https://www.audioholics.comWhere audio and video equipment undergoes rigorous objective and subjective tests by our staff, ensuring that marketing slogans aren't the only guidelines for your home theater choices.Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:00:00 -0000https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/demystifying-audio-formatsChoosing the right audio format isn’t just a technical detail—it’s a make-or-break decision that determines how faithfully your mix holds up from tracking to final release. This guide breaks down the four most popular formats—WAV, AIFF, FLAC, and MP3—and explains when and why each one makes sense in your workflow.Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/demystifying-audio-formatsAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dirac-live-bass-control-updateDirac Live Bass Control is now available for select Denon and Marantz products! The combination of Dirac’s multi-sub Bass Control system and the 4 independent subwoofer outputs available on the latest Denon and Marantz units will be a powerful tool for perfecting home theater bass. The Masimo-owned brands also benefit from an overhauled HEOS app for a better wireless/streaming audio experience. Read on to learn more. Sat, 16 Dec 2023 20:20:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dirac-live-bass-control-updateAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dirac-live-stormaudioThe long-awaited Dirac Live Active Room Treatment solution is now available on StormAudio home theater gear. Dirac Live ART is a next-generation technology that uses MIMO (multiple input multiple output) mixed-phase impulse response correction to calibrate all speakers as a unified system. This tech promises to minimize the need for costly and bulky acoustical room treatment, while delivering superior bass performance and a wide sweet spot. Read on to learn more. Mon, 23 Oct 2023 16:55:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dirac-live-stormaudioAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dirac-live-bassUnder the Premium Audio Company umbrella, Onkyo, Pioneer, and Integra began offering Dirac Live room correction on mid-priced AVRs in 2021. Now the brands’ latest receivers offer Dirac Live Bass Control as an optional add-on. The single-sub version costs $349, and the multi-sub version costs $499. Will Denon and Marantz be able to catch up? Read on to learn more. Sat, 30 Sep 2023 02:30:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dirac-live-bassAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/trinnov-waveformingHot on the heels of DIRAC's announcement regarding their Active Room Treatment (ART) approach, Trinnov has introduced their WaveForming technology, which presents remarkably similar claims and capabilities. What will the differences be between the two SOTA room correction systems and how do you need to plan out your speaker and subwoofer system accordingly? Read on to find out!Thu, 06 Jul 2023 15:45:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/trinnov-waveformingAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/trinnov-2018active-acoustics2019Just weeks after Dirac officially announced Dirac Live Active Room Treatment, Trinnov has responded with its own announcement: a groundbreaking “active acoustics” technology that promises similar results. Trinnov’s new tech uses two large arrays of subwoofers to “effectively eliminate room modes,” and will be demonstrated at the ISE conference in Barcelona. Read on to learn more. Fri, 03 Feb 2023 06:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/trinnov-2018active-acoustics2019Audio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dirac-live-active-room-treatment-dsp-room-eq-spring-201823After years of evolutionary improvements to Dirac Live, the Swedish digital audio company officially announces its revolutionary next-generation room correction system: Dirac Live Active Room Treatment. Is Dirac destined to disrupt passive room treatments? We'll find out when the future begins this spring, 2023!Mon, 09 Jan 2023 05:30:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dirac-live-active-room-treatment-dsp-room-eq-spring-201823Audio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dolby-atmos-best-setup-practicesWe recently hosted a livestream with recording and mixing engineer John Traunwieser, whose credits include work on multiple Star Wars movies and other big titles, to discuss the ins and outs of Dolby Atmos. This article offers a brief explanation of how Dolby Atmos works, and how best to set up your home theater for a successful Atmos experience. It also addresses some common mistakes and misconceptions regarding Atmos setup. Read on to learn more.Tue, 20 Dec 2022 05:30:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dolby-atmos-best-setup-practicesAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/surround-sound-upmixerBefore there was Dolby Atmos, or even