A system and method are described herein for gating at least one input to an amplifier, the method comprising: measuring at least one audio analog signal level received by the amplifier at a first input; determining whether the received at least one audio analog signal level is below a predetermined threshold level; and gating the first input such that the received audio analog signal level is ignored in further processing by the amplifier.

Examples described herein involve expanding playback of a media item from a first playback device to a second playback device. In one example, while a first playback device is playing a media item as part of a first zone, the first playback device identifies that a second playback device has moved to a location that is within a given physical proximity of the first playback. The first playback device determines that playback is to be expanded to the second playback device, and transmits a command to cause the second playback device to (i) join the first zone and (ii) begin to play the media item in synchrony with the first playback device.

An example method of operation may include identifying speakers and microphones connected to a network controlled by a controller, assigning a preliminary output gain to the speakers used to apply test signals, measuring ambient noise detected from the microphones, recording chirp responses from all microphones simultaneously based on the test signals, deconvolving all chirp responses to determine a corresponding number of impulse responses, and measuring average sound pressure levels (SPLs) of each of the microphones to obtain a SPL level based on an average of the SPLs.

An audio arrangement with a plurality of audio devices and a central device. A unique address is assigned to each audio device of a basic set in a data environment so that the central device can selectively send messages to the audio devices of the basic set. The central device includes a data-technology selection area for a selected set of audio devices from the basic set, and a communication module for activating a notification mode of the audio devices of the selected set. Each of the audio devices includes a human-machine interface and are configured to send a notification message to the central device in the notification mode when the human-machine interface is actuated. The central device lists the audio devices of the selected set in a list area in the order in which the notification message is received at the central device.

An example may include detecting, via a controller, one or more microphones and one or more speakers in an area, measuring, via the one or more microphones, an initial frequency response of an audio signal generated by the one or more speakers inside the area and generating an initial room performance rating, comparing the initial frequency response to a target frequency response, creating audio compensation values to apply to the one or more speakers based on the comparison, and applying the audio compensation values to the one or more speakers.

Example techniques involve noise-robust acoustic echo cancellation. An example implementation may involve causing one or more speakers of the playback device to play back audio content and while the audio content is playing back, capturing, via the one or more microphones, audio within an acoustic environment that includes the audio playback. The example implementation may involve determining measured and reference signals in the STFT domain. During each n.sup.th iteration of an acoustic echo canceller (AEC): the implementation may involve determining a frame of an output signal by generating a frame of a model signal by passing a frame of the reference signal through an instance of an adaptive filter and then redacting the n.sup.th frame of the model signal from an n.sup.th frame of the measured signal. The implementation may further involve determining an instance of the adaptive filter for a next iteration of the AEC.

Example techniques relate to voice interaction in an environment with a media playback system that is playing back audio content. In an example implementation, while playing back first audio in a given environment at a given loudness: a playback device (a) detects that an event is anticipated in the given environment, the event involving playback of second audio and (b) determines a loudness of background noise in the given environment, the background noise comprising ambient noise in the given environment. The playback device ducks the first audio in proportion to a difference between the given loudness of the first audio and the determined loudness of the background noise and plays back the ducked first audio concurrently with the second audio.

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to determine performance of audience measurement meters. An example apparatus disclosed herein is to cause an audio output device of a meter to emit an audio signal into an environment, the audio signal based on a test pattern including a first plurality of watermarks and cause an audio input device of the meter to collect data from the environment during emission of the audio signal. Additionally, the example apparatus is to determine whether a second plurality of watermarks decoded from the data match the first plurality of watermarks and based on a difference between the first plurality of watermarks and the second plurality of watermarks indicative of a fault, cause an alert to be transmitted to a device associated with an audience measurement company that issued the meter.

An information processing device for a web conference system includes a speaker to output sound, a microphone to receive sound, and a processor. The processor controls the speaker to output a predetermined tone and acquires first sound data from the microphone while the speaker outputting the predetermined tone. The processor sends the first sound data to another information processing device via a network or the like. Second sound data is then received from the other information processing device. The second sound data corresponds to the first sound data as output by the other information processing device. The processor then compares the first sound data and the received second sound data, outputs a notification indicating a result of the comparison between the first and second sound data.

An integrated cinema amplifier comprises a power supply stage that distributes power over a plurality of channels for rendering immersive audio content in a surround sound listening environment. The amplifier automatically detects maximum and net power availability and requirements based on audio content by decoding audio metadata and dynamically adjusts gains to each channel or sets of channels based on content and operational/environmental conditions. A power supply stage provides power to drive a plurality of channels corresponding to speaker feeds to a plurality of speakers. The amplifier has a front panel having an LED array with each LED associated with a respective channel or group of channels of the multi-channel amplifier, and a control unit configured to light the LEDs according to display patterns based on operating status or error conditions of the amplifier.