[Sledge]

For those of us without nice HT systems to calibrate the Realiser, there needs to be some sort of "calibration get-together" with a few nice speaker systems to choose from. I'd pay good money for that.

 

[Ripley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sledge /img/forum/go_quote.gif For those of us without nice HT systems to calibrate the Realiser, there needs to be some sort of "calibration get-together" with a few nice speaker systems to choose from. I'd pay good money for that.

Agreed! I'd love to see this happen. The only question is which generous audiophile with a top-notch system is willing to host?

 

[randyb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ripley /img/forum/go_quote.gif Agreed! I'd love to see this happen. The only question is which generous audiophile with a top-notch system is willing to host?

Well, Mark Waldrep of AIX records was the CanJam show and was offering a free profile calibration at his studio with his superb top notch system he uses for monitoring if you bought $100 worth of his DVD/Cd's. I did but will have to make another trip as I had to leave Sunday for home. Very nice guy. Mike and Steve were also great and I appreciated the help they gave me in learning some of the capabilities of this amazing box.

 

[mbd2884]

So from this thread, this is an advanced DSP, and more simply emulation. It's not real, just emulates the effect of surround sound....

Will be interesting since that it's probably just a bit of code and maybe new hardware as someone mentioned, that the price will drop from 3K to even less than a hundred in a few years when replicated by another company. If it's as amazing as some say it is, I find it hard to believe that Sony or any other large company in the AV industry won't rip this SVS apart and clone it.

 

[randyb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif So from this thread, this is an advanced DSP, and more simply emulation. It's not real, just emulates the effect of surround sound.... Will be interesting since that it's probably just a bit of code and maybe new hardware as someone mentioned, that the price will drop from 3K to even less than a hundred in a few years when replicated by another company. If it's as amazing as some say it is, I find it hard to believe that Sony or any other large company in the AV industry won't rip this SVS apart and clone it.

Yamaha has licensed it but has not done anything with the license yet. It is amazing, but remember it does not calibrate itself without participation. Knowing that most people who have surround set-ups wouldn't even set levels manually, I don't see that it will become a widespread product for a hundred dollars. People are mostly lazy unless they are fanatics like here and other forums.

 

[mbd2884]

Quote:

Originally Posted by randyb /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yamaha has licensed it but has not done anything with the license yet.

I believe you. But that's not what I'm talking about. Not a license but a larger company just flat out compete with the SVS by charging $2,900 less for it! I'm going to wait a few years, cause if this new gimmick lives up to it's hype, someone will replicate the technology.

 

[randyb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I believe you. But that's not what I'm talking about. Not a license but a larger company just flat out compete with the SVS by charging $2,900 less for it! I'm going to wait a few years, cause if this new gimmick lives up to it's hype, someone will replicate the technology.

I got your point but see my addition to the post. I don't see this becoming anything but a niche product, although I wouldn't predict that the price won't come down. The market they see is some consumer but some pro and sure it may be hacked. I have no idea of the patents that may be involved. Remember too as Steve Symth pointed out, that Yamaha is big in the pro market.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

The smyth is on my list of must own gizmos. I have seriously considered canceling my EC ZDT order to get the Smyth.

It is the best out of head soundstage for headphones experience I have ever heard. And, the Stax SR-202 headphones were an upgrade in detail and speed over the home theater speakers, while retaining the more pleasing tonal balance of the speaker without the Stax upper midrange etch, brightness or colorations - thanks to the EQ provided.

 

[Ripley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif The smyth is on my list of must own gizmos. I have seriously considered canceling my EC ZDT order to get the Smyth. It is the best out of head soundstage for headphones experience I have ever heard. And, the Stax SR-202 headphones were an upgrade in detail and speed over the home theater speakers, while retaining the more pleasing tonal balance of the speaker without the Stax upper midrange etch, brightness or colorations - thanks to the EQ provided.

Quit it. You're killing me!

 

[moonboy403]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I believe you. But that's not what I'm talking about. Not a license but a larger company just flat out compete with the SVS by charging $2,900 less for it! I'm going to wait a few years, cause if this new gimmick lives up to it's hype, someone will replicate the technology.

