Patent ID: 7006645

Claim:
An audio reproduction apparatus having: a first mode for performing multichannel audio reproduction to deliver first audio signals of n (n is an integral number in a range of n≧4) channels from power amplifiers of the n channels to a first zone; and a second mode for performing multizone audio reproduction to deliver, from said power amplifier of m channel (m is an integral number in a range of 1≦m<n) not used for the multichannel audio reproduction, a second audio signal of the m channel to a second zone while performing multichannel audio reproduction to deliver said first audio signals of (n−m) channels from said power amplifiers of the (n−m) channels to said first zone, said audio reproduction apparatus comprising: a digital signal processor that processes said first audio signals of the n channels and outputs the processed first audio signals to said power amplifiers of the n channels; a first selector switch which, in said first mode, outputs to said power amplifier of the m channel said first audio signal of the m channel corresponding to said power amplifier of the m channel from among said first audio channels of the n channels outputted by said digital signal processor, while, in said second mode, outputs said second audio signal of the m channel to said power amplifier of the m channel; and a second selector switch which, in said first mode, couples the output of said power amplifier of the m channel to a first speaker terminal provided only for sound reproduction for said first zone, while, in said second mode, couples the output of said power amplifier of the m channel to a second speaker terminal provided only for sound reproduction for said second zone, wherein, in said second mode, said digital signal processor performs sound field correction on at least a portion of said first audio signals of the (n−m) channels so that a sound field of said first zone has a desired characteristic; and said first selector switch outputs, in said second mode in which only one of a plurality of second zones can be selected, said second audio signal of the m channel corresponding to said selected second zone to said power amplifier of the m channel.