Pioneer DIRAC Partnership: Is this the End for MCACC Room EQ?

Pioneer will distribute Dirac’s suite of audio optimization technologies to Japanese manufacturers of sound systems and additionally, will leverage the solutions within their consumer, commercial and OEM audio applications.

Swedish audio technology provider Dirac Research announced an agreement with Pioneer Corporation to distribute their suite of digital technologies to the OEM audio market in Japan. The product categories cover computer speakers, sound bars, Bluetooth speakers, TV loudspeakers, portable audio devices, educational support products as well as amusement equipment featuring arcade games and others. Pioneer will also be leveraging Dirac solutions within a variety of consumer products and commercial audio applications. 

“About three years ago, Dirac introduced us to their suite of digital sound quality optimization technologies,” commented Mr. Osamu Takechi，Senior General Manager of Pioneer Industrial Solutions Division. “Completely different from conventional virtual surround and/or equalization, the Dirac solutions are both theoretically and practically proven to fundamentally improve an audio systems’ performance. We were quite impressed with Dirac; hence, we decided to integrate their technologies into our newest speaker systems. We are now in a position to market these groundbreaking technologies in Japan.”

Specializing in digital room correction, sound field control and sound optimization, Dirac Research has developed a range of world-leading solutions tailored for different audio systems, such as speaker and earphone optimization, soundstage widening for multiple speakers, sound quality optimization for portable devices and digital room correction for HiFi systems.   

“We are excited about the synergy between Dirac and Pioneer and look forward to delivering superior audio solutions to Japanese OEM’s,” commented Dr. Mathias Johansson, CEO of Dirac. “We anticipate that the integration of our advanced technologies with innovative hardware from Pioneer and the other Japanese manufacturers will establish new benchmarks for audio performance in a variety of product categories.” Johansson concluded.  

The Future of Pioneer MCACC Room Correction in Jeopardy?

Probably not, but we can't help ponder this question.  DIRAC has quickly become a favorite room correction solution among serious home theater enthusiasts.  It's not a stretch to think that Pioneer would eventually incorporate this technology in their AV receivers in favor of MCACC especially since this licensing agreement also encompasses Dirac's own spatial algorithms too.  Of course since Onkyo purchased the AV receiver division of Pioneer and recently dropped Audyssey MultiEQ from their AVR's, one would also wonder if Dirac will eventually find its way into their AV receivers too?

Tell us what you think in our forum and if the inclusion of Dirac would persuade you on purchasing an AV receiver.

About Dirac Research

Dirac is a world-renowned audio technology company on a mission to invent the future of sound. Dirac’s team of engineers and scientists deliver optimized sound solutions for mobile, automotive, residential and commercial environments through inspired innovation and a keen sense of evolving market trends and demands. Dirac’s digital sound optimization technologies have been adopted by some of the most respected and recognizable electronics manufacturers spanning the globe, achieving dramatically improved sound quality and a shortened time-to-market. Dirac Research maintains its headquarters in Sweden and has representatives in Japan, USA, Korea, Germany and China. www.dirac.com.