It's not hype nor gimmick. The SVS is ridiculous. I had a hard time distingushing the headphone from the speakers when I tried it at Canjam. You really shouldn't bash it if you haven't tried it.

 

[dsperber]

Quote:

Originally Posted by randyb /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, Mark Waldrep of AIX records was the CanJam show and was offering a free profile calibration at his studio with his superb top notch system he uses for monitoring if you bought $100 worth of his DVD/Cd's.

I was there too, and "bit" as well. In fact Mark said you'd walked by, but we didn't run into each other.

Anyway, on Monday I went over to his studio to get my free personalization in his mixing room. All parties managed to work out the logistics and both Smyth brothers and Steve Cheung were also there to meet me (per Mark's request), along with Mark and his engineer Dominick.







I spent about three hours there, doing the calibration, listening to the results (including A/B comparison of my Preset 1 which is the Smyth sound room, and now Preset 2 which is the AIX mixing room, both of which use the SR-Omega headphone file), comparing headphone sound to loudspeaker sound, and listening to my "demo reference" 2-channel CD tracks.

I also sampled their Real HD Audio high-res multi-channel audio from both loudspeakers and headphones. With the EQ levels set so that both loudness levels were the same, it was once again just astounding how almost indistinguishable the two modes of listening are. The "camera" which SVS is, to truly capture and virtualize a listening environment, is just amazing.

Not surprisingly I noticed a significant difference between the Smyth room preset I'd been listening through since April and the new AIX room preset. Very significant, but then the acoustics in the AIX room are much richer and seemingly much more directional and full-range (perhaps because of the wood floor, acoustic baffle material on the ceiling, surround playback system of Meridian, Benchmark, Audience/Cardas, Bryston and five B&W 801 Matrix III speakers, etc.).

While I was there I also created a second headphone file, for my Lambda Pro which I also brought along, should I someday want to listen through them for some reason instead of through my SR-Omega. For convenience we stored a third Realiser preset to match, for AIX room plus Lambda headphones.

Here's an interesting observation. On Saturday night I'd sampled one of the multi-channel AIX discs I had bought at the show, listening through the Smyth room preset. It was pretty good. However on Monday night I listened to the same disc again, this time through the AIX room preset (which was the actual mixing room in which the disc was produced, using these very speakers and acoustics). Remarkably, the same content sounded MUCH better played back through the AIX room preset than it did through the Smyth room preset... and really did sound just the way I'd heard it through the true loudspeakers in that room during the Monday afternoon session.


Anyway, this is not a gimmick. It is great. And having an opportunity like this, to "borrow" a high-end sound room to capture the precise listening environment to SVS with a personalization session, well it's really ideal.

 

[Erik Garci]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsperber /img/forum/go_quote.gif While I was there I also created a second headphone file, for my Lambda Pro which I also brought along, should I someday want to listen through them for some reason instead of through my SR-Omega. For convenience we stored a third Realiser preset to match, for AIX room plus Lambda headphones.

Have you compared the sound of the AIX+Lamda preset to the AIX+Omega preset?

 

[blubliss]

dsperber, sorry I missed you at CanJam.

The brothers said I would have my unit in about 3 weeks. They brought an extra one over to my setup at CanJam and let me listen through my amp and Omega1. It was very cool, but the sound of their room at CanJam was too live and it came through clearly in my system. I can't wait to go over to the AIX place.

dsperber, are you in Los Angeles? If so, we should coordinate going to places to get new measurements. I already have one two channel room lined up and have another in mind.

PM me if interested.

 

[randyb]

I am also sorry I missed you Dsperber. Wish I was closer (live in Kansas City).

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I almost regret not doing this while I was there (Saturday might have worked?)

The Smyth is on my short list of things to own, and I would now have to make another trip just for a high-end AIX speaker/room profile, and I find it hard to justify flying places for that kind of thing. I have a friend in the audio business who may have some customers with high end setups where I could make a profile, but this AIX opportunity was a golden one.