Anthem Room Correction Technology Now Available On AVM 40 And AVM 50 Audio/Video Processors

ARC's cutting-edge technology gets speakers and the room in which they reside to sing in perfect harmony. [The following is a release from Anthem]

September 19, 2008

Anthem, a division of Paradigm Electronics Inc., a leading manufacturer of high-end electronics for music and home theater, announces the availability of the Anthem Room Correction System (Model ARC) on all new Anthem® Audio Video Master (AVM) 40 and 50 digital audio/video processors. Even when speakers are properly spaced and positioned, factors like furniture placement, acoustic dead spots, archways, and ceiling height can have a dramatic impact on each speaker's performance. In effect, every room is itself an instrument, playing alongside musicians or movie scores, and sometimes offering unwanted contributions of coloration and resonance. Anthem's Room Correction technology compensates for these acoustic problem areas by automatically configuring each speaker's tonal balance for optimized sound in a specific room. The ARC process starts with a test signal that is sent from the AVM processor to each connected speaker. The signal is played and then picked up by a specially calibrated microphone, which is placed in various listening positions. Each speaker is put through a full frequency sweep in order to highlight problem areas and determine necessary adjustments. Configurations are saved and can be accessed accordingly, allowing the user to optimize the system for multiple configurations. The system is extremely precise because the connected PC's 64-bit floating-point processor calculates the correction curves. Truly an audiophile solution, the Anthem Room Correction system is compatible with any incoming audio signal without reducing the bit rate. Anthem's Room Correction System is based on equalizer filter requirements created during the Athena Acoustic Research Project, performed by Canada's National Research Council (NRC). The goal of this study was to determine a correct in-room "target response," and then develop a system to adjust each speaker to achieve it in any given listening room. Based on this analysis and research, and with the required computing power already in place courtesy of the Statement processors' twin-DSP engine design, Anthem's design team created the Anthem Room Correction System to identify those characteristics and enable processors to make necessary adjustments to achieve the desired in-room acoustic result. Features of ARC include an intuitive set-up wizard for new users, choice of auto or user mode, an interface that displays measurements for advanced users, Infinite Impulse Response Filters to prevent delay that would affect lip-sync and video game play, and PC backup. The system will also be available as an add-on kit for any existing Anthem AVM 40 or AVM 50. End users seeking to order an add-on kit must present their product's serial number when placing the order. Once completed, a microphone and stand will be shipped, along with a dual-DSP daughter card and CD that contains files unique to the specific microphone and AVM product being used. The new AVM models with Anthem Room Correction have U.S. MSRPs of $4,499 (AVM 40) and $5,499 (AVM 50). The ARC system will also be available as an add-on for existing AVM processors; estimated price is $799. For more information on Anthem, please visit www.anthemAV.com.

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