discrete 5.1 surround sound, there was matrixed surround processing based off a discrete two-channel feed. Ever wonder how Dolby Pro Logic II came about and how it leapfrogged the original Pro Logic decoding? Industry vet Paul Scarpelli and Roger Dressler, formerly of Dolby Labs, recounts a historical perspective on 6-Axis surround originally developed by Jim Fosgate and how it battled Harman's very own Logic 7 format to be the next generation defacto surround decoder. Read about the silent format war and the battle to win Dolby over for Pro Logic II.Sat, 10 Dec 2022 14:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/surround-sound-upmixerAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/spatial-audio-netflixNetflix is now offering a Spatial Audio experience for all subscribers watching content on two-channel devices, including headphones, TVs, and laptops. Sennheiser’s AMBEO 2-Channel Spatial Audio technology is used to convert immersive sound formats, such as Dolby Atmos, into an enhanced version of stereo that works on any stereo speakers or headphones. No special software or hardware is required, but titles are limited at launch. Read on to learn more. Thu, 10 Nov 2022 05:10:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/spatial-audio-netflixAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/google-dolby-royalty-free-competitionGoogle plans to launch its own 3D audio and enhanced HDR standards. I hear you saying: "Great, a 15th competing standard!" But hold on, Google's new standards aren't likely positioning to complete directly with Dolby. The real world result is probably going to be slightly better YouTube experience. At least for now.Fri, 14 Oct 2022 04:55:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/google-dolby-royalty-free-competitionAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/thx-spatial-audio-qobuzQobuz has teamed up with THX to deliver new, immersive music. Mixed using the proprietary THX Spatial Audio rendering engine, these exclusive tracks highlight the ability of this THX technology to deliver “spatialized” 360-degree audio on any device via ordinary headphones. THX Spatial Audio can also transform existing stereo or multichannel audio into a more immersive experience, but for that you’ll need special hardware, or a Windows PC running the THX Spatial Audio app. Read on to learn more. Fri, 07 Oct 2022 04:35:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/thx-spatial-audio-qobuzAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/mobile-fidelity-scandalMobile Fidelity has been caught in a lie. After years of falsely claiming to produce pure analog vinyl, the audiophile record label must face the music. It has recently been revealed that the company regularly uses digital DSD transfers in the production of its acclaimed remasters. Ironically, many analog audiophile purists praised the sound of these digital records without ever knowing any better. Now that the cat is out of the bag, will this devalue the MoFi records or will audiophiles continue to embrace them? Read on to learn more.Wed, 31 Aug 2022 04:05:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/mobile-fidelity-scandalAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/auro-3d-bankruptcyAuro 3D has declared bankruptcy last Friday. But is the the end for the up-and-coming surround format? Don't count the audio company from Antwerp, Belgium out just yet. The company is attached to a major European studio and a founder/CEO with a passion for sound that hasn't called it quits just yet. Auro Technologies may have heights yet to reach.Thu, 23 Jun 2022 04:25:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/auro-3d-bankruptcyAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/qualcomm-2018aptx-losslessThe wireless telecommunications company Qualcomm Technologies has announced the first truly lossless Bluetooth audio codec. According to the company, aptX Lossless can deliver CD-quality audio with zero loss of information. Will audiophiles finally embrace Bluetooth audio the way the rest of the world already has? Read on to learn more. Thu, 10 Feb 2022 06:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/qualcomm-2018aptx-losslessAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/codecsAlmost everyone has come across abbreviations like WAV, FLAC, MP3 at the end of their audio files and wondered what they mean. Some of you may have Googled them only to be even more overwhelmed by complex information. Audioholics has put together a guide explaining the concepts to these extensions in layman terms.Mon, 27 Sep 2021 00:20:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/codecsAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/tidal-addsTidal’s library of MQA-encoded music has just grown significantly. Millions of new tracks have been added from Warner Music Group’s extensive catalog, giving Tidal the largest selection of MQA music outside of China. But just