Pioneer Stereo System manual Home Theater Sound, THX Certified, THX Surround EX, THX Select2

OSD for Standing Wave Control

Comparison of 2-Dimensional and 3-Dimensional Compensation
2-Dimensional Compensation	3-Dimensional Compensation
Level	Level
Frequency	Frequency
	Time

Sound Pressure Level and Frequency Response Measured along Time Axis

A Room with No Reverberation																A Highly Reverberant Room
Level (dB)																Level (dB)
63.0																63.0
62.0
																62.0
61.0
																61.0
60.0
																60.0
59.0
																59.0
58.0
																58.0
57.0
																57.0
56.0																56.0
55.0
																55.0
54.0
																54.0
53.0 0 10 20 30
	40	50														53.0 0 10 20	30 40
			60	70														50	60
					80	90 100 110 120														70	80
							130	140 150			125 250500	1k	2k	4k	8k 16k							90 100 110	120	130 140					250 500 1k	2k	4k	8k 16k
Time (msec)									160	63						Time (msec)									150	160	63	125
									Frequency (Hz)																	Frequency (Hz)

*Graphic images of the listening space's reverberation frequency response, measured by Advanced MCACC, can be displayed on a PC screen via RS-232C output, with specialized software.

With the aid of a microphone, included in the package, the MCACC measures the response from each speaker and performs the following processes:

Set-up Mic

(1)Checking the absence (or presence) of connected speakers The system checks which speakers — front, center, surround, surround back speakers, and/or subwoofer — are connected to the A/V receiver.

(2)Detecting speaker size (large or small)

Bass sound for a small speaker is diverted to a large speaker or subwoofer.

(3)Equalizing the differences of speaker distance from the listening point

Electronically-generated sound delays, as well as those caused by speaker distance gaps, are compensated for.

(4)Neutralizing the differences in sound pressure level Gaps among channels are limited

to ±0.5 dB or less.	dB
	Before
	Compensation
	FL	C	FR LS	SB SB RS SW

dB
After
Compensation
FL	C	FR	LS	SB	SB	RS SW

Automatic Compensation of Sound

Pressure Level

(5)Compensating for timbre differences

The frequency response of each speaker is measured and adjusted for all nine (VSX-84TXSi, VSX-82TXS, and VSX-81TXV) or five bands (VSX-80TXV). This is completed with the original "Envelop Compensation" applied technology, which ensures optimum timbre- matching with minimum phase variations among channels.

(6)Time-axis compensation (VSX-84TXSi/VSX-82TXS/VSX-81TXV)

A revolutionary function integrated into Advanced MCACC. Acoustic treatment can be point-controlled, either manually or automatically — by units of 20 msec between 0msec and 80 msec points. Minute adjustment allows you to create an ideal sound field according to the

acoustic characteristics of various listening environments.

*Room reverberation data, measured by Advanced MCACC, can be checked on the PC screen or OSD.

(7)X-Curve Compensation (VSX-84TXSi/VSX-82TXS/VSX-81TXV)

This technology not only calibrates the physical tonal balance, but also corrects for the human brain's interpretation of sound as it is affected by the room size. The result is perfectly flat frequency response.

With all the Elite A/V receivers, you can manually fine-tune the frequency responses of individual speakers according to taste.

MCACC Functions for the Latest Elite A/V Receivers (VSX-84TXSi/VSX-82TXS/VSX-81TXV)

In addition to the functions described above, these receivers also come with the following:

(1)Standing Wave Control Acoustic standing waves occur when sound waves from your speaker system resonate with those reflected off the walls. This can give a negative

effect on the overall sound,

especially certain lower frequencies — resulting in an overly resonant, "boomy" sound depending on the speaker positioning, your listening position, and the shape of your room. The new Pioneer Elite A/V receivers' Standing Wave Control effectively moderates the resonance in your listening area. This technology also prevents inappropriate EQ-setting calibration caused by standing waves.

Standing Wave in a Typical Listening Room

				= Standing Wave
OFF					ON
-80.0					-80.0
]					]
dB					dB
[					[
Amplitude					Amplitude
-130.0	20	100	1k	10k 20k	-130.0	20	100	1k	10k	20k

Frequency [Hz] Frequency [Hz]

Original Frequency

Standing Wave Control Filter

(2)MCACC Memory (Delays, Levels, and Preset EQ) MCACC Memory allows receivers to memorize up to six preset combinations of delays, levels, and EQ settings. This allows easy switching among combinations, depending on the listening environment.

