My Experience with Dirac Live ART: From Klipsch R-120SW to Extraordinary Sound

Just had to write this down because I still can’t get over what Dirac Live ART does in a real room.

ART is now in my system, and I keep testing it with different content. The bass feels tighter, cleaner, and more physical. The room stops sounding like a room, and the whole Atmos / DTS:X bubble feels bigger and more believable. This is not just “more bass.” It’s better start-stop precision, more impact, and greater clarity in the low end.

Before upgrading to ART, I was using an A1 Acoustica setup. I also visited a friend and listened to his system, which runs an Onkyo RZ-70 with Dirac Live + Bass Control and two SVS SB-1000 Pro sealed subs. That experience really made me think about improving my own bass situation, since I only had a single, very basic Klipsch R-120SW.

Honestly, in terms of subwoofer hardware, I was clearly at a disadvantage — I’d even say my setup was in a completely lower class. After a lot of reading and thinking things through, I finally decided to pull the trigger and upgrade to Dirac Live ART.

After setting everything up and making a few adjustments — using Jamo S 801 speakers (4 atmos, 2 surrounds) crossed at 80 Hz to provide support at -24 dB to each channel, together with my KEF Q750 fronts and Q650 center — everything just clicked.

Without exaggeration, this is the biggest upgrade I’ve ever made to my home cinema. The improvement is massive. How would I describe it? It’s such a spectacular experience that even multichannel stereo starts to feel like Dolby Atmos, all thanks to how Dirac ART “assembles” the soundfield precisely at the listening position. It’s simply something extraordinary.

If you’re currently asking yourself “what’s next?” — especially if you have a similar subwoofer and are deciding between upgrading your sub or investing in Dirac Live ART (which is definitely not cheap in its full version) — I would strongly recommend the latter. The shift is truly indescribable.