because it’s MQA, that doesn’t mean it’s sourced from “high-resolution” source material. Read on to learn more. Thu, 08 Jul 2021 05:55:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/tidal-addsAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/apple-music-lossless-dolby-atmos-how-to-enjoy-every-bit-khz-of-resolutionApple Music has just launched a suite of upgrades that includes lossless streaming for its entire music catalogue with select libraries streaming at high-resolution and Apple’s new Spatial Audio by Dolby Atmos. Since all of these improvements are now streaming at no extra charge, many of us may be doing the math on the viability of switching to Apple Music. But this is Apple we're talking about! There are going to be hurdles to enjoying ever bit and kHz of its upgraded stream. We'll take a closer look at what Apple Music now offers and see if Apple's infamous "walled garden" approach to media can be overcome so we can obtain a bit-perfect rendition of every resolution it offers through its upgraded stream.Tue, 29 Jun 2021 05:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/apple-music-lossless-dolby-atmos-how-to-enjoy-every-bit-khz-of-resolutionAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/tidal-delivers-atmosAfter launching a limited, mobile-only Dolby Atmos Music experience last December, Tidal is now offering the real deal. Subscribers to Tidal’s $20/month HiFi tier can now stream Dolby Atmos Music to their Atmos-capable AV receivers or sound-bars, bringing immersive music into the living room and home theater environments. So far, only a handful of third-party streaming devices are compatible, but more are expected. Read on to learn more. Thu, 11 Jun 2020 12:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/tidal-delivers-atmosAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dolby-musicWhen Dolby released Atmos, it was done in concert with their surround upmixer which does a great job enhancing 2CH music thanks to a key feature Dolby is now removing from new products. We don't understand why "center spread' is being eliminated but implore you to voice your concerns to Dolby and your favorite receiver manufacturer if you feel this to be an important feature for your music playback enjoyment . Perhaps we can all be part of a collective voice to persuade Dolby to reverse this decision so we can all enjoy the benefits of our multi-channel speaker system for our 2CH music sources.Sun, 24 May 2020 12:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dolby-musicAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/sound-united-expands-zoonSound United LLC announced that several Denon and Marantz products received Roon Tested accreditation. This certification enables music lovers to seamlessly stream music from a Roon server or Roon Core devices to 68 Denon and Marantz products for a visually rich, and easy-to-use listening experience. To see what we think of these new additions read on...Tue, 31 Mar 2020 10:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/sound-united-expands-zoonAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/what-the-apollo-masters-fire-really-means-for-vinylThe vinyl record industry may experience shortages of new releases after the plant that made some 75% of the world’s blank lacquers burned to the ground. But it won’t be the apocalyptic “vinylgeddon” suggested by some. Delayed new releases on vinyl may begin sometime in the next year, but the real long-term tragedy could be a permanent loss of some homegrown American record manufacturing. Will Vinyl media adapt and survive? Read on to find out. Fri, 20 Mar 2020 10:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/what-the-apollo-masters-fire-really-means-for-vinylAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dolby-atmos-successNot long after Dolby announced the Home Atmos format, Audioholics ran some competing predictions about its potential for success and failure. Now, more than five years later, we take stock of how Home Atmos has panned out and which predictions were right and which were also wrong. Read our assessment of where Dolby Atmos stands today relating to the home theater environment.Tue, 28 Jan 2020 13:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dolby-atmos-successAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/sony-360-reality-audioSony’s object-based “360 Reality Audio” format will soon launch on Tidal, Amazon Music HD, Deezer, and the live-performance streaming service nugs.net. Sony hopes to “usher in a major music milestone” with the new format, which will work on any iOS/Android mobile device, and any brand of headphones. But Sony’s new format faces direct competition from Dolby Atmos Music. Will either contender emerge victorious, or will this be the next SACD vs DVD-Audio format war head to the streaming front? Read on to learn more.Mon, 02 Dec 2019 