Anthem Audio D2 - Manual (Page 66)

58
• Timbre Matching – The human ear changes our perception of a sound depending on the direction
from which the sound is coming. In a movie theatre, there is an array of surround speakers so that
the surround information is all around you. In a home theatre, you use only two speakers located to
the side of your head. Timbre Matching, which includes Re-EQ, filters the information going to the
surround speakers so that they more closely match the tonal characteristics of the sound coming
from the front speakers. This ensures seamless panning between the front and surround speakers.
• Adaptive Decorrelation – In a movie theatre, a large number of surround speakers help create an
enveloping surround sound experience, but in a home theatre there are usually only two speakers.
Unless you are using properly positioned dipoles, surround speakers can sound like headphones
that lack spaciousness and envelopment – they will also collapse into the closest speaker as you
move away from the middle seating position. Adaptive Decorrelation senses the presence of
identical surround channels (mono) and slightly changes one surround channel’s time and phase
relationship with respect to the other. This expands the listening position and creates – with only
two speakers – the same spacious surround experience found in a movie theatre. Adaptive
Decorrelation does not operate when the surround channels are different, as is often the case in
discrete multichannel source material.
• ASA (Advanced Speaker Array) – explained in section 3.4.
Depending on source material and speaker configuration, THX processing is available as follows:
THX Cinema: 5.1 to 7.1 output with 2.0- and 5.1-channel movies (see overview that follows)
Processing: Re-Equalization, Timbre Matching, Adaptive Decorrelation (if applicable)
When THX Cinema is selected, Dolby Pro Logic IIx Movie is engaged.
Alternatively, Dolby Pro Logic or DTS Neo:6 Cinema may be selected. Other
surround modes do not apply and do not appear when pressing MODE.
THX Ultra2 Cinema: 7.1 output with 5.1-channel movies
Processing: Re-Equalization, Timbre Matching, Adaptive Decorrelation, ASA (Cinema)
THX Ultra2 Cinema mode plays 5.1 movies using all 7.1 speakers giving you the
best possible THX movie watching experience with 5.1 program material. In this
mode, ASA processing blends the surround speakers and rear speakers providing
the optimal mix of ambient and directional surround sounds.
THX MusicMode: 7.1 output with 5.1-channel music (including DVD-Audio, multichannel SACD)
Processing: Timbre Matching, Adaptive Decorrelation, ASA (Music)
THX MusicMode can be selected when playing multi-channel music. In this mode
THX ASA processing is applied to the surround channels of all 5.1 channel
encoded music sources to provide a wide stable rear soundstage.
THX Games Mode: 7.1 output with 2.0- and 5.1-channel games
Processing: Timbre Matching, ASA (Games)
Game audio is mixed and monitored in a different environment than that of music
and movies. The interactive nature of the audio requires a playback system which
can provide 360 degree panning while preserving the ambient nature of
background sound elements. When playing back 5.1 games, THX Games Mode
may be engaged. Suitable sources are Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 game sources.
If THX Games Mode is engaged with 2.0 input, the source is first converted to 5.1
via Pro Logic IIx Game mode.
4. OPERATION
continued …