I usually attend this Stockholm annual fair of Hi End HiFi, this year was no exception.
Not much news, other than that many manufacturers seems to want in to the real expensive segment. Speakers, amps and earphones they all want a share of this. A system for +100.000USD is easy to find.
In the DRC-end, not much (if anything) has happened in the hardware/software since last year.
Both Lyngdorfs “Room Perfect”, Arcams “Dirac Live”, Denon/Marantz “Audessey XT32” and JBL “Trinnov” was there, with the same DRC as last year, but in upgraded amps/processors.
The more I listen to it, the more convinced I get, that DRC is not needed with High End HiFi, in well controlled rooms. On the other hand, DRC makes a huge impact, on less than high-end speakers (perhaps 5-6.000USD) and most normal listening rooms, not designed for HiFi specifically. Not to mention the low-end spectrum, where DRC can do wonders.
Best value is still good speakers, some dampening of room reflections and then DRC. Money taken from expensive cables, external DAC´s and esoteric amps.
Still even in expensive systems, a few thousand USD for DRC makes more for HiFi, than five times that extra on cables, DAC´s and amps.
Best value for a stereo system, is still about 40% of the budget on an amp with DRC, the same amount on loudspeakers and the rest on players and basic dampening of early room reflections. Being a very crude thumbs rule.
I agree – very expensive stuff was plentyful at the fair. DRC for low budget was almost absent. Lyngdorf had its amp/processor 2170 still with “Room Perfect” for about 3000USD and Arcam a new amp/processor with “Dirac Live” for about the same. That was it.