04:50:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/sony-360-reality-audioAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/tidal-vs-qobuzWhen it comes to streaming services, we have the big players like Apple, Amazon, and Spotify. Now we can add Qobuz to the list of boutique brands like Tidal that cater to audiophiles. Given that Tidal seems to be struggling, we wondered if there was in fact a need for yet another niche streaming service. We extensively tested the two Hi-Res streaming services for the last SIX MONTHS! See what our conclusions were between the two services in our article and which one sounded best. Be sure to watch our recently added YouTube discussion.Wed, 23 Oct 2019 05:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/tidal-vs-qobuzAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dolby-widthdraws-from-restricting-non-native-upmixing-a-win-for-consumersLast year we reported on Dolby restricting upmixing of non-native content through their DSU or crossmixing their formats with other upmixers. This had the potential of restricting consumer choices for upmixing content through competitor upmixers such as DTS Neural:X or Auro-matic. Apparently enough backlash was felt from licensee partners and consumers causing Dolby to withdraw this restriction on new Atmos enabled AV products. Read on to find out the implications and what to expect going forward.Tue, 27 Aug 2019 04:05:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dolby-widthdraws-from-restricting-non-native-upmixing-a-win-for-consumersAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/turntable-historyTurntables are getting very popular again. People are rediscovering the romance and appeal of vinyl, plus there is the now-solidly-entrenched faction that simply believes that analog-produced music sounds better than digitally-produced music. Today, $3000 turntables are commonplace. But how did we get here? Let’s take a step back and look at the history and development of the modern turntable to see why things are as they are.Fri, 26 Oct 2018 04:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/turntable-historyAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/imax-enhanced-certificationIMAX has been a staple in the movie theaters as the best in sound and video for over a decade. Now they want to bring that experience into the home theater realm but it's going to involve 3 things: IMAX Enhanced hardware, and content. OK that's 2 things. Ironically the new standard that they're attempting to set mentions nothing about the room acoustics or speaker dispersion or output requirements. Perhaps in the near future that will be revised but let's go with what we know so far to determine if IMAX Enhanced is a must have in your home theater.Fri, 19 Oct 2018 21:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/imax-enhanced-certificationAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dirac2019s-panorama-sound-mobile-audio-immersiveDirac Panorama Sound is a new mobile audio solution designed to improve the relatively unsatisfying experience of watching content and playing games on portable devices with small, closely-positioned speakers. Like the company’s state-of-the-art room correction software, Dirac’s mobile tech optimizes both impulse and frequency response to improve sound quality and create the impression of a wider soundstage. Does Dirac Panorama Sound have the edge over competing solutions from Dolby and DTS? Mon, 09 Jul 2018 04:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dirac2019s-panorama-sound-mobile-audio-immersiveAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dolby-non-native-upmixing-atmosVariety is said to be the spice of life. Why only eat cherry Starbursts when you can sample orange, watermelon, lemon, etc? The same applies to multi-channel surround sound upmixers. But the folks at Dolby® apparently want you to eat ONLY one flavor. Their flavor. Dolby recently issued a mandate to ALL of their Atmos licensee partners to restrict usage of 3rd party upmixers with ANY Dolby signals including 5.1/7.1 DD, DD+, TrueHD and Atmos. What implications will this have in your system? Read on to find out and be sure to watch our related YouTube video discussion too.Wed, 30 May 2018 21:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dolby-non-native-upmixing-atmosAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/bluetooth-audio-guideOne of the most important conclusions we took away from CES 2018, is that true wireless hi-fi has finally coming of age. Vendors have demonstrated new audio products using aptX HD and LDAC codecs, these are the high-resolution options we’ve been waiting for. Wireless audio over Bluetooth can be confusing, but it’s never sounded better than ever before. This article breaks down the different flavors of codecs and discusses how near CD quality audio is now possible over Bluetooth. Mon, 26 Mar 2018 05:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/bluetooth-audio-guideAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/three-methods-for-immersive-3d-audioSurround