Premium Audio Company is releasing a new firmware update for its flagship AV receivers that will improve audio playback, functionality and room correction experience with the addition of three-dimensional sound, a Roon integration and more.
Premium Audio Company says these firmware updates will allow users to optimize performance on the Integra DRX-8.4, Onkyo TX-RZ70, Elite VSX-LX805 and Pioneer VSX-LX805 models launched in Spring 2023. This comes following a recent addition of Dirac Live Bass Control to the models in Summer 2023.
The firmware update adds Auro-3D, an advanced audio technology and format designed to create a more realistic audio experience by layering sound via lower, height and top channels.
Audio that has been mastered in Auro-3D format and played through one of PAC’s flagships receivers will immerse the listener in a dynamic soundstage compatible in both home and commercial cinema environments, the company says. Auro-Matic is the unique up-mixing technology that transforms existing content such as mono, stereo, and surround sound into a natural 3D experience.
The company also says its receivers are now Roon Ready, which means that they meet the standards set by Roon Labs to ensure a smooth and optimized user experience with the music player that combines locally saved files with streams from TIDAL and Qobuz.
The update also includes a new pre-amp mode that turns off the Power Amp output and changes the products to preamp-only mode. This slightly improves the Signal/Noise level and sound quality while reducing power consumption.
PAC is also adding source-based tone mapping to allow a portion of the HDR mapping to be performed by the source device rather than the display device. This automatically produces an optimized HDR signal to maximize processing and display capability without manual configuration, the company says.
The firmware update also makes Premium Audio Company’s flagship receivers some of the world’s first AV receivers to play Dolby Atmos content via Amazon Music HD, as well as improved Dirac Live room correction delay times to allow for more flexible speaker placement.
