BREAKING: Onkyo and Pioneer Ink Licensing Agreement with Dirac Research

(September 16, 2020) In a move that could potentially reshape the AV Receiver marketplace, Onkyo and Pioneer have reached a licensing agreement with Dirac Research for use of its popular Dirac Live room correction suite. As reported by Yahoo! Japan and confirmed by AV NIRVANA, future Onkyo and Pioneer gear will benefit from Dirac’s feature-rich technology.

Details concerning the licensing agreement, including a product rollout schedule, are minimal at this time. What we do know is that Pioneer’s MCACC room correction package and Onkyo’s AccuEQ calibration tool are largely thought to be inferior to Audyssey, Dirac, and other premium correction products, especially when considering low-frequency capabilities. Adding Dirac’s powerful technololgies will catapult both brands back into the conversation, leveling the playing field with the likes of Denon and Marantz, and further widening the gap with companies such as Sony.

This move also boosts Dirac’s aggressive infiltration of the home theater and personal audio market in North America. Some of the more notable brands to begin working with Dirac over the last year (plus) include Monoprice’s Monolith brand, Klipsch, RHA, and Emotiva. Bringing Onkyo and Pioneer into the fold will only further consumer awareness as the technology’s incredible capabilities are experienced and touted by mainstream buyers.

AV NIRVANA will update this article as more details become available.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

The Dirac bugs are more related to the individual units they are linked to, and what processing power the manufacturer assigns to those units... and in most cases are short lived bugs. The version 3 that I have is much easier to use than any of the previous versions. If the host unit has bass control, it gets a bit more time-consuming and there is more involvement with the user because there is more going on, but a unit without bass control is super fast and easy to use.

Dirac is also listening... and constantly working on their software to offer more features, more user interaction (at the user's option), and make it more user friendly. They will communicate with users, and look at logs and projects to help troubleshoot specific issues. Getting up with Audyssey support was always a challenge for me... not sure about now, because I have not used it in years, and wouldn't even consider it at this point. Audyssey has never been as hands-on with their users as Dirac... at least not in my experience.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I’ve had good success with Audyssey... but I’ve never experienced better Bass management than with Dirac Live Bass. It’s incredible

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I hope we start seeing more host units include the bass management that miniDSP offers in its units... a BM Suite of sorts... that includes full bass management and bass control with Dirac Live. The DDRC 88BM with Dirac Live is a marvelous unit, but it's limited in it's channels, as well as does not include bass control. Having the 10-band PEQ per channel is really nice to get peaks in the levels better matched prior to calibration.

 

[JStewart]

agree, @JStewart, with many of your points. Yamaha and Dirac would huge. BUT, Dirac needs to be made much more consumer-friendly... almost dummy-proof (like an AccuEQ) to be useful to the vast majority of users. Can that be achieved?

IMHO Dirac has a lot of room for improvement in the areas of instruction and documentation. A Dirac and AVR Newbie is going to find it difficult to understand the process. Coupled with a lot of misinformation that’s online because of the void to be filled, it could be doubly frustrating. I don’t think Dirac has ever produced a video with instruction. Once you do understand the process it’s not hard to actually run a calibration, create and download filters to a device.

The process is also going to be a bit time consuming the 1st go around. Dirac should be up front about this for new users if you know going in how much time it will take you can plan for it. Not doing this will frustrate customers.

Last but not least, Dirac’s customer support system is bad IMO. First you have to find it. Then you have to create a user ID and password (even if you already have a Dirac account for purchased licenses). Finally speaking to a support rep is probably out of the question. Email exchanges only.

Short answer to your question of “can that be achieved?”, Yes. The real question is does Dirac see it this way and does it fit with what their goals for who they believe their customers are going to be?

(Mentioning @Flak so he can see this and perhaps comment.)

The Dirac bugs are more related to the individual units they are linked to,

I follow a few threads that tell me you’re spot on with this. As soon as Dirac and the AVR manufacturers work out the kinks I think it will become much more robust. It’s a time of many growing pains coupled with a heavy dose of covid obstacles.

 

[JStewart]

Having the 10-band PEQ per channel is really nice to get peaks in the levels better matched prior to calibration.

Absolutely. Unless you run into the problem of maintaining a good signal to noise ratio while also clipping the measurement signal at the mic due to high peaks from room effects, you wouldn’t know it though.
This seems a useful feature of the Monoprice HTP-1.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I did not realize it was that difficult for end-users to contact Dirac. Of course I know them and have their contact info, so I would not realize it like someone that does not have regular contact with them.

It sounds like they need an online support forum.

The days of phone support seem to be dwindling fast. Can you imagine someone like John trying to offer phone support for REW, even if he charged for the program?

I see this happening all of the time... can't reach anyone by phone, or if you do, you get a message to email support@xyz .... for support issues.

I can tell you that I'd much rather help someone by email than by phone. When people get you on the phone, they can tie you up for 20-30 minutes very quickly over the smallest of issues, and some folk won't shut up. You hate to be rude and cut them off, so you wait patiently. Even though we have answers to most questions in our FAQ, people will still choose the contact reason of: My question is not answered in your FAQ... and then ask a question that is clearly answered in the FAQ. It seems too many of us are sometimes too lazy to read before calling. lol

 

[welldun]

I watched a YouTube video which featured some of the Onkyo units that will be released with Dirac in 2021 Here is the link Onkyo and Dirac & HDMI 2.1. I'm hoping they release a Pioneer Elite SC-LX905 with Dirac. Would like to see how it would stack up against my current Elite SC-99 for my 7.4.4 system.

 

[Eric SVL]

The process is also going to be a bit time consuming the 1st go around. Dirac should be up front about this for new users if you know going in how much time it will take you can plan for it. Not doing this will frustrate customers.

They better be building out their support if Dirac comes to units that typically low and mid-tier buyers would purchase. This is not as simple as Audyssey. And it will not do two subs like Audyssey at the price points of Onkyo and Pioneer AVRs.

If anything I hope this pushes Sound United and Audyssey to up their game. There are more features we'd like to see in the app, for example, and I hope they've been listening to feedback.

 

[Flak]

Prices and ETA here:

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I wonder if either will come out with a processor to compete with the Monolith HTP-1 and similar... maybe Onkyo via Integra.

 

[tesseract]

I wish they'd git er done. I just had a friend buy a Marantz AVR because the Dirac-enabled machines are too pricey for him at this time.