If you own a Denon or Marantz AV receiver that already supports Dirac Live Room Correction and Bass Control, there’s a new software upgrade you might want to check out. It’s called Dirac Live ART (short for Active Room Treatment), and it promises to take your system’s bass performance to the next level—without touching a single acoustic panel or foam trap.

The upgrade doesn’t come free—it’s priced at $299 for the license—but for those looking to squeeze out better bass and more consistency across their listening room, it could be worth it.

• License for Denon
• License for Marantz

Dirac Live ART is basically the most advanced version of Dirac’s room correction software. You might already be familiar with Dirac Live Room Correction, which balances your system’s sound by adjusting frequency response and phase, or Dirac Live Bass Control, which handles how subwoofers and main speakers work together. ART builds on both of those by doing something a little different: it turns all of your speakers into a team.

Instead of calibrating each speaker separately, ART treats the entire system—front speakers, surrounds, subwoofers—as one unified whole. It focuses on the low-frequency range (20 to 150 Hz), which is where a lot of rooms struggle. Think of those boomy bass notes or uneven thumps that seem to move around the room. That’s what ART is aiming to fix.

It does this using something called MIMO processing (Multiple Input, Multiple Output), a technique borrowed from pro audio and telecoms. The system listens to how bass is interacting across your speakers and adjusts everything in real time to reduce room resonance, clean up muddy bass, and give you more consistent sound no matter where you’re sitting.

If you’ve bought a recent higher-end model from Denon or Marantz, there’s a good chance you’re already set up for ART—at least hardware-wise.

Denon (North America):

• AVR-A1H ($7,199 at Crutchfield)
• AVR-A10H ($5,199 at Crutchfield)
• AVR-X6800H ($3,799 at Crutchfield)
• AVR-X4800H ($2,799 at Crutchfield)
• AVR-X3800H ($1,799 at Crutchfield)

Denon (Europe & APAC):

(Same models, just with AVC in the name)

• AVC-A1H
• AVC-A10H
• AVC-X6800H
• AVC-X4800H
• AVC-X3800H

Marantz:

• AV10 ($8,000 at Crutchfield)
• AV20 ($6,000 at Crutchfield)
• CINEMA 30 ($4,800 at Crutchfield)
• CINEMA 40 ($3,800 at Crutchfield)
• CINEMA 50 ($2,800 at Crutchfield)

These models already support Dirac Live Room Correction and Bass Control, which is required before you can add ART on top. If that’s your setup, you just need to buy the license and run the new calibration.

“Dirac Live ART unlocks an entirely new level of performance for Denon and Marantz systems,” says Fredric Tapper, vice president and head of business development, Dirac. “As two of the most trusted and widely adopted brands in home theater and audio, Denon and Marantz are among the first to feature this breakthrough technology, bringing studio-grade precision and innovation to a broader audience.”

Here’s a quick breakdown if you’re wondering how ART fits in with the rest of the Dirac lineup:

• Dirac Live Room Correction – Fixes timing and frequency issues for each speaker independently.
• Dirac Live Bass Control – Optimizes how your subs and main speakers work together, especially across multiple subwoofers.
• Dirac Live ART – Treats your entire speaker system as one interconnected whole to actively manage bass and reduce room problems in real time.

The big takeaway: ART is not a replacement for the other two—it’s an extra layer of polish if you want tighter, smoother, and more controlled low-end audio throughout your space.

“By enabling every speaker to work in unison to control and smooth low frequencies, Dirac Live ART delivers bass that is tighter, more articulate, and consistent across the entire listening area,” comments Tapper. “Whether in a purpose-built theater or an open living room, it elevates the system into a precisely tuned environment where every note and detail comes through with greater clarity and impact.”

How to get it? You’ll need to buy a separate Dirac Live ART license, which costs $299. That’s in addition to any other Dirac licenses you’ve already purchased for Room Correction or Bass Control. Dirac also offers bundle pricing if you're starting from scratch, but existing users can simply add ART to their current setup.

The installation and calibration process uses the same Dirac software and measurement mic you’ve already used with previous Dirac features—no new hardware required.

Is it worth the price? That really depends on how far you’re looking to take your home theater or audio setup. If you’re chasing near-studio-level precision, or if your room has acoustic challenges you don’t want to fix physically, ART offers a powerful software-based solution. On the other hand, if you’re happy with your current calibration and don’t notice much bass inconsistency, the upgrade might feel like overkill.

But for serious listeners and home theater enthusiasts who want better bass clarity across multiple seating positions—or just want their speakers working more intelligently together—ART could be a smart investment.

Dirac Live ART is now available for select Denon and Marantz receivers and processors, and it brings a new kind of bass management to the table—one that treats your entire speaker system as a unified, real-time room correction machine. It's not cheap, but it might just be the cleanest, most surgical way to deal with tricky bass issues without resorting to physical treatments.

If your AVR is compatible and you’ve already invested in Dirac’s previous tools, ART might be the final piece in your calibration puzzle.