Pioneer SC-35 Owner's Manual - Page 63

Listening to your system 06 Phase Control technology provides coherent sound reproduction through the use of phase matching1 for an optimal sound image. The default setting is on and we recommend leaving Phase Control switched on for all sound sources. 1 Set the remote control to the receiver operation mode. • Press PHASE CTRL (PHASE CONTROL) to switch on phase correction. The PHASE CONTROL indicator on the front panel lights. Better sound using Phase Control and Full Band Phase Control (SC-37 only) This receiver is equipped with the two types of functions that correct phase distortion and group delay: Phase Control and Full Band Phase Control. Activating Full Band Phase Control is strongly recommended because it also involves the effects of Phase Control. The Full Band Phase Control feature calibrates the frequency-phase characteristics of the speakers connected. Standard speakers designed exclusively for audio use generally reproduce sound with the divided frequency bands output from a speaker system consisting of multiple speakers (in case of typical 3-way speakers, for instance, the tweeter, the squawker (midrange), and the woofer output sound in the high-, middle-, and lowfrequency ranges, respectively). Though these speakers are designed to flatten the frequency-amplitude characteristics across wide ranges, there are cases where the group delay characteristics are not effectively flattened. This phase distortion of the speakers subsequently causes group delay (the delay of lowfrequency sound against high-frequency sound) during audio signal playback. This receiver analyzes the frequency-phase characteristics of the speakers by measuring test signals output from the speakers with the supplied microphone, therefore flattening the analyzed frequency-phase characteristics during audio signal playback2 - the same correction is made for a pair of left and right speakers. This correction minimizes group delay between the ranges of a speaker and improves the frequency-phase characteristics across all ranges. Furthermore, the enhanced frequency-phase characteristics between channels ensure better surround sound integration for multichannel setting.3 1 Set the remote control to the receiver operation mode. 2 Press PHASE CTRL (PHASE CONTROL) to select FULLBAND PHASE.4 Both the Phase Control and Full Band Phase Control functions are switched on. The FULL BAND and indicator, on the front panel lights. Note 1 • Phase matching is a very important factor in achieving proper sound reproduction. If two waveforms are 'in phase', they crest and trough together, resulting in increased amplitude, clarity and presence of the sound signal. If a crest of a wave meets a trough, then the sound will be 'out of phase' and an unreliable sound image will be produced. • The PHASE CONTROL feature is available even when the headphones are plugged in. • If your subwoofer has a phase control switch, set it to the plus (+) sign (or 0°). However, the effect you can actually feel when PHASE CONTROL is set to ON on this receiver depends on the type of your subwoofer. Set your subwoofer to maximize the effect. It is also recommended you try changing the orientation or the place of your subwoofer. • Set the built-in lowpass filter switch of your subwoofer to off. If this cannot be done on your subwoofer, set the cutoff frequency to a higher value. • If the speaker distance is not properly set, you may not have a maximized PHASE CONTROL effect. • The PHASE CONTROL mode cannot be set to ON in the following cases: - When the PURE DIRECT mode is switched on. - When MULTI CH IN input is selected. - When the HDMI audio output parameter is set to THROUGH in Setting the Audio options on page 76. 2 To calibrate and analyze the frequency-phase characteristics of the speakers, either follow the Full Auto MCACC procedure under Advanced MCACC (see Automatically conducting optimum sound tuning (Full Auto MCACC) on page 43), or set Auto MCACC menu under Auto MCACC under Advanced MCACC to Full Band Phase Ctrl. Select ALL when you perform the Auto MCACC with Auto MCACC menu. Upon calibration of the frequency-phase characteristics of the speakers, the Full Band Phase Ctrl feature is automatically switched on. 3 The original characteristics of group delay of the speakers calibrated and the targeted characteristics after correction can be displayed graphically in the GUI screen (see Group Delay (SC-37 only) on page 111). Also, by transferring the measurement data to the computer using a USB device, the original characteristics of group delay of the speakers calibrated and the corrected characteristics of group delay can be displayed in 3-dimension on your PC (see Output MCACC data on page 112). 4 The Full Band Phase Ctrl mode cannot be set to ON in the following cases: - When headphones are plugged in. - When the PURE DIRECT mode is switched on. - When MULTI CH IN input is selected. - When the HDMI audio output parameter is set to THROUGH in Setting the Audio options on page 76. 63 En