Q I hate the spikes in volume that occur when watching TV or a movie. I'm not impressed with the Audyssey compensation feature on my Denon receiver, because it compresses the sound and I still need to have the remote in hand for the volume spikes. Is Pioneer's MCACC feature better at controlling these spikes?
A If you are watching a DVD or Blu-ray, check your player's setup menu for an audio feature called Dynamic Range Compression, DRC or Midnight Mode. They are all the same thing, just given different names by different manufacturers. Dynamic Range Compression will equalize the volume and eliminate the spikes more effectively than circuitry in the receiver. These modes also makes dialogue easier to hear when listening at lower than average volume levels.
But most consumer complaints of sudden volume spikes are caused by TV commercials, which seem to be getting louder and louder these days. Unfortunately, Pioneer's MCACC feature probably won't handle the problem better.
MCACC is an automatic setup and equalization system found exclusively in Pioneer receivers. MCACC sends out test tones and measures them with an included microphone, taking note of the output of the speakers, their distance from the microphone and the effect of your room acoustics on the sound. MCACC then adjusts the balance of the speakers while applying compensation to compensate for the acoustical shortcomings of the room.
MCACC incorporates a feature, called ALC, that is supposed to compensate for drastic changes in volume, such as those that occur when a TV program switches to a commercial. Although it helps somewhat, it is not effective enough to satisfy most TV watchers. Pioneer users have complained online about being startled out of their chairs when a commercial kicks in.
The problem is really getting out of hand. Lately, I have been startled when a commercial comes on. I wonder if the advertisers have no shame at all, nor the broadcasters who transmit the commercials without applying any adjustment to bring the levels in line with the actual programming.
Complaints have made it all the way to Congress, where legislation has been introduced with the goal of ending the problem for good.
The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (CALM) recently passed unanimously in the House and is now in the Senate. It would require that ads not be "excessively noisy or strident" -- essentially, the same volume as the accompanying program.
