How HouseCurve Transforms Audio Tuning for DM NAX Audio-over-IP
Professional-grade room correction, simplified
September 30
How HouseCurve Transforms Audio Tuning for DM NAX Audio-over-IP

Getting audio just right in a residential setting can be tricky. “Every room has a unique acoustic signature,” says Dustin Plumb, senior product manager of AV solutions at Crestron. “Room geometry, furniture, and surface materials all affect the acoustic response of a listening space.” The rooms in a home can vary wildly, from carpeted bedrooms with curtains and upholstery to kitchens full of hard, reflective surfaces and right angles. There’s no “one size fits all” calibration for most distributed audio installations.

“Measuring and correcting for a room’s response allows you to get the best sound and most accurate playback, which ultimately makes the listening experience that much more enjoyable,” says Plumb. 

Traditionally, the process for correcting the audio in every room has been pretty laborious. “Getting the right results has meant getting third-party measurement equipment to the amplifier, running a signal to measure, and then manually entering correction filter information into the DM NAX Audio-over-IP amp’s parametric EQ via the webUI,” says Plumb. “It’s been a tedious, costly, and time-consuming affair.”

Until now.

Enter HouseCurve

To streamline and simplify the process, Crestron is launching a new partnership with HouseCurve, bringing intuitive, app-based audio tuning to DM NAX® Audio-over-IP streaming amplifiers. This integration empowers dealers and end users to achieve optimal sound quality, quickly and affordably.

The partnership began with a little research on Crestron’s part. “Our product team found the HouseCurve app online and thought the UI and performance of the app were impressive,” says Plumb. “Our engineering team validated HouseCurve’s technical accuracy, and with those positive results, we reached out to investigate a partnership opportunity.” The team at HouseCurve was more than happy to help.

Crestron’s partnership with HouseCurve introduces a powerful iOS® mobile app that enables precise room correction. Using just an iPhone® or iPad®, dealers can tune systems with professional accuracy without audio specialists or calibration tools. House Curve delivers tight bass and balanced sound.

The HouseCurve app’s key features include:

  • One-Step EQ: Automatically generate filters based on target curves
  • Apple® AirPlay® 2 Software Integration: Cast sweeps to any enabled zone
  • Flexible Mic Options: Use onboard or external calibrated microphones
  • Direct Export: Easily send correction EQ to zones in your DM-NAX-8ZSA or DM-NAX-4ZSA-50 streaming amps
  • Flexibility: Compatible with the DM-NAX-4ZSP — which means it can be used to tune downstream zones powered by both our analog-only and AoIP amps without streaming capabilities.
  • Affordability: $20 dealer purchase price, with unlimited use on Crestron projects

How It Works

Using the app couldn’t be simpler, according to Plumb: “HouseCurve connects to an Apple AirPlay software-enabled zone on our DM NAX Audio-over-IP streaming amps and sends an audio sweep to the zone’s speakers. With the onboard mic of the iOS device — or a USB-connected measurement mic connected to the iOS device — the sweep is measured and the room’s acoustic response is captured. HouseCurve then creates a correction EQ curve based on a target response and sends it to the amp’s zone EQ. This essentially corrects the room’s response.”

“The benefit to dealers is that when a costly and busy acoustician with specialized equipment isn’t available, a junior installer can fire up HouseCurve and achieve excellent results in minutes,” adds Plumb. “All the installer has to do is follow the simple tuning steps within HouseCurve. They have the ability to use onboard or calibrated USB measurement microphones and the ability to take multiple measurements and correct for an ‘averaged’ room response.” The best part may be the price, according to Plumb: “HouseCurve is free through Apple’s app store, but the correction features are a one-time in-app purchase of $20. That’s it.”

“Dealers who didn’t previously offer acoustic tuning services now have an affordable tool they can use on a wide range of projects,” says Plumb. “The end user benefits from having a custom-tailored room correction applied at the zone EQ, which results in the room sounding its best.”

Simply put: It’s fast, flexible, and designed to elevate every installation.

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