Introduction :
During the process of reviewing some phenomenal stereo loudspeakers, the Wisdom Sage Series L-75, I've had the chance to get to know the Audyssey MultEQ XT Sound Equalizer, a required part of the installation of the L-75 speakers. Audyssey MultEQ XT Pro is a room acoustics correction application that runs on a PC and equalizes the system for the listening room ensuring the best performance from the system.
Overview:
The Wisdom Sage L-75 speakers are without a doubt the best speakers I've ever reviewed and the Audyssey MultEQ XT takes them to their highest level of performance. There are several versions of the Audyssey system ranging from the highest, the MultEQ XT Pro, which is performed by a professional installer, to the Audyssey EQ and Audyssey Equalized, a preset version designed for all-in-one type systems.
How It Works:
The MultEQ Pro system performs its room acoustic correction functions by measuring the room with a professionally calibrated microphone. The microphone is connected to an audio input on the system and placed near multiple seating locations likely to be used for listening to the system. The audio system is connected to a PC via a USB port on the Wisdom Audio SC-1 system controller. The MultEQ system application asks for various system parameters, such as the number of speakers, the dimensions of the room and so on. The software then launches a series of test tones for each mic location.
The Results:
The MultEQ XT Pro recommends at least 8, but can measure as many as 32 different positions adding to the data about the room. When complete, it provides four different EQ curves that can be selected and downloaded to the system controller and recalled as desired. In the case the four curves were: No EQ (not enjoyable), flat (somewhat boring), the Wisdom Curve (an unknown yet highly listenable EQ curve), and the Wisdom Game curve (similar to the Wisdom Curve with a little bump in the bass). The user can also tweak each of the curves to customize it for personal listening preferences. See the before and after EQ curves.
Wow!:
The results of the MultEQ XT Pro room correction were outstanding. The system sounded exhilarating, live, transparent and clean. This is not hard to do with a speaker as good as the Wisdom Audio L-75, but the Audyssey system added a dimension of sound quality I've rarely experienced.
Conclusion:
While I'm not a trained installer, I've had the opportunity to re-calibrate the system by measuring more than the 8 listening positions and the sound quality just improves. My listening room is acoustically treated and though not perfect, is quite good sounding, but the Audyssey system made it even better. The next time you see the Audyssey logo, know that it means you can look forward to a better sounding stereo or home theater system.