For an owner, an AV receiver with automatic calibration like the Yamaha RX-V385* is very convenient. In this context, the so-called room equalizing also plays a role. Only the correct speaker settings guarantee the full sound quality.

AV receiver with automatic calibration

❶ AV receivers from Yamaha

❷ Denon AV receiver

❸ Pioneer AV receiver

What does automatic calibration mean?

Automatic calibration is a special function of the AV receiver. It makes it possible to adjust the AV receiver to the prevailing room conditions. For this reason, the integrated microphone is used to control the calibration.
The individual sound conditions are determined automatically for this purpose. This means that the user does not have to make any complicated adjustments manually. The automation process enables a sound image that is almost optimally adapted to the conditions of the room.

The quality of the acoustics is already very high this way. Manual settings far away from the automation can only improve nuances. The quality of the automatic calibration in the AV receiver differs between entry-level and professional devices. However, almost all devices are supported with such technology out of the box.

Depending on the manufacturer, software implements the automation process. Thus, there are two types of software. Either it is a software of the manufacturer or it is independent of the manufacturer.

What does room equalizing mean?

Automatic calibration is a special form of room equalizing. The latter is the basic process without automation.

How does the sound adjustment work?

The room in which the AV receiver is used represents the listening room. In this listening room, there are different points at which the measurement microphone is installed.
Consequently, two parameters are recorded at these points. On the one hand a measurement of the sound and on the other hand a recording of the volume takes place. These two parameters are generated by the loudspeakers of the multi-channel system.

The 4K AV receiver relates the values of sound, volume and distance of the device to the speakers. This serves to match the sound image as much as possible. Usually, there are several measurement points in the listening room, so the measurement microphone collects data from several points. The linchpin of the measurement is the main listening area.

Assuming the home theater consists of several sofa elements, the main listening area represents the most central seating position. Therefore, the sonic adjustment represents a calculation from different components.
Based on this, the automatic calibration of an AV receiver works. Moreover, the successful alignment of the acoustics provides optimal conditions for streaming music. Moreover, the comparative overview of 10 good AV receivers includes numerous models with an integrated automatic calibration.

MCACC automatic calibration from Pioneer

Click here for instructions on how to perform an automatic calibration using MCACC for Pioneer devices.

Comfort through calibration

The technical achievement of an automatic calibration is now part of the standard repertoire of modern AV receivers. Review based on product ratings and general advantages and disadvantages of the category.