one here try both & what are/were your experiences?Thanks

Using a Marantz Cinema 40(sounds excellent so far)

I have both, and my favorite is ......MultEQ-X. Let me explain why - although Dirac is easier to use, I'm a guy that likes to tweak till I break! MultEQ-X allows you to import REW measurements. That may not sound like much, but if you go through the LONG tutorials by OCA on digital speaker and Room Correction, you can actually time-align your speakers, dive deep into the measurements, apply Harman curves (well - you can do that in Dirac as well), and a whole slew of other things. I bought MultEQ-X for the AV7706 that I have, and MultEQ-X is the reason that I haven't changed out my prepro for a McIntosh MX-123 which has XT32 but isn't compatible with MultEQ-X. You may say how can you use DIRAC - since I own the AV7706.....i have a PC with the Dirac Live 3 vst plugin - through JRiver. That was an expensive piece of software ...$500!!!

Now Dirac has a game changer....ART (Active Room Treatment) but it is only available currently for Storm Audio processors. I will probably buy it when it's available for PC's - I've only heard great things about it.

[Tok]

Gene Dellasala at Audioholics just did a deep dive into MultEQ-X with Matt Posium. Specifically they looked at MultEQ-X Pro which is the same I believe as the MultEQ-X with the exception as to how licenses are purchased.

It seemed to me that they really are excited by the possibilities by the newer Audyssey solution. Matt made a comment that for typical AVRs (anything below a Trinnov system) he would recommend Audyssey for its customization options. It allows filters from REW to be copied into the Audyssey system. The new system also allows the disabling of level matching on the curve which Joe’n’Tell and others have suspected of killing the bass on previous versions of Audyssey.

I know Dirac is more currently the more desirable RC system but I’m skeptical of moving to it for the simple fact that Dirac AVRs don’t offer anything similar to Audyssey’s DynamicEQ feature (DEQ). DEQ compensates to keep the octave to octave balance correct when listening under reference level. To do this on Dirac you need different curve presets for different volume levels. I was hoping that other systems could work with the Dirac system to accomplish this with Dirac like THX’s Loudness Plus but from looking at the manual of the Onkyo’s with both systems it indicates THX Loudness Plus can’t be engaged when using Dirac curves.

Seems like there’s a lot of FOMO around Dirac but I don’t believe any of these systems are significantly different with the newer iterations. I can’t give up on Audyssey until there’s a similar DEQ available to use with Dirac.

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by Tok

Gene Dellasala at Audioholics just did a deep dive into MultEQ-X with Matt Posium. Specifically they looked at MultEQ-X Pro which is the same I believe as the MultEQ-X with the exception as to how licenses are purchased.

It seemed to me that they really are excited by the possibilities by the newer Audyssey solution. Matt made a comment that for typical AVRs (anything below a Trinnov system) he would recommend Audyssey for its customization options. It allows filters from REW to be copied into the Audyssey system. The new system also allows the disabling of level matching on the curve which Joe’n’Tell and others have suspected of killing the bass on previous versions of Audyssey.

I know Dirac is more currently the more desirable RC system but I’m skeptical of moving to it for the simple fact that Dirac AVRs don’t offer anything similar to Audyssey’s DynamicEQ feature (DEQ). DEQ compensates to keep the octave to octave balance correct when listening under reference level. To do this on Dirac you need different curve presets for different volume levels. I was hoping that other systems could work with the Dirac system to accomplish this with Dirac like THX’s Loudness Plus but from looking at the manual of the Onkyo’s with both systems it indicates THX Loudness Plus can’t be engaged when using Dirac curves.

Seems like there’s a lot of FOMO around Dirac but I don’t believe any of these systems are significantly different with the newer iterations. I can’t give up on Audyssey until there’s a similar DEQ available to use with Dirac.

I am sure that they both provide excellent results. But paying for the full bandwidth license at $349, multi subwoofer control at another $499 AND the required microphone at another $79, and that is a total of an extra $924 to maximize the benefits of Dirac in my system over Audyssey. I just do not believe I will get a $924 improvement over what I already get with what Audyssey provides....or at least what my ears would detect anyway.

[Tok]

Originally Posted by Fors*

I am sure that they both provide excellent results. But paying for the full bandwidth license at $349, multi subwoofer control at another $499 AND the required microphone at another $79, and that is a total of an extra $924 to maximize the benefits of Dirac in my system over Audyssey. I just do not believe I will get a $924 improvement over what I already get with what Audyssey provides....or at least what my ears would detect anyway.

Yeah I’m not buying into the Dirac hype machine. Not trashing it either, if it comes with the AVR fine but I’m kind of tired of paying to unlock features. Is Audyssey MultEQ-X worth $200? I’m definitely not dropping that much to try it with a 6-7 year old AVR.

[ronboster]

I was at the MWAVE (Midwest AV Expo) a couple weekends ago. Storm provided several rooms with their processor, which included the Dirac ART software. I came away really impressed with the performance.

So much so, I'm going to wait till 4Q or 1Q 2024 to see whose hardware will be able to handle the new ART software. Storm has an exclusive till 4Q. There is some question as to whether the current line of receivers and processors can handle the new software. A Monoprice insider at AVS said, their monolith unit will be able to work with ART. I'm sure more beta testers (who don't have a Storm processor) will speak up as the NDA requirements loosen up.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Fors*

I am sure that they both provide excellent results. But paying for the full bandwidth license at $349, multi subwoofer control at another $499 AND the required microphone at another $79, and that is a total of an extra $924 to maximize the benefits of Dirac in my system over Audyssey. I just do not believe I will get a $924 improvement over what I already get with what Audyssey provides....or at least what my ears would detect anyway.

Boom!!! Yep...what you just said!!!!