CES 2008: Alan Taffel Takes a Look at Next-Gen Audio from CES
January 23rd, 2008 — By Alan TaffelDigital Room Correction Is Reaching Critical Mass
One of the most promising areas for improving audio quality, DSP-based digital room correction, also turns out to be one of the most difficult to do well. Companies such as TacT, Lyngdorf, and DEQX have spent years refining their algorithms and user interfaces. After hearing the effect of TacT’s new 12-channel digital controller ($12,000) with Digital Room Correction, I felt sorry for every other exhibitor at the show. With DRC engaged, the sound was clean and neutral; when it was disengaged, things turned quite boomy and typical of a trade showroom’s lousy acoustics.
DEQX was showing its new HDP3 preamp with room calibration (approx. $5500, February). And several surround sound processors, such as Anthem’s updated D2 ($7499 or $399 to upgrade earlier models), are now incorporating the feature. But by far the most aggressive entrant in this field was Lyngdorf. The company’s RoomPerfect system strikes me as among the most thoroughly thought-out available.
This circuit is now available in integrated amps (last year’s $7190 TDAI-2200), the new DPA-1 preamp ($5690), the D1 8-channel digital controller ($17,000), and as a stand-alone processor, the $3790 RP1. Once again, the demo proved the effectiveness of these devices when implemented well, banishing the room’s boominess, the tendency for voices to sound chesty, and a muddy soundstage.
While the high end will and should always be about sonic refinement, the industry has also begun to embrace new technologies that are more revolutionary than evolutionary. With high-resolution source material, hard-drive-based playback, the prospect of maintaining the signal in the digital domain end-to-end, and the ability to tame room anomalies, our industry is on the cusp of a great new era.
Next: Alan Taffel’s Best of Show
While I heartily applaud just about all of your observations (especially the recognition that REAL High Definition audio has finally arrived and can be downloaded at iTrax.com), I would like to point out that multichannel audio is not dead at all. It’s true that there was very little surround being demonstrated at the Venetian this year…but I believe the reason is the lack of adequate space to pull of a great demo and the limited view of most manufacturers.
The future is high definition, surround audio playing back from a music server. It will take time and the tipping point is still some years away, but those that have heard great recordings in 5.1 surround wonder know it’s coming.
AIX Records has been creating true HD Audio in stereo and surround for 8 years (almost 58 recordings many with HD Video) and is glad that optical discs are diminishing in importance. We still produce and release DVD-Audio titles for those that appreciate the benefits of HD PCM encoding…but now those that are properly equipped can download HD into dedicated music servers. The show was a hint of things to come.
The most important technological innovation in the area of music servers was not being shown to the public but was tucked away in a suite at the Belaggio. The future is coming but I have to hold my thoughts until April or May.
Comment by Mark Waldrep January 26th, 2008 @ 8:33 pm