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Marantz has been showing off its latest pseudo-surround system in Japan, which requires just three speakers to create the surround experience. OPSODIS is not an insulting sounding word inexplicably spelt in capitals, but rather an acronym standing for OPtimal SOurce DIStribution Technology. Developed at Southampton University in conjunction with the Kajima corporation, the technology gives a 5.1 experience from three speakers, without bouncing the sound off of the surrounding walls. In theory, this should allow the speakers to work in the kind of cluttered and irregular shaped rooms that previous pseudo-surround systems have had problems with. It looks like the surround effect is achieved through targeting different physical levels, with the speaker drivers being set at particular angles to do so.
The traditional criticism that is levelled at pseudo-surround is the need to sit in a specific spot to get the correct effect. This is true of the Marantz but at the same time it is necessary to point out that this is true of all surround (pseudo or otherwise) and even stereo set-ups. There will always be an optimal listening position, so perhaps this is an unfair criticism.
More information is available at the Japanese Marantz website, well mainly pictures unless you understand Japanese: www.marantz.jp
Keith Grant