Home Theater Sound

THX Certified

THX is a Lucasfilm Ltd. program created to achieve maximum accuracy in the reproduction of movie sound. Movie soundtracks are recorded on a large "dubbing stage" using professional equipment. For a soundtrack to be reproduced accurately at home, special technologies are required. That's because your "video room" is much smaller than a movie theater and is acoustically live. What's more, your home theater system uses speakers that are quite different from those found in theaters — and there are only six of them. Finally, when you're at home you sit much closer to the speakers than when you're in a theater. These differences meant you missed the power, thrill, and emotion of a good movie when you watched it at home. Pioneer and Lucasfilm have teamed up to bring the full glory of realistic cinema sound to the comfort and convenience of your home.

Pioneer Elite THX/DTS/Dolby Digital A/V receivers offer: THX Re-Equalization™:A movie theater is large and

acoustically dead, so specialized speakers are used, and typically placed far from viewers. Since a soundtrack is recorded for reproduction in such an environment, it sounds overly brilliant when played at home. THX Re-Equalization compensates for this acoustic difference by achieving smoother high-frequency response.

THX Adaptive Decorrelation™: When surround speakers play back a mono sound, it often seems to come from one side rather than enveloping you from all sides as in a theater. THX Adaptive Decorrelation helps to correct for this inaccuracy by restoring spaciousness on surround signals.

THX Timbre Matching™: Surround sound should envelop the viewer smoothly and seamlessly. Nothing is more distracting than when sounds jump from one speaker to another. By improving the front/surround matching, THX Timbre Matching ensures smooth movement of surround sound.

THX Bass Peak Level Management™: Some Dolby Digital soundtracks produce bass peaks that are undesirable in a home theater environment. THX Bass Peak Level Management allows you to control maximum peak levels and properly adjust them to your home theater system.

THX Loudspeaker Position Time Alignment™: This

feature lets you equalize differences in the distances between individual loudspeakers and your listening position. Equalizing these distances ensures both precise synchronization of the outputs from all speakers and seamless continuity of the soundfield.

THX Surround EX

THX Surround EX — Dolby Digital Surround EX is a joint development of Dolby Laboratories and the THX division of Lucasfilm Ltd. In a movie theater, film soundtracks encoded with Dolby Digital Surround EX technology are able to reproduce an extra channel — Surround Back — which has been added during the mixing of the program. Because

currently available Dolby Digital has 5.1 channels — front left, front center, front right, surround right, surround left and subwoofer channels — Dolby Digital Surround EX offers 7.1 channels.

Encoded on special DVD movie releases, the Surround Back channel places sounds behind the listener. This additional channel allows more detailed imaging behind the listener and brings more depth, spacious ambience and sound localization than ever before. When released on the home consumer market, movies that were created using the Dolby Digital Surround EX technology bear a Dolby Digital Surround EX logo on the packaging. The Pioneer Elite A/V receivers — all with the THX Surround EX logo — can faithfully reproduce this technology in the home in the THX Surround EX mode.

	LOW FREQUENCY	PRESENCE FIELD
	EFFECT
		Front: Forms the basis of a sound field as
	Subwoofer: Enhances suspense and psychological	the system's main channels.
	tension with low-frequency sound effects.	Center: Clearly localizes dialog and vocals.
SURROUND FIELD
LEFT
SURROUND
BACK FIELD		SURROUND FIELD
		RIGHT
Surround Back: Ensures continuity of surround sound,
adding depth to the soundstage.

Surround: Enhances surround sound by adding depth to the sound field and emphasizing the sense of motion.

THX Select2

The VSX-84TXSi, VSX-82TXS, VSX-81TXV, and VSX-80TXV all feature THX Select2

certification. This latest THX certification means that a wide array of listening modes are offered to

enhance your entertainment. Each mode includes Pioneer- proprietary Advanced Speaker Array (ASA) technology for optimizing playback of multi-channel sound.

THX Cinema: This mode plays 5.1-channel movies using all eight speakers. ASA technology processes audio signals sent to the surround and surround back speakers in a way that optimally blends the ambient and directional sound.

THX MusicMode: This mode is especially suited for multi- channel music. ASA technology is applied to the surround channels of 5.1-channel encoded music sources, creating a wider yet stable acoustic ambience.

THX Games Mode: A full 360-degree, 3-dimensional acoustic ambience is created from stereo or multi-channel game audio, including analog sources and those in PCM, DTS, and Dolby Digital formats. In addition to placing sound accurately, this mode allows smooth point-to-point transition of audio, to further enhance its realism.

*The THX logo is a trademark of THX Ltd., which may be registered in some jurisdic- tions. All rights reserved.

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