sound, immersive audio, and 3D sound are growing in popularity and importance as gaming, VR, movies, and music embrace multi-channel audio. With multiple strategically-placed amplified speakers, headphones with motion tracking and binaural content, and beamforming sound bars all at your disposal, all three can deliver enhanced listening, but vary tremendously in cost and convenience. We take a look at these three methods to help you decide which one is right for you.Fri, 07 Jul 2017 12:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/three-methods-for-immersive-3d-audioAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/surroud-sound-formatsSurround formats have evolved over the years and with all of the different ones available, it's often confusing to the neophytes on what the differences are. Ever look at a new AV receiver and notice the plethora of logos on the front panel? This YouTube video and supplementary editorial discusses those logos and provides a brief comparison of the major consumer surround formats and how they've changed over the years. If you're still rocking an 80's Prologic receiver, it may be time for an upgrade. We've come a long way baby.Wed, 07 Sep 2016 21:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/surroud-sound-formatsAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/surround-sound-for-stereo-musicIs it worth revisiting some of your favorite stereo recordings in surround sound? Purists would disagree and would never listen to stereo music in surround, we get that. But true surround sound processed from a stereo source can be quite nice. This article introduces you to the ins and outs of stereo music and how it progressed into the surround we have today. I don’t listen in surround the majority of the time, but there are times when it really works well. Tell us your preference in the related forum thread.Fri, 19 Aug 2016 04:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/surround-sound-for-stereo-musicAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/pro-audio-technology-trinnovWe were fortunate to be invited out to PRO Audio's headquarters in southern California for a 23-channel Atmos demo featuring Trinnov processing and 14,800 watts of power. What we saw and heard here was an immersive surround sound Atmos/DTS:X spectacle based on science; no gimmicky bouncy house speakers were used. Instead, PRO Audio employed ALL high efficient, discretely placed speakers that sounded superb for two-channel and full on multi-channel surround sound. If you have the funds for a high-quality sound system and you do not want to ask “What if?,” then look no further than PRO Audio Technology. Mon, 30 May 2016 15:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/pro-audio-technology-trinnovAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/mp3-vs-high-resolution-audioAt AXPONA 2015 Legacy Audio provided an excellent opportunity for audiophiles to carefully compare several common playback resolution levels on a high quality system. The session was without agenda and provided a reality check for listeners. Music was provided by Sonos Luminus imported into JRiver and handled in PCM format for continuous playback. Did the participants hear a difference between MP3 and high resolution audio? Can you hear a difference? Read on to find out.Fri, 01 May 2015 11:15:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/mp3-vs-high-resolution-audioAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dts-x-first-listenDTS:X is a new object-based 3D audio format that claims to work with almost any speaker setup and configuration. We were on-site at the unveiling at DTS headquarters, and are here to share what we know. We discuss how DTS:X will work in the cinema, home theater and headphones. Is this the immersive, object-based audio format we've been waiting for? Will DTS:X revolutionize how we listen to headphones? Only time will tell.Mon, 20 Apr 2015 12:00:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dts-x-first-listenAudio Technologieshttps://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dts-x-immersive-surround-formatOur very own Marshall Guthrie was invited out to the DTS press event to witness, firsthand, their new object-based audio system, DTS:X. Marshall’s initial impressions: there is real game-changing potential in DTS:X that includes the ability to put your speakers where you want them and still get good sound, open format tools for movie mixing professionals, and really amazing sound for headphone users too. Unlike Dolby Atmos, DTS:X is not tied to a prescribed speaker configuration or a specified number of channels. This opens a lot of flexibility and acceptance for our proposed Universal Speaker Layout for 3D Immersive Surround Formats.Fri, 10 Apr 2015 20:05:00 -0000 https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dts-x-immersive-surround-formatAudio Technologies